Does Cherry wood make good stocks?

[Blackhawk]

I'm thinking its to weak for a rifle or shotgun but what about pistol grips?

Johnny

[Chuck 100 yd]

Cherry wood was commonly used in inexpensive muzzle loading mountain rifles in the 1700-early 1800`s
It is a rather brittle wood though and usually with little figure. If you find a curley piece it would look great on most any rifle. Avoid it`s use on heavy recoiling calibers .

[Bill in Oregon]

Chuck knows his wood. Cherry was often used by thrifty New Englanders for their large-bore fowlers because it was free for the cutting. Same reason it often appears on simple, but elegant squirrel rifles in Tennessee and other Southern states.

[Mescalero]

It is really quite pretty, good on rimfires.
Do you have a source?

[Pete44ru]

This M1 Garand sports a Cherry stock from Wenig - and AFAIK, Macon Gunstocks also supplies Cherry gunstocks.



Another, for a Winchester M670/70



And lastly, an old Bishop/Fajen set for the Winchester M92 or M94



.

[rjohns94]

I chose cherry for my custom made .54 cal flintlock. It is a beautiful piece of wood and has served me well in the black powder area. I did have a cherry wood hand axe that shattered while field dressing a deer splitting the pelvis I had a sig 220 with cherry grips as well as a Kimber 1911 both very nice

[92&94]

A lot of the Claro walnut I've worked is softer than cherry. It may be more prone to splitting than that walnut though. Black walnut is noticeably harder than both. These days with glass bedding, splitting is probably a lot less of an issue.

So in short, I would certainly use it, within reason. Personally I prefer more figure on a stock, a lot of times you need a big expanse of cherry to appreciate it - like a table top or headboard.

That second one Pete44ru posted is gorgeous, I wouldn't turn my nose up at any rifle with that stock.

[BenT]

Cherry is close to maple in strength. I use it to make pistol grips.

[M. M. Wright]

I've made a couple of stocks out of cherry. It is so much softer than walnut that I think it needs to be glass bedded to avoid it loosening up from recoil if the arm is shot a lot. Did a butt stock for a single barrel shotgun, can't remember the gauge, for a customer who supplied me with a big chunk of wild cherry. I gave the left over to a local wood carver.
I've got lots of big slabs of walnut stump that I sawed about 10 years ago. Should be good to go now. Let me know if you'd be interested.

[Blackhawk]

Do you have a source?

My front yard.

I have no idea what I would use it for.

Johnny

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I use Cherry for muzzleloader stocks and single action grips, and knife scales. The smaller projects are the best. Most of the small pieces I grab out of the Fire Wood pile while splitting. If I see an nice piece with figure I paint the ned grain and put the pice in a bag covered with saw dust. then set it under the bench for a good while. Then band saw out some slabs and begin forming.

Finishing Cherry - Try a test piece with common oven cleaner. It will raise the grain, but you should get a rich warm reddish orange. Rinse with water, neutralize with a bit if dilute vinager so an oil base finish doesn't turn to soap ; )

Enjoy,
Mike

[wolfdog]

Do you have a source?

My front yard.

I have no idea what I would use it for.

Johnny

If nothing else you can use it in a smoker.

[92&94]

How big around is the tree? Small trees do not yeild good lumber, big ones do.

Any pretty wood you get out of it would be fine for pistol grips though.

[Blackhawk]

Thank yall.

Tree is about 12-14 inches at the butt. Only thing I need right now is a knife handle. But I do want a slab of cherry to cook with. I've seen cooking shows that used cherry to cook fish on. I wonder if steak would taste good cooked on cherry?

Johnny

[Pete44ru]

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Cherry steak - there's a thought - might go right with a Cherry Coke, though. ...............




.

[Blackhawk]

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Cherry steak - there's a thought - might go right with a Cherry Coke, though. ...............




.

Yep! You eat'em with cherry peppers!

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I can vouch for Cherry wood used in the smoke house for fish, ham, jerky, and especially cheese (in Winter so it doesn't melt).

In my experience Northern trees from a forest are harder than Southern trees or trees from someone's yard or a fence row where they get better sun and soil.

Others are correct, any is fine for small projects.

Mike P