Pecan Wood for stock

[sambini]

I’ve read that pecan wood is a pretty hard tight wood. Is there a reason it isn’t used for rifle blanks?

[t.caster]

Rarity? Didn't grow in Pa.?

[Eric Krewson]

It is very similar to hickory, perhaps a little softer. I make bows out of hickory occasionally, tough stuff, although a hickory stocked rifle shows up every now and then most say they wouldn't use the same wood again.

[Metalshaper]

I've got a pecan blank, that I'm using to make a Halfstocked Muley gun with..Sharp tools and a skip tooth blade for bandsawing it!
I'm told the longer it ages the harder it becomes. My bud and I gave another builder a blank from the same piece.. Friendly gesture and all
that.. He showed a woodworker buddy of his saying " look what my friends gave me!!" and he told Pat " They ain't your friends!! " 

like any wood choices, there are always exceptions! 

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

[rich pierce]

Hickory is splintery whenever inletting. Hopefully pecan would be better.

[G_T]

Pecan has a reputation for being nice to carve on, so I'm thinking it won't be splintery. I have a nice piece of curly Pecan that is going to become a southern or Tn mountain rifle when I get around to it. I've made traditional bows, including from Pecan. It is easier to work with than Hickory. Though honestly I don't think of Hickory as all that hard either. Not like the denser and harder tropicals, or even locals like Black Locust.

Pecan won't have the same sort of change of properties that Hickory has as humidity changes. Hickory becomes brittle in dry climates. It becomes weak in damp climates.

Gerald

[Swampwalker]

Pecan is a hickory, Carya illinoensis.  I've used it for ramrods.  Not an easy wood to carve or machine but doable if the color or grain make it worthwhile.  Will make a tough and heavy rifle.

[Hungry Horse]

Speaking of strange stock woods, were any muzzleloaders stocked in Myrtle? I know its very popular in Oregon now, but was it used in the past? I know Alexander Carson ( brother of Kit) was listed as a gunsmith at Astoria in 1813 and 1814. Could he have stocked muskets, and rifles in Myrtle. His family was originally from the Carolinas, where Myrtles is available I believe.

  Hungry Horse

[BOB HILL]

H. H. not the same myrtle. We have wax myrtle. It’s more of a large scrub than a tree.
Bob

[Marcruger]

I believe that the end result was worth the work on this curly hickory stock of Bob's......

[Daryl]

In the specific gravity chart of woods, there are 5 listings for Pecan, one is called Pecan Hickory - Carya illinoensis with a specific gravity of .66.
In the Hickory section, the Hickories run from .42 to .89, including the Carya illinoeonsis at .66.
LOL- I forgot to include the link.
https://www.wagnermeters.com/specific-gravity/

[Stophel]

There are reasons all these "alternative stock woods" that people want to use in order to be different were rarely, if ever used.   

[Willbarq]

I believe that the end result was worth the work on this curly hickory stock of Bob's......

Looks as if..it's true.