03A3 Stock Revisited

[MilSurpFan]

Is it correct to say that A3 stocks were "supposed" to be quarter sawn wood and that quarter sawn generally has straight grain lines.

I know I should get a camera... but I'm looking at my stock and it has some "catherdraling" in the buttstock, which I take to be an artifact of plain sawing, but am not 100% certain?

I've seen some critique of Boyd Stocks that they are plain sawn and thus have inauthentic grain with regards to restorations. Any truth to that?

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[Salt Flat]

Milsurpfan, I bought a C stock from Boyds several years ago and I believe it was plain sawed. The grain just does not look right. It was also machined with way too much material left on it. Add to that the wood was very light and soft and didn't even cut or sand like walnut. All in all a POS IMHO. Needless to say I never bought another Boyd's stock. Salt Flat

[Rick the Librarian]

News to me, if they were. I could probably find the specifications, if needed.

[MilSurpFan]

Milsurpfan, I bought a C stock from Boyds several years ago and I believe it was plain sawed. The grain just does not look right. It was also machined with way too much material left on it. Add to that the wood was very light and soft and didn't even cut or sand like walnut. All in all a POS IMHO. Needless to say I never bought another Boyd's stock. Salt Flat

I'm not thinking about buying one from Boyd's... so much as trying to figure out what I actually have. (I have read elsewhere that the Boyd's stocks don't come up to milspec.)

I'm sorry I have to keep apologizing for not having a camera. Had meant to get one over this holiday... still haven't done it.

The markings on my stock are so light as to be almost unreadable. So I'm not 100% sure it not faked replacement. But if not, it's still been sanded and refinished, best I can tell... So I was wondering if a certain amount of "not straight" grain indicates plain sawn... and if plain sawn = aftermarket replacement stock.

Unless, since this one is a 1944... they loosened up requirements near the end of production.

It's a fine piece of wood either way, so I'll continue to use it. At the very least it's perfectly fitted.

So since I knew I wasn't buying a "perfect" example... no complaints... just researching. My curiousity is killing me, LOL! Been wanting 03 or 03A3 for quite a while. So I guess I'm like a kid with a new toy. Just all caught up in the particulars at the moment. Short of being able to get a perfect M1903 between SN 800,000 and about 1,200,000 that Hatcher calls "the best of them all"... out of a time machine... it'd be hard to be happier with it.

It could be a more perfect example, but I'm happy with it.

---------- Post added at 05:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:45 PM ----------

News to me, if they were. I could probably find the specifications, if needed.

I don't quite follow. Are you saying the spec is for quarter sawn?

[Rick the Librarian]

I don't think there was a specification that required wood for stocks to be quarter-sawn, although I have seen a number, mostly on early M1903s. I know it had to be straight, without cracks, knots, sap pockets or any other imperfections.