Unnumbered Early Rear Handguard Spacer

[Jersey Devil]

This is an unnumbered early rear handguard spacer.

Any ideas as to how early it is?

[Bubba1]

Very early. The very first ones had no holes, no notch, and no drawing number. A very hard piece to find in any condition for any gas trap.

[Bodyman]

That is one tough part - I have never handled a loose one like that. Very cool.

It is always something that I thought might still be out there on some random rebuild and ready to be found by the right set of eyes, maybe with a hint of numbers on the wood.

What, ...? A guy can hope, can't he, ...

[Bubba1]

Hope is a good thing. If you don't look for it you can't find it ........ I've found a few over the years. They will only be found separately or as a complete handguard with a lip type ferrule. Lip type front handguard ferrules seem to be easier to find than the no notch spacers .

To explain, the notch on the later spacer is for the later ferrule . The lip on the later ferrule ( used on all gas port rifles ) goes inward , hence the need for a notch in the spacer , where as the lip on the earlier ferrule (used on gas traps except during the last few months of production when there is an overlap with gas port production , May & June 1940 ) goes outward. You cannot use an earlier spacer with no notch with a later ferrule without modifying the spacer or the ferrule .

To my knowledge, Springfield did not modify any early spacers for reuse, too much trouble and cost involved . They are out there and that is one of the hardest parts to find for any gas trap restoration .