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Any idea where it fits into the scheme of things?
The pictures are of a cherry stock. I am sure it's cherry and not walnut, maple or birch.
There is a W in the sling well near the top toward the front the other mark is a nick.
I suspect it was originally stained that's why it's dark around the crossed cannons and the finish seems too shiny to be linseed oil. Other than that, that's all I know.
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John
If you can find an area like under the buttplate, and use a small amount of light sandpaper and sand it, you will smell the cherry wood - if it is cherry
A friend of mine had one with a USGI cherrywood stock. It was a little beat, so he cleaned it with hot BLO/turpentine mix, freshened it up with BLO and it was gorgeous.
It looks very much like American black cherry to me.
My first thought would be that it's been made from a Quartersawn blank.
2nd guess would be a Flat or Straight cut blank.
Note the Salmon colored wood in the holes under the buttplate on your stock.
If you were to scratch an area inside the op slide well or under the buttplate, look for that salmon pink color.
This would be the first example of a Cherry stock used by WRA that I've seen.
The cherry stocks I have seen were earlier versions aka Type II hi-woods, many being made by Rock Ola.
Here's a older link with some info we discussed about the use of Cherry....
Types of wood used in original production
There's a nice link in there that shows the different grain patterns found in American Black Cherry.
Note the different grain flow from Straight cut vs. Quartersawn....
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...ics/cherry.htm
Here are 2 cuts from this link that look very similiar to yours...
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...0q60%20plh.htm
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...0q60%20plh.htm
Look your stock over closely also for any signs of what the above link calls RAY FLAKES....
Flake is found on Maple, Cherry and to a lessor degree on Walnut. Among other more exotic cuts not found in stock making during WWII.
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...0q60%20plh.htm
HTH,
Charlie-painter777
Charlie
Thanks for the information. The discussion on that earlier thread you provided a link to was very helpful and interesting.
Although there doesn’t seem to be a great abundance of non-walnut stocks around is there a specific time frame they were used? Were hand guards made from other woods at that time too?
I also have a mahogany type 3 stock made by Rock Ola marked QRMC with a QHMC action in it. I will start a thread (with pictures) of it over the weekend.
John