It looks like American Blk. to me... yes?
When i heavy was into the gunstock market i think customers were a lot more picky than they are now. From going to gun forums on line it's plain to see most of these younger guys have no idea what makes a "proper" stock! They buy "pretty"!!
You need to learn the PROPER layout of a rifle blank and cut out some patterns. Then saw the planks 10/4 and lay the patterns on them. This will show you what you have and allow you to saw the blanks from the planks...
In the pict. i can see what "appears to be" one proper blank, and ASSUMING the layout/color/grain goes all the way through the blank, i'd say air dried i could retail it for $350 or so... I'd have to have it in my hands to say forsure, it could go higher... Layout is everything!!!
Most folks that THINK they have big dollar stockwood rarely do, and small things can blow the price up or down drastically...
Rob
Yes it is American Black Walnut (juglans nigra). It is not Claro walnut or butternut. Thanks Rob for that info. Now I at least have a ball park figure, as you said VERY depending on the details. Unfortunately I have no eye for layout which you say is so important. I have always milled assuming my woodshop would be the eventual user of that wood, and mill accordingly. Thus I mill mostly 5/4 (actually 1 1/8), probably around 70%. The rest I spread between 6/4, 8/4 and a little 12/4. Believe it or not, I am amazed at how many times I'm looking for 12/4 stock. I just came out with a new product this past show, a unique envelope/mail holder, which uses a large 10/4 dia dowel, which means I usually have to start with 12/4 to get that.
Point here is since I almost never cut for resale value, I also don't even think about it when I come across something like this premium walnut crotch. Since I don't know squat about this "layout" that is so important, I think I'll continue to mill that last 5-6 inch thick crotch slab at 1 1/8 to eventually be the side of a grandfather clock or maybe a hutch door. That's thick enough where I can resaw into 3/8 thick bookmatched pieces if I want to go that route down the line.
Again, thanks for your info though. I didn't think a good gunstock blank would go that high under any circumstances.