African Hardwood for Gunstocks

[Muskox]

Colt Sauer was using Bubinga wood to stock their dangerous game rifles. I had a 458 Winchester in that rifle & stock. It was beautiful wood, dense. I shot loads that were, at that time, very hot and I managed to develop a small crack in the tang of the stock.

Every Sauer 90 that I have owned cracked through the tang of the stock. Not just the 458s.

 

[skydiver386]

Every Sauer 90 that I have owned cracked through the tang of the stock. Not just the 458s.

Do you think it was the type of wood, or possibly how the actions were bedded?

I've always though an additional recoil lug that some rifles have, is a big factor in how much recoil the stock could tolerate.

 

[Muskox]

I think it has to do with the way they are in-letted into the stock.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Bubinga, Website says gunstock use but I'd first check with Rick or Brian.

Bubinga Lumber

BUBINGA EXOTIC WOOD Bubinga is a gorgeous African hardwood. Due to its fine, tight grain and its reddish brown color, Bubinga is often referred to as “African Rosewood”. The trees can grow quite large and five foot diameter logs are not uncommon (making one piece table

www.hearnehardwoods.com

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Knysna Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is a suitable timber for rifle stocks due to its strength, stability, and attractive appearance. It is a fast-growing, but potentially invasive species, native to Australia, that has naturalized in the southern Cape region of South Africa, including the indigenous forests of Knysna.

Properties that make it suitable for rifle stocks:

• Strength and Stability:
  Knysna Blackwood has high crushing and bending strengths, and is reasonably stable in service.
• 
  
• Workability:
  It can be easily worked, including turning, and takes a good polish.
  
  
• 
  
• Appearance:
  It is an attractive timber with a lustrous, fine to medium texture, and can have a beautiful brown color, though some sapwood and knots may be present, especially in lower grades.
  
  
• 
  
• Durability:
  While not ideal for in-ground applications, it has good durability for interior-based uses.

Considerations for Rifle Stocks:

• Sapwood and Knots:
  Be aware that standard grade material may contain sapwood and knots, which could affect the stock's appearance and structural integrity.
• 
  
• Invasive Species:
  As an invasive species, responsible sourcing and sustainable management are important.
  
  
• 
  
• Local Availability:
  Check with local timber merchants, like Tegs Timbers, for availability and grades.
  
  
• 
  
• Moisture Content:
  Ensure the timber is properly seasoned to minimize movement or warping after it's shaped into a stock.

Take a look at this thread:

Gun Stocks Archives - Rare Woods SA

www.rarewoods.co.za

 

[skydiver386]

Knysna Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is a suitable timber for rifle stocks due to its strength, stability, and attractive appearance. It is a fast-growing, but potentially invasive species, native to Australia, that has naturalized in the southern Cape region of South Africa, including the indigenous forests of Knysna.

View attachment 705859

Properties that make it suitable for rifle stocks:

• Strength and Stability:
  Knysna Blackwood has high crushing and bending strengths, and is reasonably stable in service.
• 
  
• Workability:
  It can be easily worked, including turning, and takes a good polish.
  
  
• 
  
• Appearance:
  It is an attractive timber with a lustrous, fine to medium texture, and can have a beautiful brown color, though some sapwood and knots may be present, especially in lower grades.
  
  
• 
  
• Durability:
  While not ideal for in-ground applications, it has good durability for interior-based uses.

Considerations for Rifle Stocks:

• Sapwood and Knots:
  Be aware that standard grade material may contain sapwood and knots, which could affect the stock's appearance and structural integrity.
• 
  
• Invasive Species:
  As an invasive species, responsible sourcing and sustainable management are important.
  
  
• 
  
• Local Availability:
  Check with local timber merchants, like Tegs Timbers, for availability and grades.
  
  
• 
  
• Moisture Content:
  Ensure the timber is properly seasoned to minimize movement or warping after it's shaped into a stock.

Take a look at this thread:

Gun Stocks Archives - Rare Woods SA

www.rarewoods.co.za

This is what we're looking for.

