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Does anyone know if Savage ever used real walnut on a production stock and if so how do you tell which stock is the real thing? Please don't say strip the wood and look at the bare wood as I am sure the owner would object to me doing that. Thanks in advance for your time to answer my question.
Have a good evening,
Mac
Yes. I believe all the Savage 14/114 Classic model stocks were and are American walnut. Numrich Gun Parts still has Savage LA walnut stocks for sale that will work with a Savage LA staggerfeed blind mag. or centerfeed DBM. http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Search.h...SAVAGE&page=14
Thanks for the quick answer JP and the lead to Numrich. The stock I am looking at is not on the rifle and owner does not know what it came off of as he got it in a trade.
Take a screw out of the recoil pad and look at the wood under it. Wood is usually unfinished under recoil pad or grip cap. The Savage hardwood stocks are a very light color wood (birch?) with a dark stain top coat.
Thanks again - so it is stained with the dark walnut top coat and is not really walnut wood but birch with walnut stain?
Savage uses American walnut for the 14/114 classic stocks. They do use a transparent stain on the walnut stocks in order to make every stock have a uniform color from the factory. But you will be able to see some darker figuring and grain in the walnut wood depending on the grade. The fake walnut stocks on all the other models are hardwood (birch) with a walnut colored top coat. The newer hardwood stocks look like they are now being dipped since the fake grain is almost too perfect. Birch is a very light blond wood while walnut is a darker brown wood with visible grain. Remove the recoil pad or grip cap and you may be able to find some unfinished wood to help identify the type of wood.
Thanks again JP - This cleared things up. I will take your advice and thanks again for taking your time to educate me.