7.2 Winchester on Gunbroker

[browningautorifle]

I guess it's just whatever it takes to enable the sale...for max cash...

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[rpw7351]

Here's another recent Winchester from GB. Believe this to be 6M serial.

[browningautorifle]

So, that's right where it's going to say M1 or M2...and it's magically gone...

[rpw7351]

Wouldn't say gone. I'd say never got there. I've seen a number of Winchesters with the ring lightly stamped like this while the right side lettering sort of fades out. However, the surrounding steel apparently still shows the milling marks, correct contours and radius. I think Winchester more likely had stamping issues during manufacture. I can't believe that so many carbines could be altered in exactly the same way unless it was at the point of manufacture. I'm not saying that some weren't intentionally altered later but I don't think that they all were.

[browningautorifle]

lettering sort of fades out

So...a weak a** roller die then? The letters run down?

[Harlan (Deceased)]

A little intrusting, the original Gunbroker ad is now dead.

It looked 'scrubbed' to me too.

[rpw7351]

Jim.... I certainly can't say for sure. However, it is the opinion of my gunsmith who is also a master machinist and carbine manufacturer. It is a fact that Winchester's machines were in bad shape when they started making carbines. I'm sure that towards the end of production many were on their last legs. Further, the end of the war was imminent and termination of their carbine contract close at hand. I'm sure Winchester wouldn't want to be spending any money on a dying product line's machinery that it absolutely did not have to. I understand that the roller die were a very expensive item, even back then. Also, with production shifting to all M2 production for use in the Pacific and the planned conversion of existing M1s to M2s who would care what was stamped on the ring. Stamped M1 or M2 or no stamp, the select fire lever told you what the gun was. Finally, Winchester had been making guns for the US military for decades. They knew what they could get away with and what they couldn't. Weren't they regarded as the roughest finished of all the manufacturers? In short, IMHO, as long the carbine functioned properly out it went. With or without stampings. Oh, Harlan... All GB ads go dead but the pictures live on if you download'em! Jim... thanks for your input.