Mystery lumber, looks like red oak but isn't.

What kind of wood looks similar to red oak but isn't red oak?
I have lots of red oak the color is close but the grain is different and when I cut it or belt sand this mystery wood it doesn't smell like red oak.
No point in posting a picture because it's so close to red oak in color.
I'm going to guess whatever it is that it's cheaper than red oak based on where I got it from, my deceased cheapskate creepy in-law uncle.
I want to identify it and see if it's suitable for making gun stocks since it's pretty hard, appears to be a top grade cut and the price was right, free ninety nine.
I know not supposed to make gun stocks that come in contact with steel out of oaks and at least silver maple, the maple that's almost white on account of it having low shear strength inline with the grain.
What I'm sure it's not, Beachwood, red oak, cherry. Definitely not walnut, damnit. None of those white, light brown, dark brown woods.
Edit: might be hickory. I forgot I had some hickory bbq wood chunks in the garage. The smell is right and the color is close.
I don't believe hickory is suitable for gun stocks, but free ninety nine is hard to beat.

 

Red Fir?

 

I have a stock made from hickory on a shotgun. No issues.

 

Many years ago (1964) when you could order guns by mail my brother (15) bought a 8 mm Mauser for 25 bucks got a Birds Eye maple stock from Herters(great company, long gone now) the Mauser . Gave me the rife shot a few deer with it over the years with it .

 

Red Cedar?

 

Oh it's definitely not ceder. Cedar is darker red, softer and has that ceder smell.

 

Could it be Teak --has a red color and tight grain

 

Birds eye maple is fine. I believe it's silver maple is highly isotropic. Over all silver is very hard. Perpendicular to the grain the wood is incredibly strong. In line with the grain, it's something like 3% of the strength. Maples don't corrode steel like oak.

 

Ax and shovel handles are made from it.
Hickory is supposed to not be dimensionaly stabile so probably don't want to make something like a Mauser stock out of it. Where the stock runs the length of the receiver and some of the barrel. A stock that attaches to the rear of the receiver is probably fine.
I guess a shotgun has more in common with an ax or shovel than a Mauser or Mauser derivative.

 

There are many types of "red oak" so it could still be red oak.
Distinguishing Red and White Oak | The Wood Database

 

Its too hard to be a conifer and doesn't have that pine fresh smell when cut or sanded.

 

I'll have to look more closely at it compared to some of those.

 

Try mahogany

 

I would guess sycamore

 

Arbutus, also known as Pacific madrone

 

I wish.

 

Maybe cypress?

 

Yeah, I was thinking red cypress.

 

I've got cypress moulding in the house it tends to be soft like pine