Cartouche Style Question

[CptEnglehorn]

Alright, need to pick the minds of the experts. In working on a restoration I needed a benecia arsenal marked stock, I found one. It has a a series of cartouches on it and im curious to know what they are and how far back they go, I figure this stock has been around the block a few times.

S on forend tip
Mark in cutoff did not survive

In a box
either O.H.A or O.R.A over 1918

above that stamped alone is an upper case R

next to the boxed cartouche is a mostly illegible one, the end I can see is is shaped like an octagon, slanted at the top and bottom corner.
top row I can barely make out what might be a C
bottom row I can make out the tops of 191 and possibly a 3 or 2.


Any guess to the 1918 cartouche, tryin to work on pictures but have a feeling they wont turn up to good. Also any guess to the era of the octagon shaped cartouche, I had not seen or heard of such a thing before.

[Rick the Librarian]

OHA/1918 is Otto H. Armstrong, a RIA stamp.

[Mike D]

What size is the "S" on the tip?

[CptEnglehorn]

the S appears to be 1/16 of an Inch.

[Rick the Librarian]

Is the left side a "straight edge" or does it have the usual shape of a later M1903 stock? I'm suspecting an early stock that was reworked at RIA during WWI. Pictures would help!

[John Beard]

The octagon-shaped cartouche is Conrad Nelson, the Rock Island inspector covering the 1906 - 1913 period. Your date suggests 1912 or 1913, either of which are valid.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[Rick the Librarian]

Shouldn't the "S" in the foretip be 1/8" is a pre-war RIA stock?

[CptEnglehorn]

Pictures still bein worked on, should be able to get atleast somethin tommorow. Does the size of the S denote wether the stock is springfield or rock island. Or because of the known cartouche are we gonna take it to be a rock island stock.

[Ed Byrns]

CptEnglehorn
If possible ,when dissembling the rifle,see if a Serif"C" is stamped in front of the trigger cut out on the bottom of the stock
also when removing the butt plate see if the same style "C" is between the top small screw hole and the top cut out/lightening hole.

[Rick the Librarian]

1/8" S = pre-WWI RIA

1/16" = early SA