Quote Originally Posted by Tom Doniphon View Post
Most of the rebuild marks are found on the left side of the buttstock.

I doubt the gun you were looking at was made in 1948-49. I don't think there were any Model 97s acquired by the Military after mid WW2. If you are going by the published serial number tables available, most of those are wrong, and in some cases they are off by several years.
Well, that's the serial number. The barrel date is 42. How 'bout left over barrels used up at a later date?
thanks!