1955 Marine Sales 03

[John Beard]

Thanks for the input so far. John, no surprise on the stock, felt it just did not look right.
I took the rifle apart and I am now questioning the barrel also, there is a small S and small P stamp close to the chamber end, no signs of any welding that I can see. However there is a small area about 4" down from the muzzle where it lookks to my untrained eye that the barrel may have been bent and straightened. The external spiral machining marks at that point look stretched or cloudy. A cleaning rod with patch goes thru evenly with no change in drag at that point and a visual look in the bore does not show any darkness or odd area at that point so am not sure. No signs of heat being applied anywhere.
Brings us back to the receipt, I am adding the scan of the unaltered receipt in case that helps shed any light on this.
Thanks

Thanks for your reply!

I have no doubt that the at least the receiver is an authentic USMC issuance. And the bill of sale looks legitimate enough. And the bill of sale's legitimacy is enhanced by the seller's failure to use it as a sales tool. If he had faked the bill of sale, one can rest assured that he would have waved it in your face.

The stock is a recent reproduction. No doubt about that.

The only question remaining is whether the barrel is original to the receiver. And that's easy enough to determine. Please disassemble the rifle and post some photographs of the bare barrel in front of the rear sight base.

Thanks!

J.B.

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