M1A Wood Stocks

[catmandu]

Looking for someone well versed in M14/M1A wood rifle stocks.
I've read on the CMP forum, and Freds too.

I'm trying to determine what stock I have. Appears to be new and has metal hardware.
I think its a extra wood stock if my memory serves me right. Dimensions to check would help.

Lots of talk about cuts, lugs, stamps, Big Red, etc. but not allot of info on how to determine what you have.

If you know about these things - please let me know.

Paul in WNY

[marlin39a]

Try the M14 forum. Those guys are a wealth of information. www.m14forum.com

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The ones I'm familiar with are the standard issue stock (walnut or birch), target/National Match stocks which are oversize (fat) such as "big red", and synthetic. If yours has extra wood it's probably a match stock. A photo or two of what you've got would help in identification. Include the action inlet area.

[Scharfschuetze]

Yes, a photo(s) would help. I used the M14NM as a match rifle with military rifle teams for several years.

Perhaps a quick look at the right rear of the action area of the stock (at the rear limit of the op rod handle's movement) will help determine it's heritage. Military stocks will have a small cut out for the full auto switch. Military stocks also usually (but not always) have the Defense acceptance stamp on the left side of the action area. As noted above, match rifle stocks were made oversize to help keep sling pressure from flexing the stock and pulling down on the forend. The wrist was also oversize. Birch and Walnut were both used in rifles made in the 60s and replacement stocks of the 70s. Current designated marksman M14s have fiberglass stocks.

The M14E2 had a stock designed for full auto fire from the prone position. I got to shoot a few over the years and it was great, but it's probably not what you're asking about.

[catmandu]

Sorry it took so long to the the pics. Reducing the size is difficult.

So I have (2) of the stocks - one sealed and one bare wood.
For comparison I put my CMP M1 Grand stock.

164805 164806 164807 164808

Thanks for the help.

Paul in WNY

[Scharfschuetze]

In the top center photo, the two stocks on the right are M14 stocks. The left stock (darkest colored one) is an M1 Garand stock.

I might add that rack grade M14s also had a metal insert on both sides of the action area. Match rifle stocks didn't as the military armorers bedded that area with fiberglass bedding agents. You can see the cut out for the metal liner on the yellowish colored stock in the top center photo. I believe that the purpose of the liner was to maintain bedding between the action and stock. M14 match rifles are notorious for beating up their bedding. One of the reasons is that when the M14 was developed from the M1 Garand, it lost over half of its recoil bearing surfaces due to the change over to the 20 round magazine.


Sorry it took so long to the the pics. Reducing the size is difficult.

I use a freeware program called Irfanview to manage photos. With it, it is very easy to change sizes of your photos as well as numerous other operations. Just search for "Irfanview" and you'll be good to go the next time you need to reduce the pixels in a photo for uploading.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

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Hey...I went out to my shop and took these photos just for you! This is a standard M14 stock. Comparing my stock to yours you will notice that at the rear of the inletting yours has a big notch cut out on the rear. This is for an extra recoil lug, custom, not found on the standard receiver. This goes to what Scharf said about there being a loss of recoil/bedding area with the redesign of the M1 into the M14, and match shooters and armorers wanting to compensate for that loss. I have seen at least 3 differently redesigned receiver types, redesigned from the original version, including a lug at the rear and another type with an extra leg forward of the mag well. Again, comparing photos, you will note that the stock in my photos has the metal recoil butts present in the sides and that they are secured in place by a screw through the sides of the stock. These are special screws that require a special tool for removal, although I have done it successfully using a pin punch in one of the holes and tapping it in the direction I wanted it to go. Your stocks lack the metal butts and screws, so that again goes to what Scharf was saying about them being intended for glass bedding. So, I would say that, since the stocks aren't bedded, you have what was a "work in progress."

[catmandu]

I use a freeware program called Irfanview to manage photos. With it, it is very easy to change sizes of your photos as well as numerous other operations. Just search for "Irfanview" and you'll be good to go the next time you need to reduce the pixels in a photo for uploading.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the tip on the program. I'm using MS Office Picture Manager and I have to get the pics over the the Win7 machine to reduce them.

So these are M14 match stocks that are not completely set up for use.

Paul