doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Claro or Black Walnut

Dave Schiller, I have checked my PM's ; the only one is from two years ago and I do not think that the two that I have sent to you transmitted. Try my email model21bill@earthlink.net
Bill

Really nice work. The checkering outline enhances the flow of the gun. Darn nice wood also!

Nice to see everyone is in agreement. So if the stockmakers like English, what about a good piece of claro/black vs. a not so good piece of English. I am talking density and grain not figure here. I have seen claro which is very dense and English which was not.

Chuck, That's a beauty.
First run at checkering and it's borderless and wraps around much of the grip....no wonder you don't like woodwork so much

I really like the way big claro fiddleback goes through color changes depending the viewing angle.

That darn palmswell was a bear too.

This is an example of Claro American Walnut. This is a Win 21 'Custom Grade' out of the Custom shop 1968. The Win Model 21 catalog of that period describes the wood as "Grade AA Full-Fancy American Walnut. This is also the same specification for the 'Pigeon Grade' and 'Grand American Grade' of that period. Schwing's book of the Model 21 describes that period as Winchester having "difficulty in securing high quality American black walnut." "Winchester's wood buyers turned to Califronia where the source of California Claro walnut was adequate to meet the Custom Shop's needs". This stock is lighter than any other Model 21 I have.
Let me add that American Black walnut and this piece of claro have feather in them that changes as the play of light changes which makes them so attractive and cannot be conveyed by a picture. English, Turkish or many other type do not have this play but only consist of swirling patterns. The English is much easier to work with but I don't purchase it. After spending a morning in Kolar's wood room consisting of 100% English, I found not a single blank I cared for. An exhibition piece of American Black Walnut resides on my Kolar.
The second picture is a Win 21 'Custom Built' with American Black Walnut for comparison.
For those interested, the Custom Grade has 26" barrels, IC/Mod and 20 gauge 3" chambers with Field Beavertail.
The Custom Built is 12 gauge 32" VR.-Dick

Nice color and finish on that stock but the grain in the wrist looks as dangerous as any I have seen. I'd rather has strength than prettiness and the big money goes for those sticks where you get both.

Brent

Well, if you are worried about that stock, really worry about this one. It's on a Kolar and has a few thousand rounds through it with many more to come!-Dick

Everytime I see that pic of Dick's Kolar, I lust for that wood.

Yup, I would worry about that one too. Maybe I'm a worry wart, but I've broken too many double shotguns in the field (1) and have repaired others as well. I'm sure that many will hold up, and these might very well last for many lifetimes - but I'm guessing that the Kolar (whatever that is) is a range gun and thus pretty safe and it certainly has damned pretty grain.

Recoil isn't the issue in wrist strength - surviving a dive is.

Brent