when they started using birch

[RCS]

when they started using birch on replacement stocks in the 1960's they were not marked, this is one of the first examples

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[Devil Dog]

I have a birch stock similar to yours. Nice and fat. Mine is stamped with a boxed "P" on the pistol grip. Where did you find those hand guards?

[mack]

The birch replacements began to appear about the time the M14 came along in 1957 and were standard by the time the rebuild program began in the 1960's for the Vietnam training programs. I have two rebuilt and unissued M1's from CMP stores that came from the Letterkenny rebuilds. These are birch all the way up and new. Both came from a batch done in '65. But Shooterm1 said that '57 saw the earliest birch replacements. Many birch came with new Acceptance stamps during the same period and I have a stock for an M14 that is so marked.

A lot of confusion exists over this wood. Some WWII stuff is actually cherry and I have one in cherry, but it is for a Carbine and NOT an M1 Garand. It often turns out kind of a yellowish color when cleaned and refinished if sap wood is present and can be mistaken by some for birch.

[RCS]

I use to check racks of M1 rifles looking for birch handgards, I did find some nice walnut with a burl until I found birch years later.

Notice the front is missing in my photo ? I had modified a gas cylinder for a M70 scope block as I shot at steel plates alot and it was perfect - until they closed the range !

[U.S.G.I.]

Very nice looking stock there RCS.

Jeff

[Art]

That looks like some really nice "flame birch." Nice wood, very nice wood.

[Dan Wilson]

Theres not mark one on this stock either, now if I can only find handguards to match

Dan

[CapnJohn]

I have a birch on a 6,000,000, not as nice as that but with a circle P and acceptance stamp. Hmm, it might be beech.

[thatchweave]

I seem to recall reading something about the birch wood coming from trees that were felled on Springfield property in the '50s. Any truth to that?

[JMR]

This one is a 12/64 Tooele rebuild. The stock has an uncircled non-serif P but no DAS.

Thatchweave, the property you're thinking of is the Quabbin Reservoir. Don't know if the story is true or not though.