I have this piece of ash...

[Adam in WI]

I'm wondering what y'all think this would look like as a rifle stock. I got this from an old friend to use as a long rifle stock, but it's a little too short. This is a sporter outline on the more figured part of the plank. The pictures are hard to make out for fine details, but there's a number of small aborted branches visible that give it a look similar to birds eye.







This last picture is the grain after an application of a lye solution. It really highlights the grain layers.

 

[Walt Krafft]

What does the other side and the top look like?

 

[clowdis]

The grain is too coarse for stocks in my opinion, they just don't look good, may as well be oak. That said, people do make ash stocks every day, just personal eye appeal I guess.

 

[shortgrass]

It may depend upon how hard of a 'kicker' you'd be putting in that, but I don't care for the grain flow in the wrist.

 

[6BRA]

As far as a axe goes. Ash is probably the easiest wood I have ever seen to split.

 

[Keith Kilby]

One of the nicest muzzleloaders I’ve ever seen was stocked in fiddleback ash. Shift from long rifle to maybe say a Vincent half stock? They are handy little rifles. I did one years ago and the handling is quite good. Rabbits don’t like it one bit !

 

[paperpuncher]

Getting hard to find a good piece of ash these days with the emerald ash borer and all

 

[DShortt]

As far as a axe goes. Ash is probably the easiest wood I have ever seen to split.

Black Locust. Not the stuff with the nasty thorns, that's Honey Locust.
Whomever named them was an amateur comedian apparently.