I know I am adding to the discussion of woods used in US long rifles and pistols, but I have had many side discussions on wood used in stocks of these cultural treasures. Careful analysis of the wood can sometimes yield interesting results on the origin of the piece and accuracy of the location. I had to learn the difference of walnut from butternut the hard way, by loosing good money. So my advise is KNOW YOUR WOOD.
Please accept this info. as an aid to knowing the origin of the wood. Any comments or critiques are gladly accepted.
Walnut Wood
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Juglandaceae
Any tree of the genus Juglans (Family Juglandaceae), especially the Persian or European English walnut, Juglans regia.
The Eastern US black walnut tree Juglans nigra grows in limited quantities, as the Southern US butternut tree Juglans cinerea. And US hickory trees Juglans carla.
Other species include Juglans californica, the California Black Walnut , and Juglans major, the Arizona Walnut.
Common Varities
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=butternut&allowed_in_frame=0walnut (n.)
Old English walhnutu "nut of the walnut tree," literally "foreign nut," from wealh "foreign" (see Welsh) + hnutu (see nut). Cf. Old Norse valhnot, Middle Low German walnut, Middle Dutch walnote, Dutch walnoot, German Walnuß, So called because it was introduced from Gaul and Italy, distinguishing it from the native hazel nut. Cf. the Late Latin name for it, nux Gallica, literally "Gaulish nut." Applied to the tree itself from 1600 (earlier walnut tree, c.1400).
hickory (n.)
1670s, American English, from Algonquian (perhaps Powhatan), shortening of pockerchicory or a similar name for this species of walnut. Old Hickory as the nickname of U.S. politician Andrew Jackson is first recorded 1827.
butternut (n.)
also butter-nut, 1753, nut of the white walnut, a North American tree; transferred to the tree itself from 1783. The nut's color was a brownish-gray, hence the word was used (1861) to describe the warm gray color of the Southern army uniforms in the American Civil War.
