kentucky pistol

[jdavis]

Looking to build my first pistol. Looking for a good dealer of fancy maple. Would prefer a blank, but a roughly shaped stock will be ok. One thing I have noticed on stocks that I have seen listed is that the wood grain runs horizontal all the way across. I would think that the grain should follow the grips contour.  Am I correct? Thanks for any help.
Jdavis

[davebozell]

I have not purchased from them, but Dunlap's carries a fairly wide variety and grades of pistol stocks.  I'm sure if you call them and describe what you are looking for, they will have options for you.  Their prices appear very reasonable as well.

[jdavis]

Thanks I will give them a call. I have read that knob mountain provides quality stocks. Any thoughts on the wood grain to handle configuration?
Jdavis

[Mike Brooks]

"Ideally" the wood grains should run in a "J" or "L" shape. You don't often find  wood like that unless you saw down your own tree and take a stock from a around a large knot or tree branch coming out of the plank.. If you find a dealer or private seller that will sell you one you will pay dearly for it.

[Pennsylvania Dutchman]

When I cut the blank for my William Antes pistol project, the board I had was large enough to cut it at a slight angle for better grain thru the grip. It did make it really fun inletting the barrel though. Here is a photo.


The piece above the pistol is the slab I cut off of the side of the blank. You can see how the grain runs thru it.


Here is a blank that I have for my next pistol project, an 1805 Harpers Ferry pistol. The grain runs about perfect in this blank, but as Mike said, they can be hard to come by.



I'm like you, I would prefer the grain to not be parallel to the barrel, but I don't know if you will have that choice or not when buying a blank.
Mark

[Mr. Bubbles]

I chain sawed a maple tree where a limb came out for this chunk of wood.  Grain direction should be perfect for a couple of pistol blanks.  One thing about that though. is that once the actual blank gets sawed out of the slab, you have to let it sit for a month or so, because after relieving all the surrounding wood, the internal stresses in crotch wood may cause the blank to move some once the wood is gone.

[jdavis]

Thanks for taking the time to reply and post these beautiful pics. I am going to call around monday and get a feel for what is available in suger maple blanks.  Just get the best I can for a reasonable price.

[alacran]

Try Troy Sweeny/ He is an ALR member has some very nice wood. 615 504 7242

[Mike Brooks]

Don't you ever where shoes?

[B.Habermehl]

The first two pistols I built the stock blanks were sistered on either side of a good sized knot. The piece of walnut would have been junk except for making the two pistol blanks out of it.  BJH

[hortonstn]

Muzzleloader builders supply sent me a beautiful blank