Leather Shim used at rear reciever seat of USMC M1903A1 Unertel Snipers?

[Col. Colt]

I had an interesting discovery tonight, when working on the stock for a future USMC M1941/M1903A1 w/ Unertl telescope Sniper Match Rifle.

The stock and handguard were represented on Ebay as a genuine USMC WWII Sniper Rifle stock and handguard. The stock markings include the usual "D-1861" (or whatever - that is from my memory and may be wrong, it was very faint) back by the sling swivel at the toe of the stock, and the magazine cuttoff cut on the left side of the stock had an "S" as well as a "9" (Springfield Armory, 1939 production) on it.

The stock and handguard matched each other perfectly w/ regards to color and level of wear marks. The handguard has the cuts for the scope base.

The biggest surprise was, as I pushed a bolt through the rear trigger guard screw tunnel in the stock, I pried up a very old, well fitted "D" shaped leather washer that lay in a recess that was inletted for it. It was old and brittle, but it was apparent that who ever installed it took great pains to inlet the area around the rear stock screw.

Has anyone else ever seen a "D" Shaped leather washer being used as a reciever/bedding shim in an M1903. Particularly in a Marine M1903? Pretty interesting, and it looks original and period. Check your Marine M1903 Sniper rifles, or please advise where I can read about it. Thanks, CC

[Herschel]

I recently found what appears to be a paper shim in the location you describe on a 1903 NRA Sporter.

[chuckindenver]

iv seen , steel, paper, leather, and a beer can made into a rear tang shim..

[Col. Colt]

What made this particularly interesting was that the inleted area, very cleanly done, had no signs of oil/finish - it was still "in the white", completely dry wood - the only spot on the stock that is. Which would seem to mean that the inletting was deliberately done and the very exactly fitting d shaped leather shim had to have been installed BEFORE the stock was dipped in any finishing oil, Linseed, etc. The leather "D shim" had taken on the same color as the stock, and was not discernable except for some reddishness (and fuzziness) around the rear stock bolt tube. I thought it was rust, but an oiled patch didn't pick up much. It was old, oiled leather.

Bubba, it would appear, did not do this one, unless he somehow found a new, totally unfinshed and dry "in the white" 1939 Springfield "C" stock somewhere, was really, really good at inletting ONLY in this one spot, and had a funny shaped leather punch. And the level of workmanship - very exact fit, no oil seeped under "shim" in sixty-seventy years, at all, would not appear to be haphazard, either. I will try to get some pictures up - my good camera with the Macro Lens makes HUGE files, and I'm still figuring out this "uploading photos" thing. CC

[John Beard]

Near the end of WWII, Remington Arms was awarded a rifle overhaul contract. While executing the contract, Remington salvaged a considerable number of older stocks by embedding one or two metal shims around the rear receiver screw hole. Aside from those, I have no recollection of having seen any other widespread shimming practice.

I would not be surprised if a Marine field armorer embedded a leather shim as you describe. I have seen stranger things in Marine rifles.

I am not aware of any peculiarity that makes a Type C stock a USMC sniper stock. I would, however, love to see very detailed pictures of the handguard. Please oblige us.

Thanks!

J.B.

[da gimp]

my take is the opposite CC........ the area was (almost certainly) inletted AFTER it was originally finished then fitted with a shim........... not milled & shim fitted then finished........I've seen M1 Garand stocks' trigger groups shimmed at rear of trigger group to exert more pressure for proper funtioning.........

Added: that was a good tip from our own Gus Fisher to salvage dried out/compressed stocks...several years ago & it works too, just not legal for Service rifle competition.....

[Tom]

OK I give-up. What is the shim for? Does the stock eventually "compress" and rear tang needs shimmed-up to keep the sighting accurate? Or is it just for "looks" to keep the metal even with the wood?

I have an A3 that shoots high even with the rear sight all the way down. I just remembered that sighting is not affected by position of rifle in the wood, since front and rear sights are both mounted on the same steel.

[chuckindenver]

it was used to help tighten the action onto the stock,
trimming the stock bushing will do the same thing. you need a taller front sight..a letter A sight should cure your A3 shooting high