[G95]

i don't know much about stocks so sorry if this is a dumb question but why isn't hickory used in rifle stocks or pistol grips

i always wondered if it would work nice since it makes such good handles for axes and hammers

[telomerase]

It is used a lot for muzzleloader ramrods. It has been used for muzzleloader stocks, but isn't common now... I dunno :confused:

[Brian Williams]

Hickory has a quality called brashness, it allows it to take a hit and not split. this is why Hickory or Ash is often used for bats and axes and shovels. It also has a very open grain and is not easily worked with out splintering. While it is a strong wood it does not lend itself to nice smooth stocks.

[MutinousDoug]

While Hickory would make a good stock as far as stress is concerned, it's way too heavy and strong for the application. Further, it takes too long to grow compared to fruit woods. Sure, you can make a pretty stock from walnut burl, but it's not necessary to provide a good stock wood.
Most wood is good in compression, which is all you need for gunstocks. Hickory, ash, yew, bamboo and oak are good in torsion as well which is why they are used as tool handles. If you chose to make a stock from these woods, I doubt you'd be disappointed with their application (other than the weight) and ( bamboo, for instance, may need to be laminated.)

[alucard0822]

I have a theory, As far as I can tell from my amature woodworking experience is that hickory and oak, while strong enough to make a decent stock have a fairly simple and large grain pattern and a lot of open cells. Walnut has a denser and more complex pattern. The individual cells in hickory are fairly big and although strong in a straight peice like a ramrod, or tool handle, would seem to be more apt to split or splinter where there are cuts across the grain, like on the grip. Walnut has smaller individual cells and is denser throughout and less likely to splinter, and the grain isn't as straight, makes a nicer pattern, and smoother.

[aka108]

Waste hickory on a gun stock? No way. It's best use is for putting flavor into meats when cooked over oak coals.