No-pad Trigger Housing

[Jersey Devil]

A rare part on a good day. Despite having been refinished, it's still a real no-pad housing.

Sorry for the slightly out-of-focus pix.

[m14brian]

Cool! What brand, and what era were these from?
m14brian

[RCS]

Very rare to find, Billy Pyle states that the first hundred or so production rifles used them

[Jersey Devil]

Did any of these have pads built up and re-machined to spec, or were they just discarded and replaced with large-pad versions?

[Bubba1]

As far as it is known, they did not have the pads built up and reused . It would have been easier to replace them with housings already machined with a large pad . You must remember, this was very early in production ( 1937, first few hundred to possibly few thousand had these ) and we were not at war yet . Had it been later or further in production then it may have been a possibility to repair them for use.

[RCS]

I got this no pad trigger housing in the 90's from "Mac" who found it at Anniston, also refinished but still quite rare.

[Gastrapsforme]

I've got to agree with bubba.There was so few around that modifying them probably never came up. On top of the amount of work and time needed to bring it into spec, it seems highly doubtful that they would modify them. It would be much easier to just throw a new production housing. Now how the other parts were used after that I'll have to send it back to bubba or Robert. Was the trigger group completely stripped and parts separated into there respective bins? Or were the parts guaged and used immediately so only a new housing would be mandatory. From what I know of these earliest rebuilds either way is possible. Atleast thru the direct conversions, by the time we get to the war time rebuilds staring in '41 I'd expect the rifle would be fully stripped for rebuild. But like I said Robert and Bubba would have a better idea on how these early rebuilds worked. As all my ideas and thoughts have developed through talks with them, and a couple other nice guys.

[RCS]

It is difficult to know all the procedures involved in the early rebuilds and direct conversions, but some of the "no pad" trigger housings did survive and were found by collectors. I have seen examples of the modified large pad housings (including WRA) that were welded and machined with large diameter end mills to look like original large pad housings. These can be detected in most cases by a careful
study of the housing - which brings up another question - why not just mill the pad off and make a "no pad" ?

Photo shows a early SA trigger housing that was modified to small pad, at the time, the -1 was hand added. It would seem that there were a lot to modify and they soon discontinued the -1 stamp

[Bubba1]

Absolutely Robert, it is very difficult to know all of the procedures in the early rebuild and direct conversion period . No pad housings did survive . Not all of the rifles were rebuilt and we have seen where a rifle was updated and/or rebuilt but some old parts were still used even though a newer revision parts were available . As an example, I believe a few Navy rifles that came to the CMP from Crane still had short pinions and flushnut rear sights yet they were converted to 7.62 x 51 (308) . An article was done a few years back in the GCA journal that showed 'Ole's rifle ' a 1941 rifle that had been updated in the field with a long pinion yet the end of the pinion had been cut off just like the short pinion . Figure that one out . Things are possible . These rifles were built to serve as weapons not collector pieces that they are today . Functionality was priority .

I also have seen small pad housings welded and machined to become large pad housings by both restorations and unscrupulous people . Fortunately , most can be detected with examination and it is possible for someone to machine off the pad completely to make a no pad housing . Again , close examination generally will tell . Fortunately most fakers are trying to make a quick buck and are not very careful in what they are doing . The more time they spend making something , the less money they make off of it . This is a good reason to look very closely at what you are buying and try not to make any quick impulse buys because it looks too good to be true .

Very nice and rare housing . That is the only one that I have seen like that . Of course, I haven't paid enough attention to a -1 added to a no dash housing and modified to a small pad . It is always good to pay close attention to detail . I may have overlooked one in the past because I didn't pay attention .

[RCS]

Also, note the lugs on the trigger guard, they were swedged during the rebuild, something else that was kind of discontinued. The also came from "Mac"

[Jersey Devil]

Also, note the lugs on the trigger guard, they were swedged during the rebuild, something else that was kind of discontinued. The also came from "Mac"

Oh yeah, look at that!!
Is that a marked guard? Pretty neat!!

[RCS]

trigger guard is C46025-1SA

A few years ago, my friend in FLA found a revision 1 operating rod at a local gun show and called me. I asked how much and if it was cut ? he said $100 and without the relief cut and bought it for me.

After receiving it a few weeks later, I cleaned it and found it had been painted black where the relief cut was welded with stainless and even had part of the drawing number restamped !

[Jersey Devil]

Oh no!!!
That's painful. I cringe to think about what might be a fraud in my small collection........aw man that really does suck. :>