Tearing down a VFW HRA

[FCPDAVE]

Hi,

I thought I'd pass along some things I took note of while starting to tear down HRA 9386XX. It is not untouched like 2 of our M1903 MK1's. The rear hand guard was swapped out for lighter color new wood. The stock has LOTS of dents - not sure if the Honor Guard did that but this is worse than the others. The receiver is black, like the ones in the article here that I just read. The bbl. is SA 6565448 3 66 MD60 P M DOD stamp. There are 2 brass pins inserted in the stock above the trigger, and there is a metal insert in the butt (the small screw hole). There is a large P and a smaller P on the pistol grip, as well as a painted red dot the size of a pencil eraser. There is also a faded red triangle stamp (not impressed) with what looks like 88 inside. There are also remnants of black paint on the butt cap.

The M1's came to our VFW I believe in the 60's from the Army (now TACOM).. Who knows the history of this one. I was always told that US armorers did not repair wood stock parts. I have an Aussie SMLE that has pins like this, and another of the M1's has a hanguard repair. I met a gunsmith who said that he did work for our VFW long ago and he is capable of those repairs. But he didn't varnish them, or worse. I have an '03 torn down to refinish the stock - they put polyurethane on some of the 03's years ago.

They soldier on at the cemeteries, irregardless of the weather - all with leather slings - some brass and some steel hooks. Thanks to Lubriplate, we have not had a misfire in a long time.

End of story,

Dave

[togor]

Was at a graveside service last weekend for an old vet. Two gentlemen form the local post came out with a pair of M1s with BFAs. In the last of the three volleys I heard only one report. I doubt anyone else noticed, but I remember thinking that one M1 might need a grease job.

[twh]

Your serial number is off as a six digit starting with a 9 is an SA. An orange triangle on the pistol grip would indicate a stock that went through rebuild at LEAD. US rebuild facilities did use brass pins/screws to repair stocks so not unusual.

[lyman]

Your serial number is off as a six digit starting with a 9 is an SA. An orange triangle on the pistol grip would indicate a stock that went through rebuild at LEAD. US rebuild facilities did use brass pins/screws to repair stocks so not unusual.

my father was a Small Arms Tech in the USAR,

he took care of the weapons in about 1/3rd the USAR armories in VA, and a pile of ROTC/JROTC/Military Schools,

most of the time a stock was simply replaced, l
sometimes a brass pin and some acraglass was used (the pins came thru military supply channels, the acraglass came thru an account he had set up to draw from, I don't know the details on how)

slightly off topic, but I remember him returning from a trip to a few schools, to replace the stocks on the drill rifles for the school year,

he had a pickup bed of 1903 and 1903A3 stocks, all beat up , cracked etc,
my brother and I had the job of unloading them and breaking them up into kindling wood for the fire,,,,


probably worth a small fortune now, if we had set them aside and repaired them,,,,

[Orlando]

Arsenals did repair stocks . Take a look at this one. Lock up must have been loose as wood was removed , an piece added glued and nailed in place. Also a section of wood was cut out and replaced at the toe of the stock.



Here is a repair to another stock, section of wood was cut out and replaced in area in front of where trigger housing sets


These are amazingly well done stock repairs that would have taken some time to do.

[FCPDAVE]

Yes, it is A SA. Sorry about the mixup. The H&R was in better shape and I took it back to the post after service. In the mean time, I replaced the WWII and earlier slings with newer repros, though I re-dyed them darker brown. Only comment from the guys was that their gloves are cleaner.