Those listed in that thread might be our top 5.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Walnut is such an ideal gunstock wood... I would not use anything else. All my rifles except two are walnut. The two are CF sythetics. I agree with Rookhawk and would not spend the rather high dollars to make a stock with 'experimental' material.

 

[IvW]

Dombeya rotundifolia
Wild pear is one of the best woods to use

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Dombeya rotundifolia
Wild pear is one of the best woods to use

But is really not a nice looking wood to use...

 

[Denvir Tire]

Years ago I worked for a large importer of muzzle loaders from both Spain and Italy, containers of rifles and pistols. The workaday hunting guns had genuine "tree wood" stocks, sometimes painted black, prior to the plastic age.
The high end rifles however, the Hawkens and Pennsylvania and Kentucky's had beautiful hardwood stocks made from an African wood called Mongoy or Ovangkol. Years of warranty repairs taught me that this was/is a good choice for stocking rifles; it machined well, accepted the industrial glossy finish, and was well grained and attractive.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Recently purchased a .458 Lott from another member here and looking at ideas for a new stock. It's a Brno 602, so not all that difficult to find decent wood for it, or synthetic if I go that route.

In the latest issue of Safari Times there was an advertisement for exotic African hardwood and furniture. This set my mind in motion, which is not always a good thing, but made me wonder if any of these woods have been tried as Gunstock material?

The ad listed pink and black mahogany and several others that looked quite dense. After doing some Internet research and calling a few local exotic wood dealers, this is a list of possible candidates for a gunstock.

Acacia
African Walnut (Lovoa Trichilioides)
Utile
African Mahogany
Stinkwood
Kingwood
Ziricote
Imbuia
Bocote
Biore
Blackwood

Wangay and others were listed as possible candidates, but due to rough grain will not take checkering.

Several Internet searches turned up almost nothing in terms of anyone actually going through with such a project. From what little I've been able to gather, it falls into one of 3 potential problems. Strength to withstand heavy recoil, stability in various temperature and humidity environments, and the ability to take checkering. If it turned out that every attempt was met with failure, I could accept that, but so far, nobody has taken it past the idea stage. Nothing that I can find goes beyond the theoretical stage.

I'd like to hear from some of our residents of Africa to see if anyone has ever heard of African woods being used for such a project.

@skydiver386
The problem as I see it is there are some fantastic woods out there that could be used as gun stocks BUT some of them are extremely heavy compared to Walnut.
I looked at doing a stock out of a beautiful piece of Australian Redgum. It was unusual in that it had beautiful grain. Problem was that it was far heavier than a similar sized piece if walnut.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Here's the problem with wood in general:

Burl and figure is structurally weak. Straight grain (ugly) is strong. That is why the obsession for the last 400 years has been Walnut. French Walnut, English Walnut, Spanish Walnut, Turkish Walnut, Bastogne, Claro, Black, etc.

And what about that figure? That comes from 1:1000 pieces of walnut where that ugly, straight grain becomes a stunning burl, marbling, or tiger stripe as the trunk becomes the root. A master gun stocker selects for that perfect straight grain at the head and the wrist, then enjoying the option of a burl where it has no structural necessity in the paddle of the stock.

The exotic woods are through-and-through wacky grain structures for the most part. That is not necessarily a good thing.

Then we go to the economics: the labor to shape a stock, inlet, and checker now runs between $4000-$6500 without wood.

Do you want to use an experimental hardwood, or do you want to spend $1000-$2000 on known-commodity walnut considering the intensive labor is the majority of the cost regardless of the wood selected?

@rookhawk
4,000-6,000 to shape and inlet a stock seems a tad expensive ( read rip off price)
The 2 piece stock for my lowall was around $600 to have made.
That was a pistol grip stock and beaver tail friend. The barrel channel was for an octagonal barrel which is more time consuming than a round channel. If I want it checkered I can get that done for another $600 and that's for 22lpi.
Bob

 

[Lybica]

Greetings all ,
New member resident in SA and also interested in indigenous woods for gun-stocks
Will get to the introductions but wanted to add my "dime" here quickly.

I refer to two books that I think will be helpful as far as SOUTHERN African indigenous trees / woods are concerned.

