CRACKING WALNUT

The wood used for most European sporting gun stocks is Juglans regia (walnut). Other woods may be used occasionally for small-scale artisan production in the USA, including cherry, maple and myrtle (all of which may be seen in muzzle-loading guns). Beech is commonly seen in some cheaper, mass-made guns (including most air rifles and rimfire rifles), and birch is used frequently in laminated stocks.

Walnut is a slow-growing, deciduous tree with pinnate leaves, found from the Balkans to the Himalayas and throughout Europe. It is also grown in the, sometimes called ‘black walnut’ (actually a deep red colour). This is also used for gunstocks and may be encountered in Japanese-made Brownings and high-grade Mirokus.