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View Full Version : Mossberg S42M, Was this a Military training rifle??



mikenbarb
04-12-2010, 08:22 AM
I acquired an old bolt action Mossberg .22 S,L,LR rimfire rifle in a model S42M. I cant find anything on a M series but it looks like it was a Military training rifle. Does anyone know anything about this rifle? It has a Metal butt plate with a trapdoor design that looks to be for a spare clip, factory peep sight, front hooded sight with 2 fixed inserts that flip to change from post to circle and a dust shield over the front of the bolt. It also looks to have the original military sling with weird looking 1/2 turn connections I never saw on a rifle before. Thanks in advance, Mike

Coffeecup
04-12-2010, 11:44 AM
The 42M-B was a training rifle, but I think most of them went out as Lend-Lease and would have Brit proof marks etc. If it was a US training rifle it should have acceptance marks of some kind on it, like almost any other US military rifle.

Jim

Shepherd2
04-12-2010, 10:20 PM
I can't find a Mossberg model S42M. Assuming that it is a model 42M, some were sent to England as Lend Lease. The 1st batch of rifles sent included some marked only 42M. These were rifles on hand in Mossberg's inventory. The remaining rifles were marked 42MB. Some of the first rifles did not have serial numbers because Mossberg was not set up for them at the time. Later rifles all had serial numbers.

Rifles sent to England as Lend Lease were marked United States Property and would have a British crown proof mark as well as various inspection marks and dates.

You are right about the metal butt plate. The trap door and cut out was designed to hold a spare magazine. A lot of butt plates are missing the trap door and spring. Mine is. I found a complete butt plate for sale on eBay some time ago. I thought I'd put a healthy bid on it but it sold for $52 so I'm still looking.

Your front sight should have 4 inserts and a hood. One insert is a large circle with a hole in it. Another has a post with a ball on top. The other 2 are a thin flat top post and a wider flat top post.

shooterg
04-12-2010, 11:09 PM
Mine's not US marked, but I got it for 90 bucks at Hillsville last year , mag in the gun, and inside the buttstock behind the complete buttplate was another mag . Yay for me ! Also have 9, yes, 9, US Property marked M44's we use in what we call Mossberg Family Matches. All shoot well with the factory peeps and extremely well with good ammo. Have fun with it, Mike !

mike in co
04-13-2010, 07:43 PM
s= peep sight ???

mikenbarb
04-15-2010, 08:59 AM
Theres no serial number and the only markings are a letter "B" and what looks like an "I" underside the barrel. And it has the Mossberg info on the side of the barrel. I looked it over carefully and its defiantly is stamped clearly with a S42M as the model. And it only has 2 flip sight inserts with a hood and dont look like there were ever any others because not enough room for additionals.

Shepherd2
04-16-2010, 12:39 PM
I did a little looking and I did find a Mossberg front sight with only 2 inserts. It is the No. 320. One has a circle on a post with a hole thru it. The other is a square on top a tapered post. The earliest reference I can find to this sight is 1958. The 42M was made from about 1940 to 1944.

What other sights does your rifle have? A 42M has the ramp front sight with 4 inserts, an adjustable rear sight and a peep sight at the rear of the receiver that pivots out of the way so you can use the rear sight.

I can't find anything about the S42M stamp on your rifle. It might stand for Special 42M or something like that. Could be that Mossberg added something that the buyer wanted on his rifle. I understand that firearms manufacturers were very accommodating back in those days.

mikenbarb
04-16-2010, 07:01 PM
Just has the 2 fronts with a hood and a rear peep. Nothing else was ever on it by the looks of it.