S-C 03A3 questions ...

Hey All,
Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! I spent Black Friday working on a S-C 03A3! It is a CMP gun, and is largely correct, but I have a few questions:

1) The stock appears to be an original, though the [FJA] and ordnance wheel markings are very faint. Still, the inspection stamps in front of the trigger guard are present, and it got me to thinking: I have not seen replacement stocks stamped in this way, so I presume it is an original wartime stock; correct?

Attachment 97389Attachment 97390

2) The serial number has a line under it. Anyone seen something like this?

Attachment 97391

Thanks all,
Chris

It's just the stamping die was over zealous and left a whole imprint.

Could someone have swapped out the stock after it left CMP? Armorers don't usually mangle the screw slots like that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neal Myers

Could someone have swapped out the stock after it left CMP? Armorers don't usually mangle the screw slots like that.

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Hi Neal ... I think it is likely the gun has been disassembled a few times with the wrong screwdrivers after CMP, as there is at least one other screw I will look to replace: the windage yolk screw from the rear sight.

That said, I have been to the CMP North store (OH), and have picked up several guns having buggered screws too.

Anyone know if a replacement stock ever got the small numeric stamps (circle, diamond, square, etc)? I thought these were inspection marks applied at certain parts of original assembly, and - if the gun was restocked by an arsenal - the stock got the left-side arsenal mark (e.g. RA-P), but the process at the arsenal did not incorporate the use of subassembly inspection marking (small numeric inspection stamps in front of the trigger guard). I have never seen an exception to this, but thought I'd ask.

The stock may be "original wartime" but may have been switched around by the Greeks or even CMP, or a previous owner. No idea on the "underlined" serial number.