Bob S. or others, C stock question

[RU shooter]

I bought a C stock for my rifle last year ,Feels great and has helped me shoot better scores, Its a used take off stock has a circle P on the toe of the PG ,A fellow shooter also has a C stocked 03 but his feels is much different than mine neither is sanded or messed with,His is much thinner in the grip area feels like a regular modern sporter rifle.as mine is much fuller and thicker sides and front to back. Were different styles of C stocks made for the springfield rifles?, what is correct for which type of rifle?

Thanks,Tim

[Bob S]

Were different styles of C stocks made for the springfield rifles?, what is correct for which type of rifle?
Thanks,Tim

Yes indeed. The war-time contractor stocks are different than the pre-war stocks made at Springfield Armory. The Springfield stocks are much "finer" in their lines, and do not have the mortice for the M1903A3 barrel guard ring. Springfield stocks will have a small letter "s" in the clearance cut for the cut-off. The wartime stocks are in general "fatter" and not as finely shaped or finished as the Springfields, and have the cut for the 03A3 barrel guard ring. Stocks were made on contract by Keystone (upside down letter "K" in clearance for the cut-off), American Billiard and Bowling, and Milton-Bradley (yes, the board game people) Some are marked with a tiny Ordnance Bomb on the tip that sometimes looks like a small misshapen numerl "8". Add to these the number of recent "reproductions", and there is a whole menagerie of "C" stocks.

A Springfield "C" stock is correct for post-1929 National Match and "sales" rifles. I don't think anyone has been able to ascertain how many service rifles were assembled for issue at Springfield after about 1924, but the answer lies between "none" and "very, very few". At the start of WW II, there were still a bunch of Type S stocks and blanks in stores at Springfield and Rock island. Ordance made every effort to use those up before procuring new. Springfield made the first "scant" stocks from those blanks in early 1942 ... these also are finer and more highly finished than the later contractor stocks, and will be marked with the "s", and will be lacking the cut for the barrel guard ring of the 03A3 because the 03A3 didn;t exist yet.

The first block of M1903A4 snipoer rifles were made by Remington, using Springfield type "C" stocks provided by Springfield Armory. Remington made the cut for the barrel guard ring, and the clearance for the "bent" bolt handle.

During WW II, all of the Springfield stocks went into the "pool" for overhaul of '03's, and for assembly of '03's using SA and RIA NOS parts; much of this assembly done at Ordnance facilites other than SA and RIA. You also probably know that all 03A3's left the factory with the simplified straight-grip stock. Many of them were fitted with "scant" or wartime contract "C" stocks during late- and post-war overhauls. I even got an 03A3 from CMP during the first round of Greek returns that had been stuffed into a Springfield pre-war "C" stock, and no one even made any effort to make the cut for the barrel guard ring! The barreled action was just mashed into the stock and tightened down; the barrel guard ring made a slight impression in the wood, but if the rifle had been fired in that stock, the stock would have cracked. I know the rifle was not fired because it was one of the first discovered with a short chamber... it wouldn't even chamber a cartridge.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Frank46]

I have a cut down "C" stock and while it doesn't have any markings the pistol grip has a pronounced swell on each side. And it does have the '03 sight cutout. Could very well be an aftermarket stock. Have to fit a forend tip and maybe a non slip recoil pad. Frank

[RU shooter]

Thanks Bob S. as always your provide a wealth of information .

Tim