English walnut

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Mike Torrente has some original growth black Walnut from the Smokies that was cut early 20th century.  Beautiful wood....

[Robby]

We had a soda shop where the owner made his own ice cream, black walnut was a local favorite.
Robby

[mkeen]

"Did America export wood to England?"...

 American colonists started planting the "English" tree as soon as they arrived. While you can tell the difference between the woods, you can't tell where it was grown so its perfectly possible that "English" walnut was even exported to England.

With a few reservations, the whole business of saying where a gun came from by the type of wood in the stock is a myth. Timber was the largest single export of the American colonies and the early Republic and Britain was our biggest customer.

Joe does make the very important point that the type of wood does not identify the origin of the gun. Just because the stock is English walnut does not mean it is a European gun or vice versa if the stock is black walnut. The US Forest Service testing lab cannot determine the origin of the wood, only the species.

Martin

[Stophel]

I picked up a blank at a shoot for $85. It is square from the breech forward and will accept a 44" barrel( no inletting done). The buttstock however has been run threw a duplicator to what appears to be a bulky Lancaster profile. The wood is very dark and full of figure and HARD. Just looking for opinions and ideas for a build. I figured it would be rare to see an American rifle or fowler stocked in this wood. Might just have to go for an odd Lancaster rifle anyway being that it has most of the back half shaped. Sure is a pretty piece of wood and I couldn't pass it up for $85

It is not unusual at all to find American guns stocked in walnut.  Rifles too.     Granted, they're highly outnumbered by maple, but still not "rare" by any means.

[JTR]

It is not unusual at all to find American guns stocked in walnut.  Rifles too.     Granted, they're highly outnumbered by maple, but still not "rare" by any means.

Yep, plenty of Winchesters, Remingtons, Rugers stocked in walnut, but fully evolved Longrifles as we use the term here, not many. Maybe not unusual or not rare; I don't know as it depends on the numeric value you attach to those words.
I'm sure there must be a couple between RCA and Kindigs book, however I don't remember ever seeing one in person...

John

[Elnathan]

I picked up a blank at a shoot for $85. It is square from the breech forward and will accept a 44" barrel( no inletting done). The buttstock however has been run threw a duplicator to what appears to be a bulky Lancaster profile. The wood is very dark and full of figure and HARD. Just looking for opinions and ideas for a build. I figured it would be rare to see an American rifle or fowler stocked in this wood. Might just have to go for an odd Lancaster rifle anyway being that it has most of the back half shaped. Sure is a pretty piece of wood and I couldn't pass it up for $85

I presume this is English Walnut? You might want to have a look at DeWitt Bailey's book on English military rifles - he has a good section on English-made copies of Lancaster rifles from around 1780 or so, made to give to Indian allies during the Revolution. Those were made of English walnut, with English flatfaced locks, slightly heavier stocks, and a very distinctive mis-copies of typical Lancaster-style carving.

If I had a piece of English Walnut profiled as you describe, I would jump at the chance to replicate one of those - a very unique gun that I have never seen reproduced.

[Jim Kibler]

Depending on how the stock is finished, it could likely pass as black walnut.  I doubt anyone would really question it.  If so, I don't see it as too big of a deal either.

[Acer Saccharum]

Did not the English make 'Kentucky rifles' for export to the American market? Maybe they would have used Eng Walnut...or imported wood from the colonies.

[Artificer]

Would American Black Walnut have been cheap enough to have imported it to be used to stock Trade guns? 
Gus

[Mike Brooks]

Did not the English make 'Kentucky rifles' for export to the American market? Maybe they would have used Eng Walnut...or imported wood from the colonies.

Yes they did. I have handled several of these and they were all stocked in euro walnut.

[Mike Brooks]

Would American Black Walnut have been cheap enough to have imported it to be used to stock Trade guns? 
Gus

I have never seen a British stocked trade gun in black walnut.

[Feltwad]

From the late flintlock period and the early percussion period all the better grade sxs and s/b percussion shotguns and rifles were made from English walnut with a few made from Elm some makers such has the Mantons did use Birds Eye Maple on some of their guns.Today English walnut is rarely seen because it is scarce and the figure is not has good has the old English walnut
 Most trade and Military weapons were of beech,it was later in  the breech loading period that the main stock wood for the shotgun was French walnut.Today top grade stock wood for the UK market come from different parts such has Turkey, America and others for which command a good price with £1000 sterling average.
Feltwad

[Artificer]

Would American Black Walnut have been cheap enough to have imported it to be used to stock Trade guns? 
Gus

I have never seen a British stocked trade gun in black walnut.

Thanks Mike,

Gus

[Artificer]

Most trade and Military weapons were of beech,.
Feltwad

DW Bailey's research shows during the entire period of the Brown Bess Musket that Beech was used only on some muskets in the Pre Pattern 1730 Muskets and during the Emergency when so many Arms had to be made to fight Napoleon.  After Napoleon was captured and exiled a second time, they got rid of the Beech stocked guns though seling them off as they coinsidered Beech much inferior to Walnut.  Are you refering to some muskets for the East India Company that were accepted with Beech stocks or perhaps the Home Volunteers in England?  

Liege made military muskets, sold to the trade, were often stocked in beech, though.  

Gus

[Dennis Glazener]

Yep, plenty of Winchesters, Remingtons, Rugers stocked in walnut, but fully evolved Longrifles as we use the term here, not many. Maybe not unusual or not rare; I don't know as it depends on the numeric value you attach to those words.
I'm sure there must be a couple between RCA and Kindigs book, however I don't remember ever seeing one in person...

John

RCA 124 is one that I can think of off hand and I know there are several more in the RCA books. I know of several full KY style/Patch box etc iron mounted rifles that are walnut stocked.
Dennis

[heelerau]

Venison is better!!

Cooked with walnuts !!  I have a black english walnut that is only a few years old, am busting to have a feed of walnuts from it. My mother pickles walnuts, I never bring them out when my mates are over, they are toooooo nice.  We used to give a pot of them to the station hands (cowboys) at Christmas time on the day of our last horse shoeing, the blacksmith would come as well. The overseer would eat all his on the way home to the peake, he loved them so much.  English walnut trees were planted by our early settlers as well and we have some real old ones still about the place. 

[cmac]

Thanks for all the comments and information folks. I like to have as much info as possible to help plan the build