Pistol stock layout question

[billd]

I have a great English walnut shotgun blank I was going to put up for sale, but after looking at how nice it is I thought about building a pistol with it. I never built one. Could someone look at the pictures and tell me if it's big enough and if the layout for the grip is good?  It is 2 1/8" wide.  Is English a good wood for a pistol.  It is a solid dense piece.
 It would be ashame to ruin a piece of wood this nice if a pistol is not a good idea. All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Bill

[volatpluvia]

Billd,
It is easily big enough. English is better than black walnut and black is good enough. Go for it!
volatpluvia

[stubshaft]

Gorgeous piece of wood regardless of what you decide to do with it.

[Don Getz]

Beautiful piece of wood, do it.    The wood is big enough to lay it out so that you get maximum grain flow down thru the grip area, but I would not be overly concerned about that.   You will find that it is great wood to work with, should build
inot a great pistol...............Don

[bigsky]

That would make a lovely swivel breech too I bet.

[Jerry V Lape]

I think the wood is nice and certainly large enough.  However I just don't see the grain flow that I would want in straight grain through the lock area and a good curve  down through the pistol grip.  I would certainly respect  Don Getz' opinion.  Perhaps you should layout the stock on the grain and go from there.   

[Dphariss]

I think the wood is nice and certainly large enough.  However I just don't see the grain flow that I would want in straight grain through the lock area and a good curve  down through the pistol grip.  I would certainly respect  Don Getz' opinion.  Perhaps you should layout the stock on the grain and go from there.   

Many originals were quarter sawn curly maple with no allowance made for grain though the grip.
Since it has a matching forend its a shame to make a pistol from it. I would sell it to someone who needed it for a Sharps or some modern with a 2 piece stock then buy something for a pistol stock.
Dan

[billd]

Guys,   
Thanks for all the replies.  After thinking it over and reading the replies I am going to sell it.  I have so many projects going now I'd probably never get to it anyway.  It's been sitting here for 10 years now.  The guy I got it from has been in the happy hunting grounds since 2002 and he had it for several years (or many years) before me.

I agree it's would be a shame to waste a matched set for a pistol.  And a swivelbreech!!  Never thought of that.  I'll put it on the for sale board in a day or two.  Hopefully someone here will have the time and creativity to put it to good use.


Thanks again,
Bill