"Making the most of Indigenous Trees"
Fanie and Julye-Ann Venter
BRIZA Publications 2015

"Guide to the Properties and uses of Southern African Wood"
Stephanie Dyer , Barry James , Danielle James
BRIZA Publications 2016

The second mentioned title does include the use for gunstocks

 

[Lybica]

Greetings all ,
New member resident in SA and also interested in indigenous woods for gun-stocks
Will get to the introductions but wanted to add my "dime" here quickly.

There is also this company that refers to the use of different indigenous woods for gunstocks

M J Wapens in Naboomspruit
Facebook is working but appears to be a problem with their website ?

M J Wapens

I have a piece here of Camelthorn ( Vachellia erioloba, ) which was once a piece of braai-wood but when machined and squared off is really a lovely attractive piece of wood. NO cracks after two years. Also smells good (lol)

I also have a long list of other possibles - too long to post here
I had an idea to use wood veneers from a few suitable species and make a laminated stock blank
Not everyone’s cup of tea but I believe this could be made attractive and get past some of the inherent problems. ... /
To be continued

 

[Lybica]

Greetings all ,
New member resident in SA and also interested in indigenous woods for gun-stocks
Will get to the introductions but wanted to add my "dime" here quickly.
( In instalments due to some problems in posting ? )

I had an idea to use wood veneers from a few suitable species and make a laminated stock blank
Not everyone’s cup of tea but I believe this could be made attractive and get past some of the inherent problems. ...
I have spoken to a woodworker here who owns a joinery business who informs me that this would be possible and not too expensive. Unfortunately other things happened and I never got around to it.
Perhaps now is the time to pick up on this idea again ?

I would be most grateful for some recommendations as to the correct dimensions for a stock blank for a large bolt action rifle ( not a full length stock / Mannlicher style ))
Looking towards the larger size of the spectrum or even a large blank that could be cut into two stocks.

 

[Lybica]

A postscript ...
I have a piece of .. South African walnut ( unfortunately not large enough for a full stock )
One of the standard walnut species ( not sure which one ) but grown here in SA
On a farm in the Karoo which I visited two years ago
A small orchard / plantation started in the 1950's
The walnuts are marketed as nuts but not the wood

 

[skydiver386]

@skydiver386
The problem as I see it is there are some fantastic woods out there that could be used as gun stocks BUT some of them are extremely heavy compared to Walnut.
I looked at doing a stock out of a beautiful piece of Australian Redgum. It was unusual in that it had beautiful grain. Problem was that it was far heavier than a similar sized piece if walnut.
Bob

In a heavy caliber rifle, extra weight might be a plus.

 

[Lybica]

Here is a further possibility - a commercial forest so perhaps not affected by CITES ?
See .. Geo Parkes and Sons

White Pear Apodytes Dimidiata

SA Tree #422

Another bit of relevant info

Indigenous Hardwood Species

 

[mdwest]

Yes, I failed to list it, but Bubinga is definitely a wood that has beautiful grain. The Heartwood is very straight grained, but the closer you get to the outside of the tree the more character the grain has.
View attachment 705301

Bubinga is a beautiful wood… I’ve used it extensively for handles on knives and also have used it to make cutting boards…

The challenge I think in using it for a gunstock would be it’s weight (as Bob mentioned earlier) it’s an incredibly dense and heavy wood… kiln dried it’s about 5lbs per board foot compared to walnut which comes in about 3.5 lbs per board foot..

It would make a super sturdy and beautiful stock I believe.. but it would be heavy like a laminate as opposed to most hardwood stocks ..which as skydiver points out, might be welcome on a DG rifle…)

Were I looking to do an African hardwood stocks, I’d go with bocote… it’s typically extremely figured… it’s also got a lot of contrast with very light colors around the outer portions of the tree and super dark portions closer to center… it’s very hard and is somewhere in between bubinga and walnut in weight… usually about 4lbs per board foot if I recall correctly…

Bocote generally looks like the block below

 

[Rare Breed]

Not trying to high jack the thread but would teak work for a big bore? Heavy wood which is good for recoil and weather resistant. just curious