Front Handguard wood questions

[Jmd62]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to figure out if this handguard is walnut or birch, like the stock next to it it came with. I've seen darker colored birch handguards and lighter colored walnut or sapwood examples, so I'm unsure. I'm no wood guy outside of obvious grain indicators. Any thoughts on which it might be?

Thanks!
James

[Jmd62]

I can certainly take more photos if needed. Thanks!

[Smokey]

I'm not a wood expert, but beech was used extensively for replacements especially during the later years of Garand overhauls. It's possible both parts of the stock shown are beech, or birch. The forward handguard may have been stained a little darker. I have used stain on one stock set just to make the pieces match better.

[Jmd62]

Thank you Sir! This particular buttstock has the "P" in square, used on a Red River or San Antonio Arsenal rebuild.

[RDS]

If you try to stain birch you need to use an alcohol based stain. Normal stains will not work.

[jak]

The hand guard looks like walnut to me, especially in the closeup. The stock is birch. It looks similar to my RRAD birch stock with a "P in a square" rebuild stamp

[RDS]

That is one very nice RRAD rebuild! How about starting a new thread with more photos and details.

[jak]

OK, I will have take more pictures.

[MRusan]

I'm with jak. Looks like walnut.

[Orlando]

Stock is birch, handguard hard to tell, either birch or walnut

[Jmd62]

The hand guard looks like walnut to me, especially in the closeup. The stock is birch. It looks similar to my RRAD birch stock with a "P in a square" rebuild stamp

That's a beauty, thanks for posting it! Here's my buttstock in its entirety.

[RCS]

Thought I would show my tiger stripped birch stock (was a gift from a 1st Sgt many years ago) used boiled linseed oil. both sides full strpes

took awhile to match the hand guards

[RDS]

Robert thank you for posting. That is a extremely nice tiger stripped stock set. When did ordnance start using birch stocks in the rebuild program?

[RCS]

Do not know the time period

Robert

[MRusan]

That's a beauty, thanks for posting it! Here's my buttstock in its entirety.

Purty stick.

[MRusan]

Thought I would show my tiger stripped birch stock (was a gift from a 1st Sgt many years ago) used boiled linseed oil. both sides full strpes

took awhile to match the hand guards

Also very nice!

[RCS]

here is a tiger stripe M14 birch stock, belive they call this 80% stripes ? some guy makes birch hand guards with stripes too

going to sell this soon

[Orlando]

Birch stocks were not used until the early 1960's