Hi Rick,
Basically walnut; nogueira in portuguese and nogal in spanish (castillian).
This appears to have been the favored wood since early times up to the present; the local stock maker, a known expert, still uses it.
In a work dated from 1718, called "Espingarda Perfeyta", in which the 'secrets' of gun making are revealed, something unprecedented for those days, the authors advice that (quoting) the wood to be elected for stocks is walnut, for being the best, given the circumstances that make it better for its working, as for its safety, this being what makes it more durable; and is light for handling, good looking by nature and lastly because it keeps straight, a singular disposition for our intent; for all those reasons prevailing over cherry wood, to which they give it new colors as, those being artificial, it looses its grace when loosing them, as it gets stained; over maple wood since for being white it doesn't fit; over woods from Brazil, which heavy weight turns then unfit. Thus in these terms only walnut should be the choice, and this from the heart of the timber, where the above described excelences are found.
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