Quality Hardware w/ cherry (wood)stock

I'm a new member and wanted to share pics of my 1943 Quality Hardware carbine, Serial # is 465xxxx. The stock is made of Cherry and marked Q - RMC in the sling well and has a QH cartouche. I have been unable to find a cherry hand guard (still looking) but have a walnut one marked Q - RMC . It has a very clean Underwood barrel dated 11-43. The barrel band is marked "U" but all other parts are correctly marked for Quality Hardware.
One shot includes my CMP M1D for which I have all packing material /box/ paperwork.

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We know that Rock Ola made stocks from Cherry. Most that have shown up are like yours a Type II Oval cut Hi-Wood. Rock Ola made your Quality stock.

Is it cherry.......... I'd say no. It's a beauty and I'd say Walnut because it has the heavy grain lines we find mostly in Eastern Walnut. By taking off the Buttplate, taking out the oiler, or scratching inside the slides op well you look for a PINK SALMON color.

Here's a link to a old post by friend Dbarn with his Cherry stock. His pictures have timed out, but I'm sure when he sees this he'll repost pics. Read some of the links provided that note the Ray Flecking commonly found in Cherry.


Types of wood used in original production

And here is the first WRA stock I've seen made of Cherry....
It's a great example of how closed off or tight the grain is on American Black Cherry. Compare the full size picture of this stock to the grain/color of yours.....

Winchester Cherry Stock

HTH,
Charlie-painter777

Now you have me wondering. I was told it was Cherry, and to my naked eye thought it was Cherry also (a few years ago). But then again I just had cataract surgery this month LOL.

I have purchased several walnut handguard... and none of the wood appeared to be close to this stock. Also had two different walnut stocks that shared no similarities to this one. The grain and color was different.

Here is a picture of under the butt plate (lightly sanded)

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It's Eastern Black Walnut. You could always throw "Possible Cherry" in the discussion ;-).
Finding Hand guards that match perfectly is a on going battle for all of us.
Yours looks to match really close in the picture with it laying horizontal above the slingwell markings picture.

Many stocks I repair and strip come down to.... Does it need to be stained? Or left natural because of the different colors. Some are still so dark after being stripped that I have to use a 2 part Painters Wood Bleach solution on them to lighten them up. When stripped some are really on the dark side and some really light, all depends on the wood and the cut. In fact not all WWII carbine stocks were stained. Some makers only tinted the Tung Oil... Yes... Tung Oil. Lumb made stocks were dipped in a tinted Tung Oil bath to color them.

This is just a guess on my part, but I believe your stock may have been refinished at one time. Possible they used a Red Cherry or Red Mahogany type of color. Possible it was based with a type of Red, then gone over with a darker type Brown/Walnut. Again just a guess while looking over pics on a computer. Either way anyone owing a carbine and especially a early QHMC would love to own it.

A few pictures for you.
Trying to show different grain lines and colors. Granted these pics weren't taken for this reason, but hope they'll help.

HTH,
Charlie-painter777

P.S. Where is Waverly located? I have friends and Family in Nashville, Brentwood, Hendersonville and Goodletsville.

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Hey Charlie,

Ten stocks on the table, only 8 handguards. What's with that? :yikes:

Charlie--

Thanks for the assistance in identifying the wood--and I went through many handguards before I found a Q-RMC one that matched that well.

Waverly is about 60 miles west of Nashville on US 70. Been to Brentwood several times for auctions. Again--Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by combattracker

The barrel band is marked "U" but all other parts are correctly marked for Quality Hardware.

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Are you thinking it should be unmarked, marked "QU" or maybe "UI"? I've got an S'G' that has a "U" band on it (shown below) and according to most of the books, should be unmarked. I don't think it's ever been changed, so believe it came that way. Union Hardware supplied bands to a number of prime contractors, so I think it's reasonable that "U" marked bands made their way onto a lot of original carbines from several makers. I wouldn't be concerned at all about the "U" marked band, as long as it looks like it came that way.:thup: - Bob

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Welcome to the site, please enjoy.

You have a very beautiful carbine there. In fact quite a nice combo. :)

Bob--thanks for the info on Union Hardware. I looked again with a magnifying glass and it appears that it has a well marked U just like yours but what also looks like an I that is very lightly impressed next to the U. It doesn't appear to have ever been changed,

Bill-- thanks for the welcome and compliments. Don

It's Walnut....other that that egregious butt plate screw head, it's a beauty.:D
Regards, Rick.