Juglans nigra is American Black Walnut. Walnuts from this species have thick shells. Wood from this species is dark with a relatively open grain.
Juglans regia is European walnut with multiple sub species, Persian, French, Bastogne, English, etc. Walnuts from this species have thin shells. Wood from this species has a relatively tighter grain. California grows many Juglans regia varieties as nut trees, and because nut production has optimum age periods, these trees are removed and new ones planted.
Stump wood from both species can be highly figured. Generally, Juglans regia is favored over Juglans nigra for gunstocks that are to be highly checkered, or checkering is to be finely spaced. Different localities have varied soil minerals and rainfall that result in mineralization streaks in the wood.
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