found two surprises today!

[vette]

I have read these forums for a long time, but I am a newbie in the sense that I have never made a post. Today I had an experience that I thought I would share. I went to a small local flea market today that on a good day one might find 100 guns, 70% shotguns and 25% junk. After 15 minutes I noted a table with two carbines. I asked what they were and if I might see them. I was told a Saginaw for $625 and a Winchester for $750. The guy said he knew nothing about them but had bought them from a friend. Both looked as if they had just come out of a dusty closet an had been there a long time. I bought the Sag, an S'G' #1863xxx with a good GI m-2 stock, a sling, and one U coded mag. I removed it from the stock prior to purchase, a true mixer. It did have a Rockola trigger guard. Not bad for the $560 he agreed too. The Winchester had about 50% finish, also a mixer with a win. trigger guard. the big surprise, it was a T marked Winchester receiver. What I did'nt understand is that it had a rough G.H.D. over U.E.F. with cartouche in a box, but a small w in the sling well. Why is it marked Underwood and Winchester! Is this common for the stock? What would the "T" coded receiver/rifle be worth? I got his # just in case! Sorry this is long, but I would appreciate any comments.

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[Bruce McAskill]

Look closer in the sling well at the W. It could be an M-U or LW. Both are found on Underwood stocks.

[604flyer]

Hey vette...nice score. Can't go wrong for that price even if they are mixmasters. I've heard reports of W marked stocks with UEF acceptance marks on them, but never seen one. The profile of the stock is important. The forend of the stock will have a flat bottom if it is a Winchester stock and will have a rounded floor if it is a LW-U or otherwise. It's not impossible to imagine a transfer of stocks between WRA and UEF during the war years. They were virtually next door to each other in the same ordnance district. Keep us posted on what you find out!