I have been cutting mesquite smoker wood and some of the trees are plenty big enough to cut into stock blanks. This is your regular Texas mesquite.

When I was in gunsmithing school Roy Weatherby came by and gave everyone a turned inleted stock from back of his stationwagon. I took a beautiful mesquite blank with contrasting tip and gripcap with white holly spacers. Typical Weatherby stock. Finished it up for an FN action and don't remember the caliber. Made up into a nice rifle. If memory serves me it worked very nicely but was rather open grain but filled and finished ok. We used a concoction of boiled linseed oil,O'Ceder furniture polish and shellac that they called French Polish. Actually was a pretty nice finish. Only mesquite I've ever made into a stock, but it was a Weatherby option obviously as these were all factory seconds I suppose. They make a LOT of fine furniture here in Arizona from mesquite and I have a friend who turns lamps of it for big dollars especially ones from Burls.

Don Dobbratz of Telferner, TX (Victoria) has alot of Texas mesquite blanks and has made alot of nice stocks with it. Don is as fine a stockmaker as there is.

Forrest,

Have you stocked any rifles in Mesquite, I would like to see one. I spoke Don a few yrs back, but have never been to his shop.

Don Dobbratz and I were at Trinidad at same time. He probably got one of the Weatherby stocks also.

Is there someplace where one can purchase mesquite blanks, or lumber that is suitable for stocks? I am still looking. Thanks.

Great American Gunstocks turns them from time to time. They would sell you a blank, maybe. Or tell where to find one. Most of the really nice screwbean mesquite big enough for stocks comes out of Mexico.

Didn't Harry Lawson use Mesquite for his thumbhole stocks?

I have a highly figured Mesquite blank that is now at Don Burkhart's shop being turning into a stock for my Montana rifle/action.

Good Mesquite blanks are often more expensive than good English walnut.

Finding a nicely figured blank that doesn't have bore holes (from insects) in critical places is the tricky part, and a lot of trees have to be cut through to find it.

Woodworkers like Mesquite because it is one of a few woods that you can cut into a block or shape, submerge completely underwater, and it's size and shape will change only minimally....it's relatively weatherproof.

It's denser and heavier than walnut, so perhaps it's better suited for your 458 Lott rather than your 22 Hornet.

Garrett