Stock Question

I saw a nice looking 03a3 today that brings me to a question. The stock looked brand new except for on small gouge. The barrel was a 1946, rifle a Smith Corona if I remember correctly, serial number in the 400,000.

Price was too high for me to seriously consider buying it but it sure looked nice. I would assume this is a rebuild of some sort but would it have a "new" stock on it like that? It did not appear to be sanded as the butt plate was smaller by a good deal but there were no markings on it at all that I could find.

Sounds like a replacement. Most of them seem to be oversized in the buttplate area. Serial #'s for SC are in the 3.60-4.8 million range.

I'm sure the serial would be in the 4 million range then. I didn't count the digits.

I guess a replacement stock would make it less desirable as a collectible or not? I admit I don't understand US rifles that well considering it seems most were rebarreled, refinished or restocked at some time and aren't marked with serial numbers on all the parts like some other nations.

The barrel wasn't a 1946 - more likely 1943. Many Smith-Coronas were rebuilt. If you look carefuully at any markings on the parts, and you see an "R" (Remington) it is a replacement.

I didn't see any markings anywhere other than the receiver and the barrel at the top of the stock. I looked around and there may have been single letter markings that I didn't pay close attention to as I was looking for serial numbers or at least three digits of a serial number. My eyes are going and I have to scan things about 5 inches from my face with my glasses off. Wife's been pesting me to get bifocles and I guess I'm going to have to do that one of these days. Could have sworn the barrel was 1946 but like I said, I don't see that well anymore.

I just don't know what to look for on these. They are generally what I consider to be out of my price range but this one was handy and looked really nice. The bore looked good.

I couldn't find Smith Corona on it either, assuming they know that's what it is from the serial number.

Would this have been made in 1943 or just the barrel? I was under the impression these were all built prior to WWII.

It should say Smith Corona right next to the serial number. The barrel should say SC and month and year behind the front sight.

No M1903 barrels were made in 1946 and just a relative few in 1945.