Is it a problem if a stock blank shows some heartwood?
Most gun stocks come primarily from sapwood, but a little heartwood sometimes appears in a blank. If the heartwood is fairly light in color it usually is not a significant problem, and once the stock is stained the color difference between sapwood and heartwood becomes far less noticeable. Kibler's avoids heartwood that is dark and nasty looking, since that type is more prone to cracking.