I realize "suitable" is a matter of opinion but I'd like to hear all of them. I have a Colt light rifle and I kick around the idea of having the stock duplicated in something wood. Sometimes I want to sometimes I don't...... Super light weight isn't a serious issue but I do like how it packs so I don't want to make it a real porker.

Claro can be very light. If you can find a supplier who is willing to root through their inventory, they should be able to locate a fairly light weight piece for you, which you can then hollow out a bit also. The one thing GAG did correctly for me (once) was listen to such a request for a 250-3000 I was building. I then trimmed it down - it worked out perfectly, and I didn't even need to hollow the butt.

Cherry tends to be lighter than walnut, you may want to look into that as an option. You can hollow the heck out of the forearm and then epoxy a layer of fiberglass on the inner surface.

The lightest wood that I have worked was the YAMA wood from the mountains of Japan. This wood was imported in the 1960's , but Japan stopped the imports. I haven't seen any of this since about 1965. It was one of fancy grain and needed to be stained to show it's tiger strips. Very light and strong and it was some type of a maple. I have a few small block left and a couple of pictures of rifles made with this wood. We used a Brn Fn action that was also a small dia. with about 4 threads in the receiver. This made up about a 6 lb rifle. I have never seen anything on the forums about the yama wood or the ultra light Brn actions.

the best light, strong wood is french Walnut and some English...

quote:

Originally posted by LesBrooks:
The lightest wood that I have worked was the YAMA wood from the mountains of Japan. This wood was imported in the 1960's , but Japan stopped the imports. I haven't seen any of this since about 1965. It was one of fancy grain and needed to be stained to show it's tiger strips. Very light and strong and it was some type of a maple.

Interesting account, Les.

The only Yama wood I've ever seen mentioned was this Sako mannlicher that John Warren built for John Amber.

GV

Likely mahogany is what you're looking for. It's fairly "plain" and straight-grained, but it finishes nicely. Remington used it on their lightweight shotguns at one time.

GV, there is another that I had read about. It was a story by Jim Carmichel and it was about a rifle that was owned by Fred Huntington, RCBS president and founder. He had seen it during a hunt with Huntington. It was brought out in lantern light on the first night in their tent. It was made of yama wood stock by Monte Kennedy. The stock was a light yellow with fiddle and had a Monte Carlo stock and Carmichel was very taken with it. A number of years later, he got a package in the mail and the rifle was inside with a note to enjoy it.

Check out the bamboo laminates that Accuracy Solutions is selling now. They're extremely lightweight and strong. I'm planning on getting one myself before too long.

Chic, the article appeared in the March 2000 issue of Outdoor Life. Great article!

Chuck

Chic, Chuck.....

I hadn't heard that story about the Yama-stocked rifle.

I checked Carmichel's book "The Modern Rifle" (which of course greatly precedes the 2000 Outdoor Life article), and he does mention Yama as a suitable wood for gunstocks.

None of the light-colored woods are much in favor these days. Still, a light and strong wood like Yama might find a market. Provided it was available and not prohibitively expensive. Which I'm guessing is a couple of reasons we don't see it more often.

GV

Yama wood was imported by someone in Ca. The blanks were so thick (6 Inches) that we split the stocks and made two blanks of the wood. This wood had a satin appearance like a sparkle that no other wood has. I found a picture of one the I made in 1968. Notice the change in style from the early days. Most people in the last 25 years wanted a classic. I work for stockmaker Joe Knight back than and he had some nice stocks. I found a picture of one of his stocks that is carved. It looks alot like the guns from Hoffman Arms.

Dempsey, what caliber is your rifle? Is it a really hard kicker? I know people might jump all over me for suggesting this, but I have a custom TC Contender 45 Colt bbl coming and I'm making a Basswood stock/forearm for it to have a super lightweight package. Just a goofy suggestion. I'm sure it wouldn't hold up to any kind of serious recoil. I'm painting the stock camo because it has NO figure. It sounds like you want wood to look nice (I don't blame you) Most of the stocks I make are Claro walnut and gorgeous to look at...

quote:

Originally posted by LesBrooks:
This wood had a satin appearance like a sparkle that no other wood has.

Was Yama typically finished similar to Maple? IE....stained or "toasted"?

I like the Knight rifle. Although a style from a different era, it's good looking and correctly dimensioned. I also like the light wood when it contains that much color contrast.

GV

Les and Grandview,

The Yama wood seller was The Gun Room in West Covina, Calif. I still have their brochure from 1966, they were selling mauser 98 stocks for 19.95-A, 29.95-AA, and 39.95-AAA. The company included a reprint from The Amer. Rifleman Feb.1961 pg15 of a story on "Woods for Gunstocks" by E.H. Herrick. It touted Yama as a recent import from Japan, fine grain, light, strong and hard. Grain patterns run from plain to wild. Color is almost white or bright gray but staining has proved sucessful. They compare Yama to Am Walnut in weight. Yama 30lbs. per cubic ft. as Am Wal is 38. and a Janka Hardness test as Am. Wal. = 1000 and Yama frequently goes to 1500. I have no idea what the Janka Hardness test is?

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by manhasset:
.....and a Janka Hardness test as Am. Wal. = 1000 and Yama frequently goes to 1500. I have no idea what the Janka Hardness test is?

Lots of stuff on the net. Here's some comparisons for wood flooring........for what it's worth.



GV

http://www.wflooring.com/Technical_Info/Species_Tech_Info/species_hardness.htm

old4x4, My rifle is a .270win. I would like it to look nice too, part of the reason for dumping the current stock. I have a few Claro blanks, I might weigh them and see what I have.

I did a lot of google searches on Yama wood and came up empty. I think it might be a maple of some sort from a Mtn region with Yama in the name.

quote:

Originally posted by Nobade:
Check out the bamboo laminates that Accuracy Solutions is selling now. They're extremely lightweight and strong. I'm planning on getting one myself before too long.

Is there a link?

My redwood and Kevlar BR stock weighs 24 oz. with graphics, clearcoat, and bedding. Redwood is very stiff, light weight, bruises easily, and is not real attractive. Butch

The above post that I made of the Yama wood stock was made by me in '68. Here is a picture of a light weight rifle for a lady that Joe Knight was making back then. This forend is certainly different.

quote:

Originally posted by LesBrooks:
The above post that I made of the Yama wood stock was made by me in '68.

I apologize for misreading and mistaking the credit for that rifle, Les.

My praise stands. I like it.

GV

Les, did Joe do the carving on those stocks? I really like it, much like Hoffmans as you said. There's a fellow named Bill Janney in Middletown Ohio I ran into at the Vegas show who currently does very high quality stock carving.

Fla3006

I did the carving on the yama stock with the oak leaf pattern with the skip line checkering. Joe made several with carving's, but I believe that this is my only pictures of his work. I will keep looking for more. The pictures appear pink, but I lighten then so that it would show the carving. Here is the grip area and this was a light 243 on a sako action.

You may want to consider Dracontomelum mangiferum, known as Attunga and New Guinea walnut.

Colour "heartwood is straw to brown with dark chocolate streaks with fine cross hatched rays"
Working properties "finishes to an almost silky finish and takes a high polish ... timber works well with hand and machine tools"
Physical properties - average weight kiln dried - 28 lbs per squ ft - hardness and strength slightly less than European walnut.
Uses "principally a fine furniture timber ... cabinet-work, panelling, turnery, carving and veneer"

Stanley

http://www.scopeusout.com/hunting-stocks.htm

There's an exotic African wood laminate that this stockmaker offers. No idea how it is but they could probably offer more information if you mailed them.

Good hunting!