One thing about blood on wood, it promotes decay very quickly. If that is really a bloodstain and there is no decay underneath that would mean someone had to stabilize it. Blood really soaks into wood when given the opportunity otherwise it just crusts up on the surface of whatever finish is on the stock.
IMHO the chances of it being blood are very slim. I saw a Boer Mauser that had blood left on it. The rifle had been given to a young Boer and the inscription on the side reads "AAN H.A.A. vd. BERG
GE SCHINK van G.N vd. BERG
ZAR"
The inscription which is had carved also included leaves and some sort of flower.
When I got the stock, it had the wrong rifle in it. Sadly it had been opened up to accept a small ring 98 receiver. The thing is, there was a blood stain on the right side of the butt. It had soaked into the wood and the wood was crumbling and soft. The blood had entered between the butt plate and the unfinished butt face.
The fellow I got the rifle from is long gone. He wasn't allowed to bring the complete rifle into Canada when he immigrated so he only brought the stock. That's his story anyway.
To make a long story short, the blood isn't human. It came from a Cardston Alta. area Moose during the 1930s. The dark brown stains show how dry the stock must have been. The blood soaked in about 1/2cm for appx 3cm. When I bought the rifle, long story, the owner had reached that age where using it was no longer an option. I bought his rifle because I liked him and as a keepsake of our friendship.
The previous owner had tried to cut out the area with the blood because the butt end and surface wood under the finish were crumbling. He never finished it and I never attempted to. Likely, it will get turned into a cribbage board.
I have seen other wood stocks that blood has soaked into and decay quickly follows if it isn't cleaned and addressed quickly.
IMHO the chances of it being blood are very slim. I saw a Boer Mauser that had blood left on it. The rifle had been given to a young Boer and the inscription on the side reads "AAN H.A.A. vd. BERG
GE SCHINK van G.N vd. BERG
ZAR"
The inscription which is had carved also included leaves and some sort of flower.
When I got the stock, it had the wrong rifle in it. Sadly it had been opened up to accept a small ring 98 receiver. The thing is, there was a blood stain on the right side of the butt. It had soaked into the wood and the wood was crumbling and soft. The blood had entered between the butt plate and the unfinished butt face.
The fellow I got the rifle from is long gone. He wasn't allowed to bring the complete rifle into Canada when he immigrated so he only brought the stock. That's his story anyway.
To make a long story short, the blood isn't human. It came from a Cardston Alta. area Moose during the 1930s. The dark brown stains show how dry the stock must have been. The blood soaked in about 1/2cm for appx 3cm. When I bought the rifle, long story, the owner had reached that age where using it was no longer an option. I bought his rifle because I liked him and as a keepsake of our friendship.
The previous owner had tried to cut out the area with the blood because the butt end and surface wood under the finish were crumbling. He never finished it and I never attempted to. Likely, it will get turned into a cribbage board.
I have seen other wood stocks that blood has soaked into and decay quickly follows if it isn't cleaned and addressed quickly.
