Mark on p14 receiver

[skinny58]

I have a Winchester p14 that has a p stamped on top of the receiver. I was told that the rifle given to Russia via the Brits. I would like to know if this is correct.

Thank You in Advance.

[twh]

The British didn't supply rifles to the Russians in WWII that I am aware of. I have seen pictures of P-14s being handed out to partisans during the war but those were likely rifles that were swept up when the Russians became involved in the Baltic states early in the war.

[skinny58]

I just read an article in Shotgun news that states the British supplied p14 rifles to Latvia,Lithuania, and Estonia. These countries were part of Russia until the end of the 1917 revolution. Maybe they were stamped at that time.
Thank You for your help twh.

[twh]

They were sold/supplied to the newly independent republics after the end of WWI and had nothing to do with Russia.

[jaie5070]

Is it a capitol or lower case. My first thought was that it was a partial "DP" drill purpose stamp.

[skinny58]

I have a Winchester p14 that has a p stamped on top of the receiver. I was told that the rifle given to Russia via the Brits. I would like to know if this is correct.

Thank You in Advance.

I am a real dunce. I was told that there was a P stamped on the receiver. Double checked today, well it is a Star not a P.

I am still looking for your help

Thank you

[kcw]

I am a real dunce. I was told that there was a P stamped on the receiver. Double checked today, well it is a Star not a P.

I am still looking for your help

Thank you

My Winchester P 14 has the star stamp. My understanding is that it indicates the completion of a modification to the receiver.

[Promo]

The * is part of the update which all rifles underwent, at least those which were still under British rule.

[JB White]

Some Winchesters carry an encircled star on the receiver ring indicating the upgraded bolt.

[kcw]

Some Winchesters carry an encircled star on the receiver ring indicating the upgraded bolt.

Now that you mention it, the modification had something to do with the locking lug(s) on the bolt. There is a five point star also stamped on the bolt handle of my Winchester P14 rifle, just above the serial number. I believe the modification turned the designation of the P14 from No3 Mk1 to No3 Mk1*. I note that the bolt serial # on my rifle is mismatched from the receiver, but it is a Winchester bolt. I think I recall reading that there was no effort made to keep bolt/rifle serial #'s together during the modification process, but I could be wrong on that.

[JB White]

I hadn't heard of that before. As a general rule of thumb, the vast majority of mismatches came during importation and distribution. The bolts were removed for shipping and weren't all put back into their proper places by the time they were sold to the general public.

[skinny58]

Now that you mention it, the modification had something to do with the locking lug(s) on the bolt. There is a five point star also stamped on the bolt handle of my Winchester P14 rifle, just above the serial number. I believe the modification turned the designation of the P14 from No3 Mk1 to No3 Mk1*. I note that the bolt serial # on my rifle is mismatched from the receiver, but it is a Winchester bolt. I think I recall reading that there was no effort made to keep bolt/rifle serial #'s together during the modification process, but I could be wrong on that.

Again thank you everyone for your help
skinny58

[Southron]

During the latter stages of World War I, Winston Churchill became the British Secretary of State For War and advocated that Britain intervene in the Bolshevik Revolution going on in Russia. Churchill sent British arms and ammunition to the White Russians that were righting the Red (Communist) Russians. So, there is a chance that your P-14 was one of those arms sent to the White Russians.