I recently purchased a rather nice looking and apparently matching 1943 M38 Mosin Nagant. I need help with a couple of differences in the forward section of the stock. The stock is different from than what I can find on line and from the stocks of my four other Russianicon/Soviet WWI & WWII Mosin Nagants (1905 M91, 1934 1891, 1945 M44, and 1940 1891 Scoped Sniper).

Based upon the descriptions below I would like to know whether my M38 stock is a known variant, a war expedient or cost reduced version, or something else?



Unusual features
No lower or upper band springs;
No upper sling slot (there is one at the butt stock)

General:
Good quality wood and construction;
NOT an M44 stock;
Verified not a Finn replacement stock;
Dark red brown in color;
excellent pinned repair to cracked wrist:
scratches and dents here and there but in remarkably good shape otherwise (both structurally and cosmetically)
Information
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