when they started using birch

[U.S.G.I.]

My question is were the stocks and the hand guards made at the same location? If so why is it that hand guards with flames are very rare? The wood needed to made stocks and hand guards would have came from the same trees right?

Jeff

[barkerwc4362]

The stocks and hand guards would not have been made out of the same piece of wood. The stock blanks would have been cut to optimize the number of finished stocks out of a log. Another blank optimized for the hand guards should have been created. The Arsenal didn't care about matching wood or pretty figure. What was important was the optimum use of the log and minimum cost/waste. Matching, pretty wood was an accident of assembly, not the plan from the start.

Bill

[RCS]

This front handguard has some nice fancy walnut on both sides

[leecorky]

I have 2 or 3 good flame birch stocks that have the SA type circled P on the pistol grip and a 1/2 DAS cartouche. I have been able to find some nice birch handguards to go with them. But they are not flamed as much as the stocks. If you want this type of flaming in handguards, you may need to have them made. Contact Macon Gun Stocks (in Georgia, I think) to see if they can help.

[Gus Fisher]

Figure or flame in stocks and handguards was always seen as weaker wood than straight grain wood by U.S. arsenals.

That's why we usually only see the highly figured walnut stocks and handguards during WWII when it was more important to get stocks and handguards onto rifles FAST than it was to worry about the less toughness and strength of firgured wood.

It makes it very tough today to find figured handguards that match a figured stock because there were fewer figured handguards to begin wth and the figured handguards broke or wore out faster. Still, it can be done if you live in an area where a lot of these parts occasionally show up at gun shows and if you are VERY patient.

[cruiserdan]

This front handguard has some nice fancy walnut on both sides

An early WRA perhaps?

It is very pretty. May we see the stock?

[mack]

Gus Fisher is, of course, correct about WWII stocks and speed being a necessity in production during the war.

It puts things in perspective to understand that equipment usually had a serviceable life expectancy of less than 30 days in the WWII battlefields. The rifle was of paramount importance, but it didn't last too long either. Wood was likely less of a consideration than we think today. But, service life was very brief indeed!