Chestnut gun stocks?

[trentOH]

My brother is in the salvage business, and is currently taking down a barn in Indiana which is made of hickory and chestnut. It got me to wondering if chestnut would make an interesting gun stock. Or is chestnut wood so valuable for other purposes as to preclude it's use for gun stocks?

[Dennis Glazener]

Or is chestnut wood so valuable for other purposes as to preclude it's use for gun stocks?

Best sell the wood to someone that wants beautiful flooring/cabinets/furniture etc. Much like oak and not suitable for stock wood.
Dennis

[trentOH]

Thank you. I consider myself more educated.

[Paul Griffith]

I made one gun out of chestnut. Like yours it was barn wood & pre blight so no worm holes. Very brash & extreemly open oak type grain.  It was interesting looking when done & made up in a Tenn type gun. I would not recomend & probably will not make another.

Paul

[wormey]

There are some committee of safety type muskets extant that are stocked in chesnut.  I built one several years ago that turned out well and looks really neat.  That being said, I agree with Dennis and the others that the wood is too soft and splintery for most gunstocks.