'03 Butt plate trapdoor spring Replacement?

[collector]

It's broken, anyone know where I can get one? Or how to make one from something else?

[daskrieg]

I have a complete checkered buttplate i could sell you

[collector]

Thanks, but I would want a smooth one, or just a spring.

[daskrieg]

I was just at Sarco and they have them.

[M1Garandy]

Looks like a spring on eBay at present for more than I think it is worth. 

[collector]

 

Thanks daskrieg for the reference.

 

Sarco has several different types. There is a smooth buttplate for 20. And a stippled one there too.

[daskrieg]

I actually live close to Sarco. I go there often. 

[TurdFerguson]

 It looks like yours was sandblasted or hit with a wire wheel? No bluing left on the bottom side. With that said is your rifle correct/ corrected? You can go the the CMP forums, milsurps forums or Jouster forums and put a WTB add. A lot of those guys specialize in 03's/ Garands.  

[collector]

That buttplate on my rifle is pretty beat up, it fits the stock perfectly which leads me to believe it's been on there a long time. Can't account for the lack of finish on the

inside.

[collector]

Anybody know what these marks signify? Buttplate is smooth so doesn't seem like a date.

[TurdFerguson]

I've seen numbers similar on earlier 03 buttplates and also on some Greek return 03's sold through the CMP. If you have not found the parts, I highly recommend you contact the CMP. You may also be able to get a new pad or a replacement part flat spring.  CMP- Civilian Marksmanship Program.  

[63 RECON]

I have a smooth one you can have, I can take a pic if you'd like? 

 

[collector]

16 hours ago, 63 RECON said:

I have a smooth one you can have, I can take a pic if you'd like? 

 

Yes please.

[GWS]

Just read this post.  Does the buttplate itself have a matching set of numbers above the cleaning kit trapdoor?  If so, it is  a very early ground down Krag buttplate. The trapdoor should be slightly smaller than the later production model.  The cleaning kit still fits thru the slightly smaller trapdoor  opening  and is really only noticeable when compared to the later "normal" sized trapdoor.  I have one of these on one of my 03's but didn't notice it until I was going to switch to a later checkered model. If you have a copy of Brophy's The 1903 Springfield Rifles it's on page 12. He calls it a model 1901 buttplate used on the pre-production rifles.  I noticed that the top number of yours also is 9, but I don't know the significance of the numbers.  Not many of these around today. I'd hang on to it.

[collector]

I checked and see no numbers on the butt plate itself, but that is some interesting info, thanks!

 

Don't have another later buttplate to check size with either, and sold my Krag a while ago.

 

[GWS]

So I took the early (Krag) buttplate off to compare it to a later production buttplate. The photos pretty well show the difference in size of the cleaning kit hole and trapdoor. The early hole measures .771" and the later(unknown year, but M-1903) measures .809". I checked a cleaning kit tube that measures .757" at it's largest diameter, so it will fit thru the smaller hole size in the early buttplate. The only other difference I can see is the angle of the opening and trapdoor, which I have no way to accurately measure. The angle of the early one is steeper than the later model. Looking at that photo, it makes the trapdoor appear thicker on the later model but in measuring the thickness they are within .001" of each other, so an optical illusion. Not suprisingly, the early buttplate came on a mixmaster rifle that has a rod bayonet Springfield Armory stock converted for the M-1905 bayonet. The stock cartouche is long gone so I don't know what year it was made.

[collector]

Measured the hole and it looks like .812 which is likely off a little due to my measuring skills but closer to the '03 size.

Given that I still wonder about the numbers on the trap door since it is not a modified Krag butt plate.

My cleaning tube is .75 too.

[GWS]

I don't have an answer for the numbers. It may be a date, but I don't think so. The style of the 3 makes me think it's an earlier issue, possibly 1908-1912.  Will keep looking. Thanks.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Steve