M1 Carbine Stock ID Help

[dwagner825]

Ok guys, I posted this on the CMP forums and it has people shaking their heads. I purchased this IBM Carbine from an estate of a deceased VFW member who was well in his 80's. He had painted all metal gloss black for parade presentation. That's another story. It had an unmarked walnut stock on it with matching 2 rivet handguard. It has no bridge as you would expect in a M2 potbelly stock. However, it is not as thick as a potbelly and only has the cut out for the disconnector lever but not the selector. The barrel channel is just under 4 1/4 inches long. Most of the carbine was IBm except for a mixture of winchester and Inland in the trigger group and a winchester butt plate. It has two holes on top and bottom of the butt plate screw hole. I will attach pics for your viewing. Any idea what it is? Here is a link to my Flickr page if the pics don't post. 002 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

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[Bruce McAskill]

If it is walnut then it very well could be a type 4 Winchester stock. Winchester did not make the type 5 Pot Belly stock but used the type 4 for their M2 production as well as the rest of their M1 production at the same time. Look real close in the sling well for a small W. If there it could be very hard to see but not all of Winchesters production was marked with the W. Winchester was the only stock maker during WW2 that had three holes in the butt where the butt plate covers them. The other possibility is that it's a commercially made stock. Many of them have the three holes in the butt. It does appear to have been stained and that it didn't take very well which would indicate that it could be a different hardwood as I have seen this pattern on hardwood stocks before and not walnut. But as to the wood type I don't know. Maybe Painter 777 can say for sure which type wood it is.

[dwagner825]

It was stained with a red base stain and coated with several coats of polyurethane when I got it. I used stripper several times to get the exterior back to bare wood. You can see it after cleaning and several coats of BLO on my flickr page. The link is in my original post. I didn't spend as much time on the internals to make sure it was completely rid of its stain. Hence, your observation that the stain didn't take well. I have searched the slingwell thoroughly using a magnifying glass and trying to see if the digital camera would pick it up. No luck. With no cartouche, I have a feeling everything was sanded prior to staining. It is set up like a type 4 except for the fact there is no relief cut for the selector. Have you seen others that didn't have the cut?

[ChipS]

IMHO that is a commercial (or foriegn military (?) replacement) stock. It is not a USGI stock of any type. Look at the nose behind the barrel band. I have never seen any USGI stock shaped like that with no taper at all. Throw in the half-way M-2 relief cuts, the oak looking woodgrain and the semi-potbelly looking magazine well recess and it screams commercial to me. Also note the top left edge along the receiver is sharp and sqaure instead of slightly rounded as all GI stocks are. I suspect the lack of wood partition in front of the mag well is simply a cost saving mill cut and they beefed up the forend to make it a little stronger just like in an M-2 stock. Given a little time, I'll bet somebody on this forum wil be able to tell us the specific company that made or sold this stock. I think it's kind of nice looking and should make a good shooter.

[dwagner825]

I am beginning to agree with that. The round cut in the well in front of the barrel channel as pointed out by a CMP forum member leads me to believe this. All USGI tend to have a square cut with rounded corners. I am thinking the two rivet handguard is USGI just a real good match to the stock.

[painter777]

It's a Commercial Replacement stock.
Looks to be a 'Fancy Grade', I don't believe Walnut, almost looks like a Laminate, but more than likely a hard wood like oak or similiar grained Ash.
Round cut gives it away.
All (I Know of) GI stocks were/are square cut.

Curious if it has the extra support cut-under the recoil plate seat?

As far as 3 holes under the butt plate.........
J- Jewell made, M and Bomb- Marlin made, SC- Sprague & Carlton made, WRA made, MU- Marlin made, and SA Springfield made stocks all have the 3 holes under the plate.
I think they're were a couple more, but can't recall right now.
Also maybe Lumb, LW-B, LW-U... but not sure.......

HTH,
Charlie-painter777

[ChipS]

Round cut gives it away.
All (I Know of) GI stocks were/are square cut.

I admit I missed the round cut behind the barrel channel when I posted, but that is the cincher. The pics loaded veeeerrrrry slow on my computer and I may have just skipped to a more interesting view. Even without the round cut I was convinced. Thanks.

[painter777]

Even without the round cut I was convinced

You did all the hard work, pointing out all the details.
I just added the round cut.
Would be a interesting stock to shoot from.

VR,
Charlie-painter777