Wonderful Walnut

The Dilemma

If you’ve framed recently with some 2x4s then you might have noticed their quality is quite a bit different from those you bought in the past. These days, to satisfy increased lumber demands, trees are being cut before they’re mature. All trees have dense, strong heartwood in the center and softer, weaker sapwood in the outer rim. The older the tree the more heartwood and the more heartwood, the better the quality. Trees harvested when they’re young results in lumber with more sapwood. When it comes to lumber as with Scotch, patience really is a virtue.

Of the many different types of wood usable for firearm stocks, walnut became the de facto choice. Walnut is a hardwood that withstands the outdoor environment, handling the hot and cold as well as the wet and the dry. It has a tight grain and handles heavy working while maintaining its shape when dried.

Drying is a process that isn’t rushed. Stock makers initiate drying by staking wood so that air can circulate easily. The stacks will be left alone for between a few months and a few years. When the initial moisture is removed, the wood is dried in a kiln for up to a week. The goal is to achieve between 7% and 8% moisture in the wood.

Walnut achieved its popularity honestly. The denseness of the wood helps absorb shock from recoil, can be fashioned to create a robust Beavertail forend, a Monte Carlo stock, a splinter forend or straight English stock. Select from a variety of grades ranging from a simple, functional blank to highly figured piece of art.