What kind of wood is this?

cantom

cantom

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As far as I know, Small Arms Limited at Long Branch basically used maple, walnut and birch wood on their No 4 Mk 1* rifles. The British used beech as well. This rifle was just sold on the EE and I am wondering which kind of wood this was...I've seen several rifles just like it. I also have a new set which is very similar. Anyone know for sure? I know walnut for sure, the others are a bit hazy. My guess is maple but I may be wrong.

Also, as someone pointed out to me, it's very hard to stain this wood...anyone have any suggestions about how to finish a new set?

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I'd probably say maple as well, based on how light (in colour) it looks, and the wicked grain, which you don't see in RUssian birch stocks.
 
I would think birch. Russian birch isn't the same species of tree as that used here. If the rifle is noticably heavier than usual, it might be maple. Maple was used much less often than birch.
 
the maple ones are hard to mistake for anything else. they are reddish-stained usually and feel a bit like beech without the yellow flecks all through it.
 
Some of the 1938-contract BSA Smellies for Iraq used oversized Canadian maple woodwork with a dark stain on top, rather than IN the wood. When the stain cracks off you can see this really nice Maple underneath. Most Smellies were Walnut.

I have seen a couple of Number 4s like the one shown above and I don't know for sue what they are, either, but it beds nice, shoots nice and looks great.
 
I can tell you one thing about maple....it will not take stain! Oh it may take a reddish hue but it will still be somewhat yellowish where there is any wear. I have a maple and two walnut Longbranch rifles. This stock looks like it accepted the stain fairly well....or it was brown in the first place. Maybe someone with experience will weigh in here. Dave
 
Dantforth said:
I can tell you one thing about maple....it will not take stain! Oh it may take a reddish hue but it will still be somewhat yellowish where there is any wear. I have a maple and two walnut Longbranch rifles. This stock looks like it accepted the stain fairly well....or it was brown in the first place. Maybe someone with experience will weigh in here. Dave
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I bought a bottle of the stain Brian #### recommended thusly. Haven't used it yet. Wonder if it would penetrate maple or birch?



Clean all the pieces with grocery store grade clear ammonia and a
plastic/sponge scrubby pad. Rinse it with clear cool water, let dry and
apply Chestnut Ridge military stock stain from Brownells. Then oil it up
well with linseed and fine steel wool. The result will be fantastic.
 
The maple (and even some walnut sapwood) rifles from Longbranch aren;t stained, per se. Some of them apear to be dyed though - probalby an oil based dye like used on leather. If you've ever seen a maple walnut stock sectioned (saw it once on an old sporter forestock) you can see where the dye seeped into the wood a few mm.

Virtually all the maple stocks I have seen were the above reddish color. I suspect it's part dye, part aged linseed oil.

Either way, it looks pretty good IMHO.

Also, I've noticed many of the N^Z marked New Zealand issued Longbranches are maple stocked.
 
Hitzy said:
It looks like Elm to me with that grain pattern and color.....I know it's not, probably birch....
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I'm thinking RGG 7 may be right...now that he mentions it I've seen dark brown stained Long Branch forends that must have been birch as they were not walnut, and since maple apparently is very difficult to stain...
 
Claven2 said:
the maple ones are hard to mistake for anything else. they are reddish-stained usually and feel a bit like beech without the yellow flecks all through it.
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Tonight I'm stripping the cosmolene out of this 42 Long Branch, the low cut forend means this wood set is going on my other 41. I take this to be maple, same grain pattern?
Look at that lovely cosmolene...yum...:eek:


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I have an old set of LE No 4 Mk1* sporter wood that definitely isnt walnut, or beech. It looks to be close to its natural color (yellow and orange burl). One thing - its a good 30% heavier than a similar buttstock in walnut. If it is maple, I can see one reason why it was used infrequently.
 
I've never seen that much cosmo on a Lee Enfield. I'm so jealous. :D

What I REALLY want to know, is where that Lee Enfield line-drawing poster came from (in the background in the first set of pics). That would be awesome for my gun room.
 
Tyler said:
I've never seen that much cosmo on a Lee Enfield. I'm so jealous. :D

What I REALLY want to know, is where that Lee Enfield line-drawing poster came from (in the background in the first set of pics). That would be awesome for my gun room.
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I was wondering the same thing...I'm sure a few of us would like a set of those...I've asked him.

I had a really hard time getting the handguards off this rifle...the cosmolene held it strongly together...

BTW, I got the cosmo cleaned up and the 42 reassembled. My paint stripper heat gun worked wonders on the cosmo, heat carefully applied to a minimum. What a beautiful rifle! I'm 99% sure this is maple.


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The handguards look birch, but I think the forestock and butt are maple. Birch can also have that tiger-stripe look to it, but only the maple stocks ahve those prominent white grain lines that won't take stain or dye.
 
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