While I do not like Birdseye Maple, maple is by far a much more stable and stronger wood than Walnut - any walnut, but to have this trait, it must be hard-rock maple, not the red or sugar maple. English Walnut is prised for it's figure and is much tough than American Black Walnut, which is one of the weakest and most easily inlet and finished of the walnuts. IMHO, of course.

Birdseye Maple is/was rarely used in the American Long Rifles - instead, tiger striped - ie: curly maple was the wood of choice for the 'best of the breed'.