Mossberg 42b

[tws3b2]

Does anybody know anything about the Mossberg 42b bolt action 22 rifle. I have been trying to get my son-in-laws 42b shooting again. He got it from his grandad years ago. It's not in terrible shape. Mostly needs some trigger parts replaced and a butt plate. Trigger parts are not a problem. Only took a few minutes to find them. The problem is the butt plate. The 42b was made 1938 - 1941. From what I can see in 1941 Mossberg stopped making the 42b and started making the 42m for the British to use as training rifles. The 42b and 42m were basically the same gun with just a few changes made for the British. Mostly in the woodwork. The 42m stock was carved out to carry a spare magazine. There was a door in the butt plate.
Now my problem. My son-in-laws 42b stock seems to have been cut out for a spare magazine. The schematic I have is for the 42b and 42m (and other versions) and it shows two different butt plates. One for the 42b with no door and one for the 42m that is a little larger and has the door. It shows the 42m a little larger so it can't be interchangeable with the 42b.
So, Why is my son-in-laws 42b stock cut out for a magazine? Am I missing something? Anybody have any more info on these guns?

 

[rabid wombat]

No expert by any stretch of the imagination. I checked Numrich (link below), and they are out of both butt plates. My guess on why yours has a cut out vs not...probably a mixmaster out of the factory - just a wild guess. Another reference below.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/mossberg/rifles-mossberg/42b

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652769

 

[Scooter22]

Is there any other letters in the "42b" designation? Mossberg is a real alphabet soup on their model designations. IIRC the Spigel 42B had the trap door BP, but the sporter stock. Is there a S or W in the model number?

 

[herrwalther]

Looks to me they used the same stock for a wide variety of rifles in the 42 and 44 series. The magazine storage cutout was just featured on the models that had an opening butt plate for them.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/68510A

 

[tws3b2]

No expert by any stretch of the imagination. I checked Numrich (link below), and they are out of both butt plates. My guess on why yours has a cut out vs not...probably a mixmaster out of the factory - just a wild guess. Another reference below.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/mossberg/rifles-mossberg/42b
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652769
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652769

Mixmaster, I was thinking along those lines. They stopped making the 42b in 1941 and started making the 42m in 1941. If both models were moving through the factory at the same time what could happen. Thing is nobody knows.
From the depression till ww2 the gun companies made a lot of (affordable) models. Then sub-models of the same gun. The Mossberg 42b, then model 42c, 42m, 42m(a), 42m(b)and more. The model 42b schematic includes 6 other sub-models. I can tell first hand that just because the schematic shows parts the same dose not make it so. It took me a year and a half to figure out a Stevens 410 single shot made between 1933 and 1942. Anybody want to buy a bag of Stevens 410 parts that Don't fit my gun. That's what I'm trying to avoid with the Mossberg. I would like to buy one part, The right part.

 

[tws3b2]

Looks to me they used the same stock for a wide variety of rifles in the 42 and 44 series. The magazine storage cutout was just featured on the models that had an opening butt plate for them.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/68510A

Yes, but the 42b schematic shows the 42b butt plate (without) a trap door.

 

[herrwalther]

Yes, but the 42b schematic shows the 42b butt plate (without) a trap door.

Which is what I said. The magazine storage in the stock was feature advertised on rifles with an opening buttplate like the 42M. The stocks are listed as the same for both models. I am finding (out of stock) different butt plates for the 42B without door and 42M with door.

 

[entropy]

Does anybody know anything about the Mossberg 42b bolt action 22 rifle. I have been trying to get my son-in-laws 42b shooting again. He got it from his grandad years ago. It's not in terrible shape. Mostly needs some trigger parts replaced and a butt plate. Trigger parts are not a problem. Only took a few minutes to find them. The problem is the butt plate. The 42b was made 1938 - 1941. From what I can see in 1941 Mossberg stopped making the 42b and started making the 42m for the British to use as training rifles. The 42b and 42m were basically the same gun with just a few changes made for the British. Mostly in the woodwork. The 42m stock was carved out to carry a spare magazine. There was a door in the butt plate.
Now my problem. My son-in-laws 42b stock seems to have been cut out for a spare magazine. The schematic I have is for the 42b and 42m (and other versions) and it shows two different butt plates. One for the 42b with no door and one for the 42m that is a little larger and has the door. It shows the 42m a little larger so it can't be interchangeable with the 42b.
So, Why is my son-in-laws 42b stock cut out for a magazine? Am I missing something? Anybody have any more info on these guns?

It's possible the stock may have been replaced post-war sometime, and with a stock for a 42M. My Western Field version of the 42 has a mixed stock and buttplate set, they don't match, and I don't care. I got it that way, it was my Grandpa's .22 and I will keep it that way. You can also try Sarco, Ahlman's, or Jack First for parts for the 42 series rifles.

 

[Scooter22]

From the pic on the other post thats not a 42M stock. It would have square end to accept the metal band to attache the forend. The contour of the stock in the other post is what a 42 would have. As I said the Spiegel model stock looked just like that but it did have the trap door butt plate for a spare mag. I,ve never looked under the BP on 42 models so I don,t know if all were just cut for a mag and only certain models had the trap door BP. Next time I get one out I'll look but I,m not sure what safe they are in. I don't know if the outside contours are different between the M and standard models. Other wise you could put a 42M BP on it to use the space. But I don,t know if it would fit. You could ask over on RFC.