testing the photos: photo shows two early Winchester rifles with original WRA RS no trap stocks
serial number of top rifle is 100931 and bottom is 102740
serial number of top rifle is 100931 and bottom is 102740
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Robert,
Thanks for stopping by and joining up!
Those are two amazing M1s, that's for sure.
Are those stocks from the barn wood???
Thanks again, cheers!
chug1>
Welcome to the Addiction! -
Very cool pic test.Comment
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I still drool over these rifles. Can you share more photos of them with us??Welcome to the Addiction!Comment
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I've got one of those.
It was originally sold as a bare receiver from the CMP auction site many years ago (which means I am the first civilian owner of this - hey, I never thought of that!), it is one of those that when I saw the serial number I just had to go for it, and I was lucky enough to get it.
It has some of the most fantastic heel markings but with very little finish left on it, I figured it would be easier to restore it as a nicely cared for but used rifle. At least then I could have a chance at finding nice original finish parts and wouldn't have to care as much about how much of that original finish they had left. I've labored at it ever since and it is fully restored now (of course there is always something you feel you can do just a little bit better). I lucked into several of the super tough parts and I am certain that I couldn't restore another one as well again. It taught me volumes about early Winchester production and what started out as one of my very favorite parts has slowly become one of my very favorite rifles.
This is the 8th earliest Winchester serial number in the data that Mac had collected at the CMP. If you want to call the first 500 Educational Order, then this could be considered one of the 100 delivered by Winchester in December of 1940. It is annealed but I honestly couldn't care less - it is just too cool to not be one of my very favorites.
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Both 100075 and 100112 have low guide ribs like the early Springfield receiversComment
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Yes, it does have the low guide ribs. There are many early Winchester receivers that have just a knick in those guide ribs.
Oddly or not, we haven't seen any of the Winchesters with the welds on those guide ribs to fix the 7th round stoppage (not that I have seen or heard of). That leads to the guess is that those guide rib repairs were only done by SA at SA and were not done at any repair echelon level (and as the problems were ironed out, those welds were eventually dropped for rifles being rebuilt). The 7th round stoppage got a lot of press, but there were stoppages at every round with their own cause and fix. I would bet that Winchester had their own stoppages with their own associated causes and fixes for this new design (that just never made the news), but whatever the 7th round stoppage was apparently it was unique to SA and not problematic on Winchester receivers. Heck, Winchester had enough trouble just figuring out why the clips were making things malfunction ... (
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Honestly, I don't think the receiver ribs were the main cause (if they were then maybe the wide or double ribs might have made it into regular production). IMHO, given all the changes and unique variations to the early followers and slides, I am going to say that the follower/slide assembly was more likely to be the cause of problems - at least from what we see today we can say that they sure spent a lot of effort monkeying with that particular part.
All just guessing but fun nonetheless.Comment
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Nothing close to you guys I know but the passion can be insatiable.. Winchester below just to show i'm a glutton for punishment.. On a serious note, the research alone truly keeps my brain working..
Winchester by Jack, on Flickr
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That looks like an awesome receiver to start with. There is something about those early ones that just gets your adrenaline going.
And yes, the research is a blast - it keys in with the restoration and you will go in directions you never expected as you proceed, though it is getting much harder to find even individual parts that are unmolested and able to teach you more.
Just remember, it is all out there still. The fun is in the hunt.Comment
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Your serial number 109513 was stamped on May 24, 1941Comment
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