I cut down a rather large dead mesquite a couple years back and had some slabs sawn out of it. Put them up in my barn here in TX. I just used the first piece to restock a Manufrance Ideal in 24ga that I rebarreled to make it a 577 2 3/4" paradox gun. The wood grain is super fine and dense, but the color surprised me: it came out with a definite orange tint. Anyone tried this and had a different result? I have seen Wby rifles done in mesquite and they are a more "normal" coffee color.

Sell it to a UT grad.

But seriously, can we see it?

Russ,

I lived in South Texas for many years and at one time had an interest in mesquite stocks. But what I could see very little figure and lack color.

There was a gunsmith in Edna, TX that built Mequite stocks and knew a lot about using it. I think he is now retired, probably has been for many years. I recall his name as Don Dobritz, but spelling may be wrong.

Gunsmith/machinest buddy of mine in South Texas built a 6mm and stocked it with Mesquite, but it may have been Screwbean and not Texas Mesquite. It was ok, but seemed heavy and plain. Also kind of reddish color if I remember.

I think the Weatherby rifles from years back were Screwbean Mesquite, from Southwest US and different then native Texas Mequite.

russ - can you post a couple pictures please. Ron

I don't subscribe to any of the photo sites so what I will do is post a link to a picture of the finished gun soonish (well I still have to rust blue the barrels, which has to wait until after I have double-checked the regulation, now that it's restocked).

I can say for sure it's very dense which is a good thing in this case. Almost no pores in the wood either. It does take an oil finish well.

quote:

Weatherby rifles from years back were Screwbean Mesquite, from Southwest US and different then native Texas Mequite.

Gringo is right nearly all Texas Mesquite is Flat Pod Mesquite. I knew a character years ago that butchered a lot of gunstocks and harvested lots of Mesquite, Pecan and a little bit of American Walnut. Some of the Mesquite was colorful, not much figure. A lot of it was brittle and prone to breaking. Most people around here use it for fireplace mantles and maybe a coffee table. I'm burning it as we speak in my fireplace.

Screwbean Mesquite is found in the deserts of Arizona and California. Did not grow very large and was hard to find one big enough to make a stock. It was very expensive back when Fajen sold it.

flat bean almost looks like MDF for grain ...
I've made several stocks out of it.. it's bland .. makes a functional stock.. nothing special other than price, which at the time was cheap cheap

screwbean CAN be gorgeous - but, again, nothing special ...

hickory/pecan/hognut (the pecan hickory bastogne), when quarter sawn, make interesting but heavy stocks

wild cherry -- if you can get it the blanks cut while wet, and it doesn't warp on you, the dried blank is HHAARRDDD and brittle, and makes a nice colored stock .. again, nothing special

black locust - nah, (shudder) that was a waste of time

lived in south texas 2001 to 2019 and had a neighbor whos father made a stock out of mesquite. was hard as nails and heavy. i turned peppermills and bowls etc out of mesquite for years and spent more time sharpening tools then turning.if i got a piece that was totally dried out it was like turning concrete.

I made a stock from pecan with fore end tip and grip cap of mesquite from the Texas ranch I hunt. Pecan is plain but a nice golden color.

I have walnut stock with a piece of desert ironwood going from the bottom of stock the length of action. I tell people it is so the stock will not be scratched by the shooting sticks but reality is the cutter came loose in the stock duplicator leaving a nasty gouge. Is a nice piece of wood and had to save it.

I have used Texas Mesquite for pistol and knife handles, most is grainless, but the orange/brown color is normal for Texas wood. I have piles of it at my house for bar b queing I hauled from texas..It hard to fine a blank for a rifle, lots of worm holes, but filled with black glass it looks real nice when finished, even had one pistol stock for a 45 that had a bug indent and filled with glass was one of a kind and neat...

As for my rifles I want light weight European walnut, french was the best, today I like the Russian and Turkish wood from those 300 year old trees..