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Why No Oak Stocks ?

s.gun
Son is thinking of replacing and making a stock on an old gun.He has plenty of Oak.

Wondering why I never hear of Oak for Stocks.What is wrong with using it for a Long Gun Stocks ?




1-Powder
2-Patch
3-Ball
4-Remove the Rod
5-Do Not Forget the Cap.
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • joel_black
    That's an excellent question. I can remember seeing a few English flintlocks stocked in oak and the only others I can think of would be the Colt percussion pistols that had grips made from the Charter Oak.
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  • cbxjeff
    Maybe weight has something to do with it. I believe oak is a heck of a lot heavier than walnut.

    cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>
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  • grdad45
    cbxjeff is correct about the weight being a problem. Some types of oak also have a tendency to warp when subjected to extremes of temperature and humidity.
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  • Grasshopper
    Also cracks easily, that 300 Weatherby shot, with the stock breaking in half doesn't paint a good picture/ nambu
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  • intercessor
    Walnut is a lot easier to work than oak. Makeing a stock involves a lot of carving, and oak is tough to work with in that type setting. Just my opinion. [Cherry is very nice to work with, and makes a very nice looking stock.]
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  • allechalley
    American Black Walnut is a bear to carve, but the grain structure is very tight. Oak probably could be done, but it will have some of the same problems as fir, the grain being somewhat longer than walnut, less than fir. The grain will "lift" at the edges when carving, sanding. Detail is somewhat tougher to keep in oak, same reason, unless red or burr oak, which is tougher than all@#$#%. Maple has been used but again has that nice tight grain pattern. These things and probably for tradition, most guns thru history seem to have tended to be dark wood, mostly walnut, altho samples of maple are here and there, just not seemingly popular.
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  • manderson
    .
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  • only winchesters
    Good question: Oak, Walnut, Cherry, and Maple are all hardwoods, as opposed to softwood like fir. Oak is a large grain, where the otheres are small grain, the larger the grain, the harder it is to work with. Drying is a big problem on oak, the thicker it is the greater the chances are it will crack or split. You seldom see oak in thickness' greater than 2 inches, when you do, it's usually a a group of 1 inch boards laminated together.

    The main reason I suspect oak isn't used, is the color, it is very light compared to the dark walnut. As others have said oak is hard to work with meaning during the shapping process it has a tendancy to come off in large pieces because of the grain, where walnut doesn't.
    Regards Dave
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  • profesor01
    i talked to a local gunsmith (my next door neighbor)he said oak will warp in humid climates(swell being the problem if it isnt sealed right) and extreme temperatures and that it is hard to work with when doing detail work and that the grain edges will lift he said if it is the first stock he is going to make he would recomend cherry it is more forgiving than walnut
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  • roysha
    Generally speaking, if it is sawn correctly and kiln dried the warping is very little worse than some of the more popular woods. I recall seeing some of the quite radical custom Winslow rifles many years ago that had oak stocks and lots of carving and inlays. As noted,oak is a bugger to work and does have a tendency to split a little eaiser so a heavy recoil caliber would be best served with cross bolts in front of trigger and behind recoil lug. Since he apparently as a good supply of oak and he wants to build a stock of oak, go for it! However, I would suggest a piece of economical, plain grain european walnut(commonly called french walnut) for a first stock. It is the easiest wood to use that I have found in 40 years of stock making.

    BEER IS PROOF THAT GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US TO BE HAPPY!
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