9 Attachment(s)
M1A1 SA Replacement Stock
Hi all,
Would like your opinion as to the originality of this stock. Is this a well stored SA replacement?
Found this stock locally from an older gentleman who I have purchased items from that I am more familiar with. He had bought an M1, a M1 Carbine, spare parts, etc., from the DCM in the early 60s and is now liquidating much of his stuff. The M1 parts he had were like a time machine. I mention this as I have no reason not to trust him. I picked up this folder from him recently. He told me it was also a DCM purchase from about 1962 or so. I know DCM sold these, as I have seen the ads in period publications in my collection. Still, he is getting up there in years, and he may have a memory of also getting this from the DCM, while actually buying it 40 years ago, and it was fake then...I can't remember what we had for dinner last night, so I cannot discount this possibility.
I am pretty good with original stocks, but have not personally inspected an issue replacement stock made by SA. This one looked so good, that I was suspect, so inspected it with my references at hand. I also searched all over the net, but could find no reference pictures of legit SA replacement M1A1 stocks. I bought it, as the old guy has been straight with me, and the key indicators looked right.
It has the correct cast number in the buttplate, the grip is lightly marked SA on the bottom of it. The face of the leather leather looks right. The rivets are old, having the typical green crud that grows along uncleaned old brass. The finish is parkerized. The buttplate screws and spring look correct. The stock is walnut. The grip looks like the later type more comcave grips on earlier production stocks. The mill marks in the interior look like others I have seen on replacement M2 stocks, the repros I have seen lack mill marks. It has the divide in the channel like the issue stocks do, unlike all of the repros I have seen. There are no maker marks, letters or numbers in the barrel channel or anywhere else, only SA on the grip. Finally, the guy is a retired technical writer, and is very organized, so I am assuming this stock looks so nice since he had it stored well all these years.
There are a few things that made me look twice:
-The heads of the screws have been a bit buggered, making me wonder if this was a put together from loose replacement USGI metal parts and a legit SA replacement grip, and an older repro stock, (I have heard of the ones from the 70's but never inspected one).
-The wood is almost too perfect. I would expect to see more handling/storage marks. But like I said, this gentleman is very detail oriented in his daily life.
-The backside of the leather, visible in the oiler slot, is not as darkened as the face of the leather.
-The rivets are marked 7/4 on the heads. I found some posts that reference these as only being used as brake lining rivets. I found a couple references that state some believe army-issued replacement rivets may have had these markings as well.( I am really interested in your feedback on this point).
To sum up:
Do you think this is legit?
Did SA or unit level armorers ever use 7/4 marked rivets?
Is there a pictorial anywhere that shows a real SA replacement M1A1 stock?
Thanks
George
