Carbine Cartouche Inspector Stamp?

**scubatke** · 01-10-2014 10:38 PM

Greetings,

I just saw this cartouche on a carbine at an online auction site (Invaluable?), the 'SA' indicates a rebuild at Springfield Armory? What is the 'C'? Inspector?

Anything that doesn't look right about it?

Attachment 48747

Do these online auction sites make any effort to keep the fakes out or are they a free for all?

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**scubatke** · 01-10-2014 10:43 PM

Here's another one:

Attachment 48748

**jimb16** · 01-11-2014 10:18 AM

Yes, those are rebuild/inspection marks. Fake? Unlikely in as much as they tend to bring down the value, not enhance it. SA=Springfield. AA= Augusta. Initials are inspector identifications.

**scubatke** · 01-11-2014 10:46 AM

Thanks Jim. Why do they tend to decrease the value?

Originally Posted by jimb16

Yes, those are rebuild/inspection marks. Fake? Unlikely in as much as they tend to bring down the value, not enhance it. SA=Springfield. AA= Augusta. Initials are inspector identifications.

**JimF4M1s (Deceased)** · 01-11-2014 10:48 AM

Because it show the carbine has been through a rebuild which would make it NOT original anymore.

**scubatke** · 01-11-2014 10:53 AM

OK, considering that there are very few carbines that weren't re-built I was thinking he was saying it was something more than that.

Originally Posted by JimF4M1s

Because it show the carbine has been through a rebuild which would make it NOT original anymore.

**DaveHH** · 01-11-2014 09:55 PM

It has an .U. Underwood rebuild stamp on it. Without the stamp it is worth a lot of money to some guy restoring an early inland. The idea being solving the puzzle and making an ersatz original carbine. The rebuild mark makes this an impossibility, so the value drops beyond half of what it would be. It isn't the kiss of death but it is close. Nobody would generally put a fake rebuild stamp on an otherwise great stock.

It helps to understand the part swapper's mindset, that a put together is somehow a "semi-original" or better than a rebuild.

**jimb16** · 01-11-2014 09:58 PM

Many collectors like to have the carbine in as near original condition as possible. Some like to restore them to as near as built condition as possible. A rebuild marked stock is much more common than one that isn't marked, hence the higher values on the unmarked stocks.

**scubatke** · 01-12-2014 04:38 PM

Thanks for the responses everyone.

**tenOC** · 01-18-2014 08:35 AM

It's not the Carbine parts swapper's mind set. That looks like a Garand icon

parts dealer's mind set.

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