Some questions on a M1922 M2

[Kurt]

I looked at a M2 the other day while at a shop and although not interested in it I have a few questions regarding it.

It's an M2 and stamped as such with a serial no. in the 9800 range. Barrel is was dated 1937. I'm assuming it was one of the later built in 42. The barrel and trigger guard was parked, the receiver black park looking. The bolt did not have a serial number and is the latter Allen screw headspace adj. Stock has no stampings or an M2 on the bottom of the pistol grip. The Lyman sight was parked.

Questions; were the Lyman sights parked ever? Would this be a civilian put together?

Curious and trying to learn the particulars.

Kurt

[jgaynor]

on my M2 the sight scales are bright, the rest of the rear sight is blued. The bolt, save the cocking piece, is bright. The rest of the rifle's metal is parkerized.

[Kurt]

Jim, seems I saw a parkerized Lyman base at some time in the past and thought it odd. The bar and slide were blue and bright, just the base. Screws were blued but the right exposed one was awful deep seated. It looks like what Herschel refers to as home built from parts and pieces. Didn't want to rule out some details that might be legit but overall the gun looks put together.

Kurt

[Herschel]

I have seen Springfield .22's with parkerized Lyman 48 sights. I don't know how they came about. I think the barrel is probably original. For whatever reason, about half of the Springfield .22's I see have mismatched or un-numbered bolts. I don't hold to the "unit cleaning party" theory of how the bolts got mixed.

[Kurt]

I've followed your expertise on these for a couple years, I wish you would write a book but understand it's a limited audience. I didn't mention, the barrel was the greenish park, the receiver darker grey/black. The stampings were lighter than I'm used to seeing on SA's so I'm wondering if it was redone.

I picked up a M2 bolt at a gun show sometime back and the seller happened to have a SA1903 action in a 1922 stock. I know he got the stuff from a deceased gunsmith out in rural Alaska and suspect he bolt and stock went together at some point. Kind of sad as they hadn't relieved around the tang and the stock was cracked.

The bolt is serial no. 3111 but doesn't cross the two halves, all to the right half so I'm not sure if it was done that way or not. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks

Kurt

[Kurt]

I've followed your expertise on these for a couple years, I wish you would write a book but understand it's a limited audience. I didn't mention, the barrel was the greenish park, the receiver darker grey/black. The stampings were lighter than I'm used to seeing on SA's so I'm wondering if it was redone.

I picked up a M2 bolt at a gun show sometime back and the seller happened to have a SA1903 action in a 1922 stock. I know he got the stuff from a deceased gunsmith out in rural Alaska and suspect he bolt and stock went together at some point. Kind of sad as they hadn't relieved around the tang and the stock was cracked.

The bolt is serial no. 3111 but doesn't cross the two halves, all to the right half so I'm not sure if it was done that way or not. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks

Kurt

[Herschel]

Kurt,

All the bolt numbers I have seen that I thought were legit straddled the line where the front and rear halves of the bolt meet. I would be suspicious of any bolt number that was not in that location. I have seen some that had a very neat number properly etched in electric pencil on the top of the bolt. I just don't know how those came about.
The way to spot a refinished 1922 series rifle is to open the bolt and look at the round channel the bolt travels in. I have heard this called the bolt well so that is the term I use. When these rifles left SA as new items the bolt well was left in the white. If it is parkerized or blued the finish is not original. When the fakers learn of this they will probably get out the polishing compound and restore their reparkerized rifles to "mint", "unissued" or "unfired".

From my observation I would say that less than 5% of the M2 Rifles escaped being reparkerized.

[Kurt]

Thanks Herschel, very helpful as we don't see but a few of the 1922's here. If I could, I'd like to send you something that might be of some interest.

Kurt

[Herschel]

Kurt,

I would be happy to see whatever it is that you have. Will PM you my mailing address.