Bob K Posted January 6, 2023 Report Share Posted January 6, 2023 (edited) Pics of my Winchester M2. Was told that it came out of the Winchester museum when it closed down. It has an early disconnector block. Stock only has a "W" in the slingwell. Doesn't have a crossed cannon cartouche. Edited March 30, 2023 by Bob K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted January 6, 2023 Report Share Posted January 6, 2023 Bob, Really nice looking Winchester, never seen one that looked better. Too nice to shoot Congratulations, Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Iannamico Posted January 6, 2023 Report Share Posted January 6, 2023 I agree, that's a nice one! All parts shown are correct for that s/n Winchester including the letter C on the bayonet lug and the H in a shield on the rear sight. Not 100% sure on the stock... Winchester parts info http://uscarbinecal30m1.com/Parts/Parts.aspx?action=group&ctl00_cphBody_rgPartsChangePage=14_50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Iannamico Posted January 6, 2023 Report Share Posted January 6, 2023 Curious... What markings are on the safety lever? Picture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted January 7, 2023 Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 Bob, Just checked my WRA carbines and have one that's somewhat close to yours. Its stamped M1 and has a higher number. Ser #6,593,xxx. Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 (edited) On 1/6/2023 at 10:50 AM, Frank Iannamico said: Curious... What markings are on the safety lever? Picture? It is marked EW. The mag release also has a W, but it is hard to get a picture of it. Edited March 30, 2023 by Bob K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 I haven't done a complete strip down to get the markings on the f.p., sear or trigger, but I'm confident they are correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Iannamico Posted January 7, 2023 Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 10 hours ago, Bob K said: I haven't done a complete strip down to get the markings on the f.p., sear or trigger, but I'm confident they are correct. That E W marked safety is correct and really a rare piece, only used on M2 Winchesters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 On 1/6/2023 at 7:38 AM, Frank Iannamico said: I agree, that's a nice one! All parts shown are correct for that s/n Winchester including the letter C on the bayonet lug and the H in a shield on the rear sight. Not 100% sure on the stock... Winchester parts info http://uscarbinecal30m1.com/Parts/Parts.aspx?action=group&ctl00_cphBody_rgPartsChangePage=14_50 What do you question on the stock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 (edited) Decided to strip it the rest of the so there aren't any questions regarding the markings. Some marking may be hard to see, but they are all marked W. Edited March 30, 2023 by Bob K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Iannamico Posted January 7, 2023 Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 2 hours ago, Bob K said: What do you question on the stock? No question on the stock...I am not sure how it should be marked. I found this at the link I posted earlier http://uscarbinecal30m1.com/Parts/Parts.aspx?action=group&ctl00_cphBody_rgPartsChangePage=14_50 WRA Stock Type 1 Unmarked 1000000 - 1114999 WRA Stock Type 2 Unmarked, W 1115000 - 5559999 WRA Stock Type 3 Unmarked, W 5560000 - 7279999 WRA Stock Type 4 W 7280000 - 7289999 WRA Stock Type 5 W 7290000 - 7369669 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Iannamico Posted January 7, 2023 Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 All matching original carbines are VERY rare, let alone a Winchester M2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Frank Iannamico said: No question on the stock...I am not sure how it should be marked. I found this at the link I posted earlier http://uscarbinecal30m1.com/Parts/Parts.aspx?action=group&ctl00_cphBody_rgPartsChangePage=14_50 WRA Stock Type 1 Unmarked 1000000 - 1114999 WRA Stock Type 2 Unmarked, W 1115000 - 5559999 WRA Stock Type 3 Unmarked, W 5560000 - 7279999 WRA Stock Type 4 W 7280000 - 7289999 WRA Stock Type 5 W 7290000 - 7369669 It is marked W in the slingwell, but I believe it is a type 4. I don't take that list as gospel as there are discrepancies. First one that I noticed right off the bat is that it doesn't list the "X" marked recoil screw that is a known Winchester part. I thought you might have been referring to the stock not having a crossed cannon cartouche. I wouldn't expect it to have one since it was supposedly a Winchester museum piece and wouldn't have gone through the ordnance dept for final markings. These are just my thoughts. Am I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2023 Doing a little research and found out that the Cody firearms museum was negotiating with Winchester in 1975 to get the Winchester Repeating Arms corporate gun collection. This makes me believe that this M2 came from the corporate collection and not a museum. Very interesting in that the F.O.I.A. papers that I have start in 1975. No dates in the paperwork prior to 1975. A little closer to proving where the M2 came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M17ap Posted January 8, 2023 Report Share Posted January 8, 