Change of ON face of cutoff from bright to parked on 03-A3's

[Ironlip]

Is there any consensus about approximately when Remington changed the ON face of the magazine cutoff on 03-A3's from bright polished to parked? Of the two apparently original Remington made 03-A3's I have, the one serial numbered 3729870 with a barrel date of 4-43 has a bright face and serial number 4057169 with a barrel date of 9-43 has a parked face.

And while we are on the subject, what about Smith-Corona? Both of the Smiths I have are bright, but they are May and June 1943 guns.

[Randy A]

I believe polishing of the mag cutoff was a unit thing. The Armorers would do it if the Company SOP's required.

[John Beard]

Is there any consensus about approximately when Remington changed the ON face of the magazine cutoff on 03-A3's from bright polished to parked? Of the two apparently original Remington made 03-A3's I have, the one serial numbered 3729870 with a barrel date of 4-43 has a bright face and serial number 4057169 with a barrel date of 9-43 has a parked face.

And while we are on the subject, what about Smith-Corona? Both of the Smiths I have are bright, but they are May and June 1943 guns.

Remington magazine cutoffs were never parkerized. They were blued. And in late M'03-A3 production, Remington did indeed delete the polishing from the ON face of the cutoff. Your two Remingtons are correct in that respect.

And as you perhaps expect, Smith-Corona likewise deleted the polishing from the ON face of their cutoffs in late production.

Hope this helps.

J.B.