1903a4 stock

Thanks for reply's everyone. and thanks for the help Jim. It has a two grove barrel and underneath it has a punch mark that was made after it was finished. Here is the rebuild mark but when you said it had 6 sub inspectors marks I had noticed one was an "R" I have never seen this mark before. Could this be the Remington rebuild mark along with the Ogden stamp.
I also thought all first block A4's had this stock according to Poyer or is that a misprint. I have 1903a4 sn 3420626 with 2 grove 8-43 barrel with same punch mark that wear's a scant grip stock with OG stamp.Attachment 24772

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Originally Posted by Dusty

Thanks for reply's everyone. and thanks for the help Jim. It has a two grove barrel and underneath it has a punch mark that was made after it was finished. Here is the rebuild mark but when you said it had 6 sub inspectors marks I had noticed one was an "R" I have never seen this mark before. Could this be the Remington rebuild mark along with the Ogden stamp.
I also thought all first block A4's had this stock according to Poyer or is that a misprint. I have 1903a4 sn 3420626 with 2 grove 8-43 barrel with same punch mark that wear's a scant grip stock with OG stamp.Attachment 24772

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Dusty, The rifles that i have information on which are close to 3425877 also have Sept 43 2 groove barrels. Several of the records which bracket your rifle also have the punch mark on the under side of the barrel which seems to be unique to A4's. So to me that further suggests your barrel is original to your receiver.
A4 production started exclusively with C stocks and 4 groove barrels as time went on 2 groove barrels began to appear more frequently (roughly in June of 43). Scant stocks began to appear toward the fall of 43. My own rifle which has no rebuild indications is 3423505 and has a Keystone Scant stock and a Aug 43 2 groove barrel.

Your other rifle, 3420626 with August 43 barrel is more than likely also correct. The relationship between barrel dates and assembly dates on A4's is not linear. At two points in the middle of 43 ordnance issued instructions to Remington to keep at least 1,000 (later 2,000) assembled A4's on hand pending deliver of telescopic sights from Weaver and Lyman. Remington responded by cranking out the necessary components so a disproportionate number of A4's have August and Sept barrels.

In the past few years more and more information has been learned about WW2 rifle production. Some of the reference books do contain errors. Unfortunately one in print the stuff never goes away. Further complicating the issue is the fact that so many A4's have been rebuilt. Several years ago I started accumulating information on A4's and now have varying degrees of data on about 800 rifles. insome cases its minimal just a serial number. In others i have captured details on markings finishes etc. Due to the rebuilds its not unusual to see scant stocks and 1944 barrels on very early rifles so using information from "observed samples" has to be done with care.

I think the "R" mark may well stand for a Remington rework. After Remington it would not be surprising if the rifle was transferred to Ogden for storage where it might have been marked again.

Regards,
Jim

Thanks, Jim. Here are some of the markings off 0626 for your data base. It has a faint ord wheel and RA with AAO over FJA and an AN behind the pistol grip on the stock. I also noticed a P on the bottom of the barrel below the punch mark and above the bayo lug. Camera starting to have problemsAttachment 24808Attachment 24809Attachment 24810Attachment 24811Attachment 24812Attachment 24813

the punch mark...or prick mark on the bottom side of the barrel were the front sight would have been , is a common to A4,s and a sign of a real A4 barrel.

THe stock shown in a poor bubba attempt at an A4 stock. THe bolt cut on a correct stock is made by an initial cut with an end mill and the center is then dished out with a ball mill. Here is a picture of the correct cut.
Attachment 25089