Question on Postal Meter

[oldcaprine]

I received my Postal Meter yesterday. It has a 1943 Underwood barrel and Rockola trigger housing. The wood is like some others have posted here, sort of dry, like it has been degreased or soaked in a solvent. The cartouches are barely visible. Holding the stock in one hand and the barrel in the other, the barrel has considerable play in the stock. Really a sloppy fit. My Inland has zero play. Will this affect the accuracy and if so is there some way to shim it up?
Thanks,
Charles

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[Tired Retired]

Charles, I got my NPM two weeks ago. I got a M2 potbelly (unmarked) which had also gone through the CMP cleaner. I am doing the daily BLO rubdown right now. To answer your question, the excessive play will have a serious effect on accuracy or at least consistency of your groups. I would recommend that you recondition your stock with BLO or BTO to tighten up the wood. The "re-moisturizing" of the wood usually takes some play out and makes the metal fit tighter. It should also help bring out the cartouches better. I would strongly recommend against firing your carbine until you get the stock in shape. You can always shop for a replacement stock if the BLO doesn't tighten it up enough.

Good Luck,
Ed

[painter777]

The barrel play.......
Might be a number of things.
Worn nose on the frt of the hand guard.
Does it seem to be around the frt barrel band area?
Maybe worn out pads on the inner bayo band.
Or possibly in the back, where the receiver meets the recoil plate?
These recoil plates do wear out.
If no play in the back end try this....
Grease the barrel in frt on your band. Then slide the band forward and pull the hand guard off and lay it off to the side. Does the barrel look to be pulling to the right or left, while sitting in the stock?
I ask because I had a friend just get a CMP carbine that went thru the washer and the stock shows quite a warp to it. We've soaked it in thinned BLO and have set it back in stock....hoping it will straighten out. On his, I don't think it will. Next attempt to straighten it will be laying it across 2 bench seats with a suspened weight hanging from it.
I hope yours is a easy fix.

Regards
Charlie-painter777

[oldcaprine]

Thanks for all the help. It appears that most of the freeplay is due to the stock. The trigger housing is also loose, so I may have to pick up another one, the pin is loose and lots of slack in the rear where the the lugs match up.
I will get to work on the stock.
Charles