USGI M14 fiberglass stocks were made by General Tire & Rubber Co. Here are some tips to identifying who made your USGI wood M14 stock. The information posted is incomplete. If you can supply me photo(s) of your stock with a manufacturer marking that adds to the list, please send it to me at [email protected]
Manufacturer Identification
The manufacturer identification, if present, is located on the butt end under the butt plate.
H - Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. (Worcester, MA)
O - S . E. Overton Co. (South Haven, MI) (made stocks for TRW)
SA or S.A. - Springfield Armory (Springfield, MA)
S under a half-diamond - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. (Brookline, MA) (subcontractor to Springfield Armory)
W-W - Winchester-Western (New Haven, CT)
Wood Type
M14 rifles were assembled with wood stocks from the fall of 1959 until July 1963. All four government entities used wood stocks during this two year period for factory assembly of complete rifles.
Black Walnut - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., S. E. Overton Co., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Yellow Birch - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., S. E. Overton Co., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Some walnut and birch stocks were stamped on the butt with numerals, e.g., 1 or 3. Springfield Armory and Harrington & Richardson Arms did so. H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. stocks were made as replacement parts, both standard rack grade and National Match stocks. Some H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. M14 NM stocks have the part number 7791174 stamped into the wood under the butt plate. H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. and Winchester-Western "big red" birch stocks were often stamped with the part number 11010263 under the butt plate.
Stock Ferrules
Stock ferrules were staked to the front end of the wood stock using either a pin punch (ice pick / dimple appearance) or a half-moon crimp (gorilla thumbnail appearance). The pin punch method of staking was used throughout government production of the M14 and M14 NM rifles. I have a Springfield Armory M14 NM walnut stock with a pin punch staked ferrule. IMO, it's not accurate to say the pin punch ferrules were only used early in the M14 project. The half-moon crimped stock ferrules do seem to be more common.
Pin punch staked ferrules - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., S. E. Overton Co., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Half-moon crimped ferrules - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Proof P and DAS Markings
Proof P markings on M14 stocks have been observed in two styles, serif font and Arial style. Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. used the Arial style proof marking. Springfield Armory, TRW and Winchester used both serif and Arial P proof stamps on completed rifles.
DOD cartouche on side of the buttstock or on the trigger guard recess - Winchester-Western
DOD cartouche and proof P markings both visible on the stock - indicates a stock used to assemble a M14 rifle at the factory: Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., Springfield Armory, TRW and Winchester-Western (Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp.) M14 NM rifles built by Springfield Armory and TRW were also given both markings on the stock.
Most replacement stocks lack the proof P and DOD cartouches. If Springfield Armory shipped a replacement stock (made by H. Sacks & Sons, Inc.), it left with a DOD cartouche. A proof P inside a square marking means the rifle was rebuilt at an arsenal or depot and proof fired.
If anyone can provide photos of the following, please send photos to me at leeace99@hotmail
1) Harrington & Richardson stamped butt end with half-moon crimped ferrule
Manufacturer Identification
The manufacturer identification, if present, is located on the butt end under the butt plate.
H - Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. (Worcester, MA)
O - S . E. Overton Co. (South Haven, MI) (made stocks for TRW)
SA or S.A. - Springfield Armory (Springfield, MA)
S under a half-diamond - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. (Brookline, MA) (subcontractor to Springfield Armory)
W-W - Winchester-Western (New Haven, CT)
Wood Type
M14 rifles were assembled with wood stocks from the fall of 1959 until July 1963. All four government entities used wood stocks during this two year period for factory assembly of complete rifles.
Black Walnut - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., S. E. Overton Co., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Yellow Birch - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., S. E. Overton Co., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Some walnut and birch stocks were stamped on the butt with numerals, e.g., 1 or 3. Springfield Armory and Harrington & Richardson Arms did so. H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. stocks were made as replacement parts, both standard rack grade and National Match stocks. Some H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. M14 NM stocks have the part number 7791174 stamped into the wood under the butt plate. H. Sacks & Sons, Inc. and Winchester-Western "big red" birch stocks were often stamped with the part number 11010263 under the butt plate.
Stock Ferrules
Stock ferrules were staked to the front end of the wood stock using either a pin punch (ice pick / dimple appearance) or a half-moon crimp (gorilla thumbnail appearance). The pin punch method of staking was used throughout government production of the M14 and M14 NM rifles. I have a Springfield Armory M14 NM walnut stock with a pin punch staked ferrule. IMO, it's not accurate to say the pin punch ferrules were only used early in the M14 project. The half-moon crimped stock ferrules do seem to be more common.
Pin punch staked ferrules - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., S. E. Overton Co., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Half-moon crimped ferrules - H. Sacks & Sons, Inc., Springfield Armory, and Winchester-Western
Proof P and DAS Markings
Proof P markings on M14 stocks have been observed in two styles, serif font and Arial style. Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. used the Arial style proof marking. Springfield Armory, TRW and Winchester used both serif and Arial P proof stamps on completed rifles.
DOD cartouche on side of the buttstock or on the trigger guard recess - Winchester-Western
DOD cartouche and proof P markings both visible on the stock - indicates a stock used to assemble a M14 rifle at the factory: Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., Springfield Armory, TRW and Winchester-Western (Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp.) M14 NM rifles built by Springfield Armory and TRW were also given both markings on the stock.
Most replacement stocks lack the proof P and DOD cartouches. If Springfield Armory shipped a replacement stock (made by H. Sacks & Sons, Inc.), it left with a DOD cartouche. A proof P inside a square marking means the rifle was rebuilt at an arsenal or depot and proof fired.
If anyone can provide photos of the following, please send photos to me at leeace99@hotmail
1) Harrington & Richardson stamped butt end with half-moon crimped ferrule
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