Winchester barrel markings

[jmm03]

Hello all, I have an M1 with a Winchester receiver number in the 5,7 million range that has no ordnance bomb or date on the barrel. All I can find is a "W" and what appears to be a " P inside W" enclosed by a circle. It has the wide barrel band without bayonet lug, early pushbutton safety marked"EW", mag release marked "M", flat blued bolt, later windage adjustable rear sight marked "H" enclosed in a mark that looks like a badge,for lack of a better description. The stock is marked on the rear with a G.H.D under W.R.A. next to an ordnance wheel, no circled P that I could find. Not a potbelly,and has a single rivet handguard. I guess what I would like to know is what is more or less correct for this rifle, Which I suppose anything is being the late date and how many times these things went through the shop. Appreciate the lesson. Thanks,Jim

[JimF]

When you finally strip it down, look for a mark on the right locking lug of the bolt.
With luck, you might find a “W” . . . . This is covered by the slide when assembled.

[Tuna]

How old do you think it is? From what I have seen it dates to about July 1944. It sounds right for the time period as to what it has on it. Look on the right side of the barrel on or above the gas cylinder for the ordnance bomb stamp. The WP on the barrel means Winchester proof and the stand alone P means it was proofed during production. The H in a shield is correct for Winchester. Look at the front sight. Does it look like a thumb nail on the back side of the sight? It should or have an L on the right side of the front sight. Check the slide in the well for a W as well as what Jim said for the bolt. Handguard sounds right too. Pictures help for sure.

[Johnny P]

The WP in an oval was the Winchester in house proof mark. The U.S. does not have a gun proof law, but beginning shortly after 1900 Winchester started applying this mark to the barrels and receivers of their commercial guns as an indication that it had been through a proofing procedure. Colt also started applying a VP in an upside triangle to their commercial guns, which was both an indication of proofing and a final inspection of their handguns before sale. Beginning in 1937 Colt applied this proof mark to the Model 1911A1 military contract pistols.

[jmm03]

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't know much about carbines, I mostly shoot 03's and am more familiar with them. I mainly was wondering about the lack of date and arsenal marking on the top of the barrel as is typical of 03's. Mine has no markings of that type other than the W and the proof mark which I just wondered if it was just a Winchester thing or what. Jim

[Tuna]

At the beginning of carbine production, all makers dated their barrels. Winchester stopped dating barrels after February 1943. Rock-Ola stopped after June 1943. Inland and Underwood dated till the end of their productions. Note that Underwood made replacement barrels through most of 1944 after their carbine production ended.