Difference between pre-war and post war C-stocks?

[Rick the Librarian]

To answer your question, here is a picture a friend of mine sent of his dad's graduating recruit class in early 1942. Look at the closeup detail of the picture below that.

[rayg]

I have two 1903A4 rifles with prewar C stocks, both having hand cut bolt notches and hand made cutouts for the A3 handguards. I also have one loose new original, (NOS), later style A4, C stock with a machined bolt notch and a machined handguard cutout.
The bottoms of the forearms of the two early stocks are more flat with the flat having fairly sharp edges/corners whereas the flat on the later one is more rounded as the corners have been rounded off a bit. You can see and feel the differece between the early and later stocks, Ray

[pmclaine]

Is it uncommon for a C stock to lack any proof marks or inspection stamps? I have a C stock with the S in the magazine cut off. It's a 1.3 serial number receiver with 8/31 barrel. It was a 2001 CMP purchase.

[Rick the Librarian]

Yes, I've seen several that lack them. I have a Type B on a 1924 NM that has no markings.

[Jim Tarleton]

Is it uncommon for a C stock to lack any proof marks or inspection stamps? I have a C stock with the S in the magazine cut off. It's a 1.3 serial number receiver with 8/31 barrel. It was a 2001 CMP purchase.

Look very closely in the barrel channel and tell me what you see.

Jim

[Cosine26]

Pre-war vs Post-War “Type C” stocks.
I bought several of the post WWII full pistol grip stocks through the DCM. They were not listed as “Type C’ only as “Stock, assy, M1903A1 (full Pistol Grip)…” They were all made by Keystone and were oversized and the inletting was generous, so generous that in some cases it was not possible to get them to bed fully in full length configuration (This did not bother me for I intended to glass bed them and it saved me the trouble of removing excess material). They were all inletted for the M1903 FRSB, the M03A3 hand guard ring, and the 03A4 altered bolt handle. In other words-“one size fits all”. Some were quite good and could be worked down to match almost the pre-war configuration. Some were not so good – One that I have has the butt plate over hanging the stock in one place and the stock overhanging the but plate in another place. Usable, but not pretty. Glass bedded and cut off forward of the lower band they made good sporter stocks. I have one on a M1903 that I fired for years in competition and that stock worked down to pre-war standards very nicely. Surely beat the original Type “S” stock that came on the rifle.
Hope that helps.

[Rick the Librarian]

Type C stocks were not made "post WWII". Production was stopped before the end of the war.

[Cosine26]

I am adding pictures showing comparison of Keystone PG stock and NM M1903 stock
Top is M1903 with reworked Keystone. Bottom two are NM Type C stocks
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...ck/Rifles2.jpg
Pistol Grip-top RW Keystone,bottom NM M1903
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...stock/PGs2.jpg
Top view.Keystone left, NM Right, Note glass bedding on Keystone
Keystone on my "match" rifle
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...ock/KSvsNM.jpg
Close up of tang on Keystone on M1903
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...ock/Kstone.jpg
SmithCorona glass bedding..

Tang on SC Keystone
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o15/Cosine1/Kstock/SCKY1.jpg
PG on SC. Needs more work

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...stock/SCPG.jpg
Butt plate overhang on SC
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...tock/Butt1.jpg

[gsp2007]

My C-stock has the drawing numbers on both the handguard adn the buttstock (different numbers, of course). I beleive it is an upsaide down "K" in cuttoff notch

[Rick the Librarian]

What are the drawing numbers?