Potential depot markings and cracked hand guard

[garrom_56]

Hi all,
What could these markings mean on this stock? I presume depot markings, but I’m not too sure. Also, would you turn up your nose to a matching rifle if the hand-guard was cracked and the stock marked up as seen in these photos? Thank you for any responses!

 

[PrayingMantis]

Those are not German markings on the stock. They look US to me, maybe it was used as a training weapon and reamed out for .30-06 blanks. That is also a Prussian stock on a Saxon Simson, so it can’t be original matching. Maybe depot matching but the buttplate would have a depot number and armorer letter, and I didn’t see any photos of the buttplate in the auction listing.
I’d stay away unless the seller gets a lot more, and better, photos.

 

[cj556]

Those are not German markings on the stock. They look US to me, maybe it was used as a training weapon and reamed out for .30-06 blanks. That is also a Prussian stock on a Saxon Simson, so it can’t be original matching. Maybe depot matching but the buttplate would have a depot number and armorer letter, and I didn’t see any photos of the buttplate in the auction listing.
I’d stay away unless the seller gets a lot more, and better, photos.

Almost looks like a VFW marking perhaps? I’ve seen similar markings on 1917 Enfields and 1903s.

 

[Common.Ally]

if I remember right the rifle in listing description even talks about being in a VFW.

 

[garrom_56]

Those are not German markings on the stock. They look US to me, maybe it was used as a training weapon and reamed out for .30-06 blanks. That is also a Prussian stock on a Saxon Simson, so it can’t be original matching. Maybe depot matching but the buttplate would have a depot number and armorer letter, and I didn’t see any photos of the buttplate in the auction listing.
I’d stay away unless the seller gets a lot more, and better, photos.

Thank you for your insight! That’s a shame because the bolt appears to match the receiver. The plan was to go after this rifle to replace my mismatched and slightly cleaned simson, but the lack of photos is a turn off. Do you think this could’ve been apart of an interarms batch? Very faint “63” on the safety flag I believe

 

[Cyrano4747]

if I remember right the rifle in listing description even talks about being in a VFW.

If you google "VFW 1388" (which is what appears to be on the stock) it points to a post in Millersport OH.

Thank you for your insight! That’s a shame because the bolt appears to match the receiver. The plan was to go after this rifle to replace my mismatched and slightly cleaned simson, but the lack of photos is a turn off. Do you think this could’ve been apart of an interarms batch? Very faint “63” on the safety flag I believe

My bet is on it being a war bond rifle or, failing that, a bring back. Tons of those bond guns ended up hanging over a VFW bar for the better part of a century until they got pulled down and hit the collector market. Plenty also had something donated by a regular. I'll never say never with this kind of thing, but VFWs had plenty of places to get free/cheap surplus guns as decoration besides hitting a sporting good store.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Cyrano is right, it does say VFW, i wasn't seeing that. Millersport, Ohio is about five miles from where i work.

No i don't think it was an Interarms import, most of those were updated and came out of Spain, and seldom do you see ones with original length barrels. I bet this is a legit bringback, so the stock could be depot or could be a stateside replacement if the original was duffle cut.

 

[Cyrano4747]

Cyrano is right, it does say VFW, i wasn't seeing that. Millersport, Ohio is about five miles from where i work.

No i don't think it was an Interarms import, most of those were updated and came out of Spain, and seldom do you see ones with original length barrels. I bet this is a legit bringback, so the stock could be depot or could be a stateside replacement if the original was duffle cut.

My money is on depot just because I doubt a VFW would go to the effort of replacing a duffel cut or damaged stock. Given that those were usually literal wall hangers I'd more expect a rough and ready repair from one of the members to keep it together on the wall. I saw an ex-VFW Arisaka once that had a nasty wrist split fixed with a couple lengths of metal pipe strap and wood screws. Looked like hell, but the repaired side didn't show the way they'd hung it.

edit: stuff like this is why I love VFW and bond rifles so much. It's a really nice well of honest guns that are most likely in the condition they were in when they were captured, minus obvious stuff like the demil work on the bond guns.

 

[PrayingMantis]

My money is on depot just because I doubt a VFW would go to the effort of replacing a duffel cut or damaged stock. Given that those were usually literal wall hangers I'd more expect a rough and ready repair from one of the members to keep it together on the wall. I saw an ex-VFW Arisaka once that had a nasty wrist split fixed with a couple lengths of metal pipe strap and wood screws. Looked like hell, but the repaired side didn't show the way they'd hung it.

edit: stuff like this is why I love VFW and bond rifles so much. It's a really nice well of honest guns that are most likely in the condition they were in when they were captured, minus obvious stuff like the demil work on the bond guns.

Totally agree, on both counts. I have a bond Gew with VFW chiseled into the wood under the buttplate, it's one of my favorites.