Winchester

My Winchester is #2401987. I think I pinned the manufacture date to around February, 1944. How close am I?

The online source I use confirms that.

Yes, February. According to Bruce Canfield's data, the receiver was serial numbered on February 10. Nobody knows what the time lag was between then and when it was assembled, but I'm guessing less than three weeks at WRA.

ArtPahl
Does your WRA receiver have the square or the round bolt recess?

I'm not sure what you mean "bolt recess", sorry.

What I call the bolt recess is the slot cut in the right side of the receiver below the rear sight cover to allow the bolt's right front operating lug ,together with the operating rod ,to slide fully back .

Both SA and WRA had the square cut in the earlier receivers, then changed to the round cut.

This is square:
Attachment 107822

Thanks, Bob.
Appreciate the pic. I ain't no good at posting them thar things.

I think I like "lug recess" better myself. I feel it is a better descriptive. Have no idea where the term "bolt recess" came from.

Another area on the receiver I could use a term for - what would you call the area of the receiver that holds the front of the rear sight cover and sits just above the rear of the bolt? The area where the proof punch is found.

I have heard it called the "nose" but I haven't used that term yet.

I have heard "bridge" but don't know what the official term is.

Mine looks like the one in the picture. But now I'll have to dig my late Springfield and HRA out of the back of the safe and compare them. Thanks a lot, guys!:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ArtPahl

Mine looks like the one in the picture. But now I'll have to dig my late Springfield and HRA out of the back of the safe and compare them. Thanks a lot, guys!:D

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All but the very early SAs were round, including HRA, and IHC , WRA were square throughout most of their production.

WRA was reluctant to make any changes at all unless they got paid for it. When SA developed the trap door stock, there was evidently no money left in the budget to pay Winchester to change over. Ordnance therefore gave them special permission to continue with the solid butt and plate until the end of that contract. The new contract called for a trap and increased compensation to fund it.

I have some data from years ago that shows Springfield manufactured the square bolt recess up to s/n 54279 - but the round bolt recess first shows up in s/n 49928, all being revision 2 receivers. Both types were being manufactured together for a short period. Anyone have and high or low serial numbers to add to my data ?Attachment 107884

Robert,
SA 49635 has the round bolt recess.
This rifle was acquired from the CMP in March 2012 in M1D configuration.
Not my rifle. I found this info in April 2016 while surfing the Web.

So far, in my data I show SA 49635 as the earliest round recess and SA 54279 as the latest square recess.
WRA 2363963 with the round recess and WRA 2429530 with the square recess.

I keep my eye out for this change in the bolt recess and am sure this info will change as more rifles are observed or reported.

I myself have 53589 with the round recess and 53590 with the square recess - consecutive serial numbers with the earlier number having the later recess cut.