Is there somebody who knows how to get a nice blank of american walnut for stocking a big bore projekt? (Cz 550 magnum 450rigby)

S&L---

Great American Gunstocks can sell you a blank, but I think you're REALLY screwing up by specifying American black walnut. It's not nearly as strong and light as the Circassian walnut the gun probably came with.

You'll pay roughly five times as much for English walnut but have fifty times the stock when you're done.

Jack - Why do we not see more Bastogne? I know it is heavy and dense. Are there any drawbacks with this wood?

Zero Drift---

Bastone is scarce!

The quality of recoil handling ability is spotty sometimes. Some Bastone is brittle along the grain line and can split under heavy recoil. Use dual cross bolts and be sure it's bedded plumb tight.

Gentlemen

Is Bastonge the "bastard wood" that you are refering too. I heard that English walnut were crossed with american and planted in California?

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Johan,
English and Claro Walnut. It does make very good big bore stuff but as jack said it is hard to come by.

I know of a "stand" of walnut trees on a very large ranch on French Creek and Jack may even know where that is. I had a good friend who did some guiding in Idaho who was caretaking the place one fall. He reported to me that there are some Bastogne trees in the bunch, or he was told they were (over 100 hundred walnut trees I am told). The trees are old and very large but the owners have an inflated value on the trees. I looked into it at one time some years ago but the journey from standing tree to blanks is a very hard arduous task.

Thanks. I have done some internet work on the net and there are several firms that offer walnut blanks. Is there anyone of these I should avoid. and is there someone that is to recomend??

S&L try the following link , it's in Spain located and sometimes 1/3 the cost of a walnut blank from America , if any help with a translation just e-mail me

Daniel
http://es.geocities.com/nogalestamisa/

Gentlemen

I spoke to Mr Dressel about this a while ago. He say's that the Bastonge they sell mostly is the bastard wood that is crossed. I guess that name comes from the Bastonge region in France.
I guess it's called California English in some places. Settlers brought it with them for covering land and pick nuts.

It seems the only name you can trust in the latin ones.

Circassian/french/turkish, a favorite that has manny alias

Customstox, If you use the saw. I will do the digging on that buch at the ranch

/ JOHAN

Johan---

The English/French/Circassian/Moraccan walnut you speak of is Juglans Regia.

It's native to the Cassias region of central/southern Asia and was spread far and wide by Marco Polo. They came to California with the Cathalic Friars and again during the 1949 gold rush.

California has a native walnut we call Claro. I cant remember the Latin name for that.....Hinsii, I think.

American Black is Nigra.

Bastogne is a hybrid cross of English and Claro.

There is a much rarer cross called Paradox. It's the reverse cross of English and Claro. It's many times very red with black streaks. I've only seen blanks from one tree of this wood. It was cut by Sweded Swenson in 1968. My Whelen stock is made from one of those blanks.

If I only knew then what I know now...........I paid $100 for that blank in 1975.

Here is a pic of a nice piece of Bastogne.

Surprisingly this blank is very light. Bastogne is usually on the heavy side. Guess I just got lucky.

http://www.icehouse.net/bsoverns/270stock.jpg

Check with Merle at Rimrock if you are interested in Bastogne: http://www.mako.com/bastogne/rimrock.htm
I have a Sako L-57 stocked in a very nice piece of Bastogne I got from him. The wood is very dense and would have worked well on a heavy rifle. If I can figure out how to post a picture I will.

[ 08-30-2002, 17:56: Message edited by: fla3006 ]

fla3006

Your link were not working, please check it again.

I love to see more link to goo pieces of walnut, Thanks

/ JOHAN

Try going into www.mako.com/links.htm and click on Rimrock Gunstocks. I don't know why the link won't work.

Ron,

Yep...sure did. I also checkered an Oak dowel. Great looking stock! How about some close up shots of that checkering?

Bill,
I would be happy to show some closeup's of the checkering if I had any. I did that stock almost 17 year's ago. It was checkered with my MMC tool.

I probably should send it in and have the head repacked with grease. I've been using it for about 20 year's. I know I would never go back to not using one. Although I am glad I started the hard way.

Ron,

Okay...well next time you take some pics of a finished stock...get closer.

You know I wouldnt go back to hand tools either. I have had certain stockmakers look down their nose at me because I use a power tool. For me its a time issue. Its done faster and looks better. You still have to control the tool properly to keep those lines straight.

Bill,
I remember on H A you posted one time someone you send blank's to with a duplicator. You said he does nice work. Who was that and what was his phone number. Going through some stuff I had stored probably 25 year's I found 3 nice blank's and a bunch of new Hi-Standard target pistol barrel's and part's I forgot I had.
Per your instruction's I will try to take better photo's.
I checkered my first stock when I was 16 with a single row border tool with teeth like a rake that I got from Herter's. One of their famous perfect model's. Seem's like yesterday and I will be 60 my next birthday.

Ron,

I use Mike Kokolus. He can be reached at 610-298-3013. I would glass in the barreled action into your pattern. Get it the way you want it and then send him your pattern and a blank. He will also sell you pattern stocks.