Suwannee River trade gun

[Mark H]

Does anyone know what kind of wood this gun was stocked with?

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4828.0

Thanks

[Swampwalker]

Most likely European Walnut.

[woodsrunner]

Mark,

Jamie Levy asked me to reply to your question about the Trade Gun stock:

He sent a sample of the wood down to the University of Florida to be identified, and Donna Ruhl, the wood technologist, said that there was too much rusted metal imbibed into the wood to make an accurate identification. Jamie thinks it is probably European Beech or English Walnut. He doesn't think that it was restocked. He and I are very good friends, live close by, and I'll be glad to foward any questions to him about this piece if there are questions.

[Mark H]

Thanks for looking into that. Too bad they can't get a conclusive identification...

I figured it must have been either walnut or beech, but was hoping to learn which one.

I know there are references which suggest that Carolina guns may have been stocked in walnut, but so far it seems the surviving guns are all beech. The remaining wood on the Suwannee River gun looks so very dark I thought it might be walnut, but maybe that is what happens when it is under water for 300 years....

Thanks again!

Mark

[woodsrunner]

Mark,

I can tell you from many years in the logging business and seeing logs commercially pulled from the rivers of Florida that cypress and pine as well as the few hardwoods of commercial value in our area that yes, the wood will turn very dark, even black, with many years being surmerged.