marking on early Rock Island stock

[RCS]

Interesting marks on the butt of this early Rock Island stock. I would bet USN as I doubt
the army would allow carving into the wood. Either way, it was done long ago.

Robert

[Fred]

I don't see carving. Just stamps.

[Stephan]

A 1903 stock I bought from Sarco has similar numbers and letters stamped like that into the right side of the buttstock.

[louis]

'm not an expert on these but I do know that the armed forces did stamp the butt stocks. Most are unit and rack numbers. I'm sure one of the members who know will reply with the answer to this one as they usually do

[Rick the Librarian]

The markings are rack numbers. They were used by all services.

Is the stock correct for the rifle?

[cplnorton]

I have seen many sets like this on stocks. I also think they are probably Navy. Maybe even ship detachments markings.

Or they could be Marine I guess as well. I don't know why but my gut is saying ship detachment markings.

This 1903 is a SRS hit to the Marine Corps in 1938. But it has a CD 3 in the same fashion as your stock. There is also another set of stamps that were sanded off and the CD 3 put over them. The stamp sanded off looks like a TU 5. This rifle was purchased as surplus at the Philly Navy Yard post WWII. It has almost every feature of a Marine 1903. Hatcher hole, punch mark in front of serial, early Marine parkerization, Vice marks, 9-42 Sedgley USMC barrel, stippled buttplate, electropenciled bolt, enlarged gas hole in bolt. And then the SRS hit:

873388 012638USMC - SAN DIEGO (SURVEY)

The stock is an early one bolt highwood stock with a JFC cartcouhe. The only cartouhces other than factory are the CD 3 and the TU 5 or whatever it was sanded off.

[cplnorton]

One more thing to add. I had some ideas what the CD 3 might mean on my rifle.

CD 3 =Cruiser Division 3 is the most likely I think that I've heard so far. The other one might be Coastal Defense 3rd Battalion. That is my two theories so far.

But it would be hard to say for sure.

[Fred]

That is one nice Marine Corps rifle Steve! Nice! Now you should put a USMC sling on it. I've just bought another really great conditioned one of those yesterday. As usual, the seller didn't know what it was. Now I have Five of them and STILL no rifle to put any of them on. Something's wrong about that...

[rebound]

I dought that will be a problem for you very long.
You seem to luck-out on finding anything you set your mind on to look for...

[Ed Byrns]

RCS's RIA and the "AT 21" inscription.
I have studied stock markings for a long time and am quite sure
that "AT 21' = USS Bagaluce,which was an Ocean going US Navy Tug.
Prior to the reclassification of ships by the Navy,starting in WW2,all Navy ships has a two letter prefix.
They were changed to 3 letter prefix,thus making these stocks unserviceable.
In some cases the USCG also marked their 1903 rifles,case in point,CG 180.
Which was a 75 foot wooden Revenue patrol boat(1924 thru 1933)
1903 rifles on transports were also marked in this manner.
One unusual note,"AG 49"marked 1903, the USS Anacapa was a US Navy "Q" ship
used off the west coast from Mexico to Alaska against Japanese subs early in the war.
Respectfully submitted
Ed Byrns

[RCS]

Ed, my friend Tom Belbey from NJ, also had also told me that AT was an early designation for a USN ocean tug
a few months ago. Could not go any further on the research until your posting here.

Thanks Ed,

Robert