Got Uzi Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 (edited) Thought you guys might find it interesting on what I discovered last night once I got my “new to me” AOC M1 “A1” pre sample in hand. First what I found interesting was that the Savage M1A1 that I have had for several years now had an AOC lower on it, while the AOC gun came in with a Savage lower on it. I also noticed upon taking the AOC M1 "A1" apart, that it has a long groove cut into the top of the bolt channel for what I presume is a hammer clearance. The AOC gun was originally an M1 but was rebuilt in 1944 (hence the AO-44 stamp on the receiver) there it was converted to an "A1" and remarked. I swapped the lowers between the guns and you can't tell there was any difference in them. I did notice that the AOC guns have a radius on the front of the lower and receiver behind the magwell where as the Savage gun is squared off. I also noticed that the AOC gun still has an original AOC marked barrel as well. Edited February 8 by Got Uzi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeRanger Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 It's not hammer clearance, the hammer is on the bottom of the bolt. My early Savage M1 receiver S/N 124XXX doesn't have a similar cut so it's not M1 specific. Perhaps a way of adding sand/mud clearance added to later guns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Very nice! I don't believe I have ever seen an AOC marked barrel. I know Auto-Ordnance or AOC is listed on wartime charts as making barrels, but I have never seen one. I have also not seen a barrel marked with an "R" for Remington Arms, though I believe Remington did make barrel blanks that were supplied to Savage and Stevens for completion. Comments??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Uzi Posted February 8 Author Report Share Posted February 8 The BAR I owned had an AOC barrel in it. The gun was a 1918A2 NESA which would have been correct given AOC made 40,000 BAR barrels after the Thompson contracts were done...the primary end user of those 40,000 barrels....NESA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 A steathy location for the import stamp. I own a Savage M1A1 with a RIA FK Ordnance Bomb marked receiver. It does not have this machined channel. It went through Rock Island Arsenal immediate post war due to the FK stamp. This may indicate there was not a Ordnance Department direction for this modification to be done during immediate post war overhauls or it was an AOC only modification. My "sand cut" is a Savage bolt so maybe these type of modifications were short lived during production? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoscoeTurner Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 5 hours ago, Got Uzi said: The BAR I owned had an AOC barrel in it. The gun was a 1918A2 NESA which would have been correct given AOC made 40,000 BAR barrels after the Thompson contracts were done...the primary end user of those 40,000 barrels....NESA. Same here unfortunately the AOC barrel chamber was ruined and had to be replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Uzi Posted February 8 Author Report Share Posted February 8 I can also say that the “rate of fire” difference between the Savage and AOC guns is a myth….at least with these two…same ammunition, 30 round magazines, and both emptied at the same time!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Uzi Posted February 8 Author Report Share Posted February 8 I would be interested to see other AOC M1 or M1A1 guns have that slot. My Savage M1A1 doesn’t have it. Was it something on the early M1 guns? Something AOC did? Be curious to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Has some british looking stock reinforcements, although wood is enough to swap around. It will be interesting to see if others turn up. I don't know if I would consider a 360, XXX serial number gun an early M1. It is over a third of the way through M1/M1A1 total production. Thanks for the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Uzi Posted February 8 Author Report Share Posted February 8 You can’t always go by the serial number as it comes down to when was the receiver marked. It’s not uncommon for things to be made in batches and then sit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron_brock Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 9 hours ago, TD. said: Very nice! I don't believe I have ever seen an AOC marked barrel. I know Auto-Ordnance or AOC is listed on wartime charts as making barrels, but I have never seen one. I have also not seen a barrel marked with an "R" for Remington Arms, though I believe Remington did make barrel blanks that were supplied to Savage and Stevens for completion. Comments??? I thought it was just me on not having seen an AOC marked barrel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 I had lower frame part marked with that unique marking, not the usual AOC in line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anjong-ni Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 The various milling-grooves in the receiver looks like they had some trouble maintaining correct clearance. Maybe the endmill slipping out of the chuck, or swarf in the fixture. ...Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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