I have a couple of those!
I bought from the North Store several years ago, two of the most perfect examples of Letterkenny rebuilds imaginable and they both have new birch stocks, one complete with an orange colored stain and the other a kind of faded walnut color. Neither stock has any marks on it nor any orange triangle. When I asked, the store personnel there at the North Store told me these rifles came directly from Letterkenny. They seemed very pleased to be able to offer these rifles in such superb condition and I, of course, reacted by buying twice as many as I needed.
As to the "P", the serifed letter in a circle is an original arsenal mark and the plain "P" without the circle is a rebuild mark.
There are also proofs in boxes, usually a non-serifed letter on rebuilt rifles.
All proofs may appear as singles or in sets indicating multiple rebuilds. I saw a stock recently with no less than four rebuild proofs including the original.
Add to this, the local depot rebuilds including Anniston, Red River and even SA (Springfield, postwar).
Looks like these are part of the Vietnam era rebuild program, which used older walnut stocks, new birch replacement buttstocks and foreands and probably anything they could find to make the older rifles into first class firearms. As they were training pieces, the grade was usually service from what I have handled.
You do not see many of these rifles for sale as these are USGI armorer rebuilt firearms from a time gone forever. Anyone in possession of one will almost certainly want to hang on to it as long as possible. This rebuild program is the beginning point for many, if not most, of the refinished barreled receivers sold a few years ago by CMP and the rifles sold in the CMP stores for some years before that.
I should hasten to add that the 7.62 NATO rifle may have other origins since I don't know of any rebuilt in this caliber during the Vietnam era rebuilding.
You are lucky to have these rifles and should consider them as valuable in your collection.
:beerchug:
