Been some debate lately on the hardness of Walnut vs Beech. Should also discuss the pros and cons of the two for the usage in gun stocks. Below is a hardness chart of the woods being considered. Clearly the Beech is harder than the Walnut. If Beech is harder then shouldn’t that be the best material to use? Not necessarily. Harder is not always better or stronger. The harder the wood is the more brittle it is also. Easier to crack if to much pressure is applied against it. Like screws in a butt pad for example. Also, hardness is not the only factor in the equation. Moisture, or the woods ability to collect it is also very important. The more moisture the wood can collect the more expansion the wood will have. Like a sponge. Shrinks when it is very dry and swells when wet. This factor can cause very significant issues when using for a gun stock. Particularly in springers. Ever wonder why the screws are always coming loose? Beech being the harder wood is also the sponge. It will expand and contract more than Walnut. Many other factors like, old growth/new growth, wood harvested near the sap ring vs near the pith, burls and such can influence the density/hardness of a particular board. Below is a moisture chart.
Most of us springer lovers understand the “hold sensitive” aspect of the springer. Have we ever considered the hold sensitive aspect of the stock to the receiver? If that stock is gripping the receiver differently from day to day then that certainly must be an accuracy factor. The Beech stock enhances the issue. Something to consider when the gun is put away shooting the same hole and taken out at a later date only to find out the entire group has moved or worse.
Walnut is best choice for a gun stock. It is a hardwood but not to hard. It is a stable wood considering expansion and contraction. It is also a beautiful wood. Why is Beech used so much then? Because it is inexpensive compared to Walnut. Walnut is predominantly used on upper end firearms. Something to consider.
Most of us springer lovers understand the “hold sensitive” aspect of the springer. Have we ever considered the hold sensitive aspect of the stock to the receiver? If that stock is gripping the receiver differently from day to day then that certainly must be an accuracy factor. The Beech stock enhances the issue. Something to consider when the gun is put away shooting the same hole and taken out at a later date only to find out the entire group has moved or worse.
Walnut is best choice for a gun stock. It is a hardwood but not to hard. It is a stable wood considering expansion and contraction. It is also a beautiful wood. Why is Beech used so much then? Because it is inexpensive compared to Walnut. Walnut is predominantly used on upper end firearms. Something to consider.