OK, so you haven't cut any walnut to pruduce gunstock blanks. I can't claim to be an expert either. I had to hire a guy with a portable band sawmill who would cut my English Walnut as I requested. This batch should be ready to start turning out gunstocks by the time I retire. It was properly handled, stacked, and stickered. I discovered that one large slab had a long crack running along the "swirlies" as you call them when I checked them late this summer. This large slab had been near the bottom of the pile with 4 or 5 other slabs on top of it. My brother-in-law and I strained mightily when we unloaded them from my truck and stacked them in the shed. The amount of weight on top was more than sufficient. I was surprised, as always, how much weight the green wood lost in only one year. I was not surprised that I lost much of a piece that I hoped might yield one or two full length rifle stocks. I should still get at least one two piece stock ad a number of forend blanks out of it if it doesn't get much worse.
I know that kiln drying is not a Satanic practice. Millions of perfectly serviceable factory firearms prove otherwise. But there is also a large body of evidence provided by the very best gunstockers and fine furniture makers to prove that properly air dried and well seasoned wood is better than kiln drying. But cracks and checks can and do open up even in what should be old stabilized air dried wood. After all, it's wood, and not all of it is perfect or suitable for gunstocks.
