What is cartouche?

[TimH]

What is cartouche? Thanks Tim

 

[mattw]

dictionary.com says:

A heavy paper cartridge case.

or

A structure or figure, often in the shape of an oval shield or oblong scroll, used as an architectural or graphic ornament or to bear a design or inscription.

 

[jonnyc]

One meaning is "cartridge", in French.
It could also refer to some of the stylized markings found on metal and wood parts of weapons.

 

[Mal H]

What is the context, Tim?

 

[Preacherman]

It's what Paris Hilton does to the vehicle in the burger commercial.

 

[cracked butt]

A cartouche often refers to stock markings. A true cartouche is a marking that is surrounded by brackets or a square while other markings are considered stampings.

 

[TimH]

Thanks for the replies.I have often heard it mentioned when describing the stock of a Garand. Cracked Butt seems to have nailed it. So I would assume the user of the rifle would have put them there. Or maybe its marked by someone in an armory for tracking purposes. By the sounds of descriptions placed in for sale ads it seems like cartouche isn't desirable. I would think if it was done by a previous user like an armed services person a cartouche would be a good thing. Thanks Tim

 

[RM]

I was recently at the Gettysburg Civil War reinactment. One vendor selling firearms was advertizing that he can remove cartouches from new guns- except for serial numbers, so that they are authentic to the traditional guns.

 

[Ed]

In that context it is a mark stamped "impressed" into the wood on the stock. It was an acceptance mark in a ways, on earlier weapons it showed the manufacturer and the head of the armorys initials. Later in the 1950's it changed to an eagle. It IS desirable on a garand. You can use them to determing the era when the stock was produced.

 

[cracked butt]

A cartouche is very desirable. Removing cartouches? You can do that yourself with a beltsander without paying someone else to erase the value of your stock.

 

[Father Knows Best]

It IS desirable on a garand. You can use them to determing the era when the stock was produced.

Absolutely. The cartouche is the military inspector's mark. As far back as the late 19th century, the Army placed inspectors in the factories of civilian arms contractors. The inspectors would sign off on a part by making a mark on it. Both metal and wood (stock) parts would often be marked. A typical mark consists of the initials of the inspector. If multiple contractors were used, the mark would often include both a code for the contractor and the initials of the inspector. That way, you can link any part to its manufacturer and inspector by the inspector's mark. As the dates when various inspectors served is a matter of record, you can also identify the period in which in the part was produced.

If you have a USGI firearm, the presence of a correct inspector's cartouche on the stock is extremely desirable, as it indicates that stock is probably original to the gun. By "correct", I mean a cartouche that is appropriate for the manufacturer and date range of the receiver and other major parts.

For example, I have several CMP Garands. One has a Springfield Armory receiver whose serial number dates it to June of 1945. The barrel is also SA and is dated May 1945, so it's probably original to the receiver. Most of the other metal parts are also of the early 1945 period and SA manufacture, so they are likely original to the rifle (the rear sight is a post-war refit, but that's another story). The only really obvious replacement part is the stock. If it was original to the rest of the rifle, it would have a cartouche consisting of a box with SA over NFR, for General Norman F. Ramsey, the M1 inspector at Springfield Armory during the last part of WWII. Instead, I have a stock that lacks any visible inspector's cartouche, but does have RRA pressed into it. The RRA stands for Red River Arsenal (Texas), and signifies that this is a replacement stock that was fitted to the action when the rifle was rebuilt at RRA.

If my rifle had a stock with the SA/NFR cartouche on it instead of the RRA mark, it would be worth a lot more on the collector market.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

 

[DarthBubba]

Cartouche: car·touche or car·touch Pronunciation Key (kär-tsh) n
1.A structure or figure, often in the shape of an oval shield or oblong scroll, used as an architectural or graphic ornament or to bear a design or inscription.
2.An oval or oblong figure in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that encloses characters expressing the names or epithets of royal or divine personages.
3.A heavy paper cartridge case.