Freckles on my '43 Garand

[offthepaper]

I recently recieved a Danish M1 (SA '43) from the CMP. It's in fairly good shape (much better than my Greek FG when it arrived last year) and the Butt stock s/n matches the receiver s/n. What I at first thought were scratches in the wood stock later turned out to be "freckles" as often seen on the Euro woods. I thought the USGI Garands were all walnut stocks from the US makers. Did the US makers at some time during war production use beech or birch stocks instead of walnut? Either way, since the #'s match, I've already ruled out replacing the original with a more "purty" stock set from CMP. I just could'nt stand to break up what's left of the original "family" tree. Just plan to do a slight refinish of the wood, a good cleaning, possibly steam a few of the bigger dents out and a couple coats of BLO then sit back and admire the old warrior.
Cosmo, Hoppy,....can you tell me about WWII stock production?

 

[Hoppy590]

i dont know anything about the stocks wood for garands. havnt gotten one yet.
but this is a good article about various ways to refinish. "method 2" is M1 specific

http://www.jouster.com/Bulletin/refinishing.htm

 

[AZ Jeff]

I believe all WWII furniture was made from Walnut. Sometime after the war, birch was introduced as a subsitute wood by the Ordnance Corps, and by the end of production, all the stocks were of that substitute, IIRC.

Given that virtually all WWII M1's went through one or more rebuilds after the war, it's often the case that walnut pieces that were in bad shape were replaced with the new substitute standard birch.

Of course, the foreign users put replacement furniture of their own local choosing on many of the rifles given to them.

 

[offthepaper]

AZ
Thanks, yes I know about the replacement stocks later on being birch or beech, but as I said the stock s/n and receiver ('43) s/n match. It just strikes me as odd that this stock of that year production would be anything other than walnut.

 

[45Badger]

Thanks, yes I know about the replacement stocks later on being birch or beech, but as I said the stock s/n and receiver ('43) s/n match. It just strikes me as odd that this stock of that year production would be anything other than walnut.

Stock serial number was put on by the Danes, not at US manufacture point/time.

 

[Gator]

Don't worry about breaking up the "family tree". Your stock is a Danish made Beech stock, it is not USGI. The Danes put the serial number on it (as was previously mentioned). The Danish stocks are fine, serviceable stocks, but have no collector value.

 

[Swampy]

off-paper,

Gator has it 100% correct.

Your buttstock is Euro Beech. Never used by the US. Put on by the Danes when they had the rifle. Same for the serial number under the butt. Never done by US units.

Best,
Swampy

Garands forever