National Match Dove???

[Phrogpilot]

I have a few original National Match rifles and a couple of them have what looks like a little "Dove" cartouche under the proof P. I remember reading a couple of years back that no one really knew what it meant. Now, I have a NIB unissued NM gun (still in the white bag...) that was built in 1967 at Rock Island and sold in 1971. Has anyone considered that the Dove could be exclusive to the Rock island built guns? Anyone else have a known Rock Island gun and if so, does it have the Dove???

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[Bob Seijas]

I always called it a "Duck Foot," that's what it looks like to me. No info on what it means, but RIA inspection (not construction) is a possibility. Could be something like maybe it was sent toCamp Perry, not used, then inspected when it was returned. It's all guesswork. Find me a doc on it and I'll be your best friend Ditto the heart barrel proof.

[Joe W]

This is the "ducks foot" - "Dove" on my 1963 configured NM Rifle. What it means I have no idea but Rock Island inspection works for now. Unfortunatly I have no DCM papers nor could CMP find any DCM sales records on this rifle.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

I've read at least two other posts on two different forums asking what that stamp meant, but nobody knew for certain. One was on a 1911A1 and the other was an M1 carbine.
(FWIW, they called it a 'ducks foot')

[Phrogpilot]

Bob, why not Rock Island construction?

[Joe W]

I realize you asked the question of Bob S. and I look forward to his answer, but in the meantime, I think I have an answer to that question. The National Match program was transfered to Rock Island Arsenal in 1967. SA produced the last N.M. rifles in 1963. By 1964 the National Match M1 was being gradually replaced by the M14 NM rifle. Why build more M1 NM rifles when they had enough in storage to last until 1973.
Billy Pyle, in the Garand Stand, has an article about a RIA produced " National Match Trophy Rifle". It is further stated in the article that RIA produced only a very small number of N.M. Trophy rifles. Of that number, to date, only a handful are known to actually exist. As to how many were produced, it is unknown."
I don't really see this "Trophy Rifle" as a "National Match" rifle as it was not produced for use in the National Matches. I see it as a rifle made to match standards using SA NM parts and other small parts of various manufactures including WRA. The rifle which is the subject of the article is SA # 5892855 which, according to paperwork, was presented on June 12, 1970. The article does not indicate when the rifle was built as a "Trophy" rifle. The barrel on this rifle is a 9-53 LMR with NM inscribed on the barrel between the Gas cylinder rings. It is further srtated that "all of the standard SA match accurizing procedures for the NM M1 were incorporated by RIA. This includes glass bedding of the stock." While this rifle is a beautiful Trophy rifle it is, imho, no more a National Match rifle than a service built match rifle.

[Bob Seijas]

I couldn't have answered the question any better

[relics6165]

All:

I posed this exact question on the old Jouster forums, and received no definitive answer. At the time, I had just picked up a 5.9 Garand with all the characteristics of a Type 2 NM, and it had the "ducks foot" stamp (I always thought of it as a stylized eagle) exactly as above. I haven't taken the time to ask the CMP for verification, but I should. There have been several documented NM M1s on GunBroker since that time that have had this stamp below the Circle P.

I do know I have a documented 5.377 Type 2 NM that was shipped from Rock Island in August 1971. It's so new it still has the DAS stamp in white ink on the bottom of the bayonet lug, and it doesn't have the ducks foot stamp. However, I can't tell you if it was built at RIA.

HTH

[Joe W]

I couldn't have answered the question any better

Bob, in a way you did supply the answer. Everything I know about the National Match M1 I learned from you and the various articles you wrote for the Garand Collectors Association Journals.
Can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge. Joe