Stock wood question?

[adrianbnz]

Hope this is an easy answer.
What type of wood are the original M1917 stocks? Walnut or some other? My Winchester stocked Eddystone looks like walnut but.......I'm no timber expert.

Cheers
Adrian

[dave]

walnut. I have never seen otherwise.

[adrianbnz]

walnut. I have never seen otherwise.

Great! Thank you for that.

[Stephan]

My Eddystone has an obviously Winchester stock(big W on the tip)....doesn't look like normal dark walnut stocks as usually seen on M1917 rifles as it's rather light in color. I asked much the same question here after I got the cool old rifle and was assured it about had to be walnut....

[adrianbnz]

My Eddystone has an obviously Winchester stock(big W on the tip)....doesn't look like normal dark walnut stocks as usually seen on M1917 rifles as it's rather light in color. I asked much the same question here after I got the cool old rifle and was assured it about had to be walnut....

Hi Stephan
My Winchester stock is quite dark with nice figuring which was why I was fairly sure it was walnut but not 100% sure. I googled American walnut and some of the images show it being quite light but I'm no expert.
Yep you're right. They are cool old rifles!

Cheers
Adrian

[PhillipM]

Hi Stephan
My Winchester stock is quite dark with nice figuring which was why I was fairly sure it was walnut but not 100% sure. I googled American walnut and some of the images show it being quite light but I'm no expert.
Yep you're right. They are cool old rifles!

Cheers
Adrian

Google black Walnut. I read somewhere the arsenals used the boy scouts to find suitable trees in the forests.

[dave]

Walnut can vary in shade, from very dark to very light. Color is affected by age of the tree and what part of the tree it comes from---closer to the center it is dark, outer part closer to bark will be lighter, so called sap wood. Military was very particular about this and of course years of conditioning with BLO will darken it as will use & sun light. Many inexpensive sporter rifles when you refinish you can see both colors in same blanks. Makers do a good job of blending these in.
And then there are some Europen walnuts, very close grain and lighter colors. The US got some walnut from Italy and used them for Krags. Some collectors will pay a premium for these rifles.

[chuckindenver]

walnut, and Birch replacement

[m1903rifle]

I have seen plenty of M1917 rifles in birch.............but , like Chuck, I think they were replacements. The parts houses like Numrich had new birch stocks for the M1917 through the late 70's.

[Hal O'Peridol]

walnut, and Birch replacement

This. My first M1917 was a sportered stock, walnut, and back then Numrich had NOS birch replacement. Not walnut, but the stock I got was beautifully figured.