Interesting points on an auction

[Allen Humphrey]

I have no connection to this auction: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=339035406

I'm interested in the barrel date. The description and picture show a SC 2-42 dated corona barrel. I can only presume this is a poorly struck date and is actually a 12-42 (still predates the receiver). I think I see the slightest hint of the 1. Anybody else think differently? Seller says 4 groove but I would have expected 6. Were there 4 groove barrels in the supply chain in December 42?

As a side note Pic 10 shows that the stock was cut for bolt clearance. Looks about right for an A4 type cut. Given that the stock has nice figuring and the appearance of a non-standard finish, the bolt cut could be a civilian addition. Thoughts?

[Mike D]

I see a little of a "1", also. No such animal as a Feb '42 SC barrel. I believe the earliest noted is 9-42. And I'd bet money it is 6-groove, too. The rifle has been refinished. Maybe it picked up the older barrel then? The finish appears to match.

I think the stock might have been added later by a shooter savvy civilian. Not a clear photo of the cut, but I don't see anything standing out to say it's NOT original.

Mike

[John Beard]

The barrel date would be 12-42 regardless of how it might appear. Poorly-struck or non-existent 1's were very common on those barrel dates.

And yes, 4-groove barrels were in the Smith-Corona supply chain by 12-42, but most were 6-groove.

And finally, the barrel was definitely salvaged from an earlier rifle. It is not contemporary with the receiver.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[joem]

Seems too high to me and there are 0 bids.

[Allen Humphrey]

Thanks for the info guys. I kind of thought the same about the price, but to be fair I really don't know the value of the typewriter that is included. I suspect it isn't $400, but I could be all wrong.

[chuckindenver]

what a nice looking pre war C stock...man..
rebuilt, replaced barrel, not worth the opening bid...wish i had that stock though.

[John Beard]

what a nice looking pre war C stock...man..
rebuilt, replaced barrel, not worth the opening bid...wish i had that stock though.

The stock is a recently-made commercial reproduction. The inletting is lousy. The toe has been patched. And it appears to exhibit some serious checking around the left grip and comb.

J.B.

[chuckindenver]

actually, i looked closer,,its an A4 stock,. original not a repro...

[John Beard]

Presence of a notch under the bolt handle doesn't make it an A4 stock nor does it make the stock original.

J.B.

[Doug Douglass]

Started at $1350..............dream, dream, dream.......

[chuckindenver]

unless one of use steps up and buys it,,,we will never know for sure.

[John Beard]

unless one of use steps up and buys it,,,we will never know for sure.

Go for it! And let us know what you find!

J.B.

[Cosine26]

The stock looks to me like a late Keystone. I bought several of them through the DCM for about $2.00 each during the 1960’s. The inletting was always very generous, and the stocks were always over sized and bulky. I have one on a Smith Corona that has a very similar figure as this one. They came with inletting for the 03, the 03A3 and the 03A4. The stock would accept the 03 FRSB, the 03A3 barrel ring, and the notch for the 03A4 bolt. I did not mind the over generous inletting for I wanted to glass bed them anyway. The butt was sometimes poorly shaped in that the wood would overhang the butt plate on the one side and the butt plate would over hang the wood. The stock had enough wood left that it could be worked down to the style “C” configuration. The trigger guard looks like an early one-too early for the high serial number
Just my two cents

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o15/Cosine1/SCRifle/SCRifle007-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o15/Cosine1/SCRifle/SCRifle004.jpg

Here is a picture showing a NM M1903 on top and an 03 with a reworked Keystone stock on bottom.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o15/Cosine1/Lyman/M1903TTlY.jpg

[Mike D]

unless one of use steps up and buys it,,,we will never know for sure.

Or we could ask the seller for additional photos -

[Cosine26]

The "K" stamp in the cut off notch indicates that it is a Keystone stock as I suspected.