2023 Back in the mid seventies R J Perry bought Winchesters-military smallarms and Cody got the lever action rifles and shotguns. Some of the guns had adheisive aluminum property numbers on the stocks. There were several m2’ s for sale on Perry’s listing at the time. I bought one like the one in your pics . On the stock was a taped piece of paper pretty brown from age hand written Experimental gun. The tape was cracked and dark yellow not clear like todays scotch tape. Wish I had taken pictures . Sold it to D Todd years ago. Gun had no military proofs as it was an in factory gun never issued. I believe the price was $ 600 back then. Was an overstamped M2 shot great. Those were the good old days ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted January 8, 2023 Report Share Posted January 8, 2023 Are all of the Winchesters overstamps? I've seen a number of different MG's with the red Winchester property tags over the years. That's a good look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2023 13 hours ago, M17ap said: Back in the mid seventies R J Perry bought Winchesters-military smallarms and Cody got the lever action rifles and shotguns. Some of the guns had adheisive aluminum property numbers on the stocks. There were several m2’ s for sale on Perry’s listing at the time. I bought one like the one in your pics . On the stock was a taped piece of paper pretty brown from age hand written Experimental gun. The tape was cracked and dark yellow not clear like todays scotch tape. Wish I had taken pictures . Sold it to D Todd years ago. Gun had no military proofs as it was an in factory gun never issued. I believe the price was $ 600 back then. Was an overstamped M2 shot great. Those were the good old days ! Things are adding up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2023 (edited) Well, well, well, the dots have finally been connected. Lookee what I found with the paperwork. Too bad it is only a picture as the previous owner wasn't willing to give it up. A big big thank-you to M17ap for connecting the dots for me. Such a great price for such a historical piece. How awesome is this? Edited March 30, 2023 by Bob K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NFA amnesty Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 Fantastic looking rifle my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 (edited) I can't figure if this is an overstamp or not. It looks like it could go either way. Edited March 30, 2023 by Bob K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 Yes, It's an overstamp, no question. For some reason I thought there were some Winchesters that were M2 marked only, but it has been many years since I dug into that? I guess I could go look in the books? That is a good looking gun! I have an Inland M2, but I doubt is has all the original parts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 7 minutes ago, johnsonlmg41 said: Yes, It's an overstamp, no question. For some reason I thought there were some Winchesters that were M2 marked only, but it has been many years since I dug into that? I guess I could go look in the books? That is a good looking gun! I have an Inland M2, but I doubt is has all the original parts? The reason I question overstamp as opposed to handstamp is because the line which would be under the 2 isn't straight and could be just a scratch or ding. I would expect it to be a straight line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 There is a "1" underneath. The stamps IIRC were done by hand? By over, I just meant over, not differentiating between running it through a roll stamp or hand stamp. The 2 was done at a different time with a different font than the rest of the markings. That's how every one I've looked at looked. I just can't recall from memory if they were all done that way or the vast majority? There were others done by non-factory makers in the same way that don't hold the value of what you have. I will say that it sucks that you can't get the original receipt. That's history that goes with your gun and should never be separated. I can't quite grasp why anyone would not make the gun whole by withholding the receipt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob K Posted January 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 Yes, the 2's were stamped by hand. I looked at it with a magnifying glass at many different angles and I still can't say for certain that there is a 1 under the 2. According to War Baby, it was done both ways (ie. with and without a 1 under the 2 stamp). I am going to try to get in touch with the previous owner and see if I can get the original receipt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 Your digital pic looks pretty clear to me on a 25" monitor. I see the 1. Here is a pic of what from the book, would be #2 machine stamped 2. This gun is in the 7.1 million ser. range. One would have to review production dates and M2 conversion times and it's likely Winchester had finished receiver production already, thus the need to overstamp the 1's on completed receivers. IIRC there is a lot of that info in the book series on production dates, but I haven't looked through those for many years. Hopefully you get that receipt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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