Both are Greek M1's...so how do you think I did???

Rifle #1
SA receiver: 29927XX (based off of this table it was made between June and July 1944)
Op-rod: 6535382 SA
Bolt: D28287-12SA S-040
Safety: HRA
Hammer: HRA 5546003
Trigger Housing: 6528290-HRA N
Trigger Guard: HRA or IHC stamped
Trigger: HRA
Rear sight knob: DRC
Barrel: S-A-4-57

Walnut stock has a X2 on the bottom of the pistol grip. Park is 90%.  Pictures of rifle #1 below.



Here's a pic of the muzzle wear





Rifle #2
SA receiver: 54787XX (according to that same table this one was made between 1954 – 1955)
Op-rod: D35382 SA
Bolt: 6528287 HRA U
Safety: can't tell, I see what looks like a M?R or N?R or H?R
Hammer: SA D5546008
Trigger Housing: 6528290-SA
Trigger Guard: HRA or IHC stamped
Trigger: SA
Rear sight knob: DRC
Barrel: SA F6535448 1 55 A222C (original barrel? if not when was this made?)

Brand new stock set looks to be unfinished (birch, beech, something else???), looks like a almost new park job as well.

Here's a pic of the muzzle wear






And finally both of my new babies #1 on top #2 on the bottom




So what do you guys think???  I asked for shooters and shooters I got based on the MW.      I'm really tempted to name the blond rifle Marylin for obvious reasons .  Marylin's stock is a bit "fat" I don't have the pics to show it, but the wood is visibly thicker than the other rifle.  You can see in the last pic how the trigger guard is recessed down a bit.  The woods a bit dinged right at that lip, not bad but it's not "perfect".  I might be able to fill the dings or re-profile that part of the stock so it is even with the trigger guard and the ding's are gone.

nice!    congrats!

Marylin's stock is pretty typical oversize European replacement wood. It is nice that you look to have a whole set of new wood on her. I kind of like the contrast of the wood to the metal finish. If she were mine I wood lightly sand the wood and just put a bunch of coats of Boiled Linseed Oil on it. That would darken it up a little without staining it.

Thanks guys .  I can't wait to fire them and see how the shoot.

John, I first need to knock a few funky feeling parts of the stock down and then I'll refinish her.  I don't know if I like the fatter stock to be honest...I might reprofile it down to the same size as the other stock.  Though who knows, maybe i'll just fix up the few dings that are in the stock here and there and rub a few coats of BLO into it.  I know for a fact I don't want a drop of stain touching that wood, it just look really good.

I hope you got my email with the pics you requested (other site).

You can do a lot with a palm sander.  Keep it moving, work the flats/big areas, don't get into inside curves or you'll be more like a cutting wheel.  and KNOW WHEN TO STOP AND SWITCH TO HAND SANDING.  That will get some of those rough shaper marks to go away with out sanding forever and a day.  BTW that beech will sand hard as woodpecker lips.

Also stay away from the lockup area of the trigger guard/magazine area and the receiver flat.  You don't want' to ruin the lockup tension of the trigger guard.  Before you invest all that work in the greek stock, make sure the barreled action fits the interior somewhat snugly.  At least no big movement, otherwise you will never get good groups if the metal is jumping around.  Check for fore aft movement as well as side to side fit.  If you find it to be loose you could fix it by glass bedding but I don't see where that would be worthwhile.  If you're going to the expense of bedding it, I'd begin with a better grade of stock.   That being said you could make that stock look good with careful work and keeping the lines authentic.  You got a great model on the other gun to use as a guide.

Edited to ad, you're stretching out your sling keepers unnecessarily by placing them over the frogs.

SoS

I did get it, thanks a lot, especially for the tips.

Thanks for the tip on the sling too, I quickly changed it so they're on the leather and not on the frogs.

I checked the receiver, grabbed it and tried to wiggle it around, didn't seem to move at all.  Did you mean that I shouldn't take any wood from around the outside of those areas and leave it thicker there?  I wanted to take like 1/16"-1/8" off the bottom of the stock so the wood doesn't have as large of a step down to the trigger assembly.

Looking good

Quoted: I did get it, thanks a lot, especially for the tips. Thanks for the tip on the sling too, I quickly changed it so they're on the leather and not on the frogs. I checked the receiver, grabbed it and tried to wiggle it around, didn't seem to move at all.  Did you mean that I shouldn't take any wood from around the outside of those areas and leave it thicker there?  I wanted to take like 1/16"-1/8" off the bottom of the stock so the wood doesn't have as large of a step down to the trigger assembly.

I should have been more clear regarding fit. Sorry.  The M1 is tightened down in it's stock by the clamping action of the trigger assembly.  It needs a minimum height or thickness to clamp to get decent tension.  So don't remove anything on top, the area that the receiver heel and sides rest on, nor the wood immediately under the bellypan of the trigger assembly.  

To answer your question you can remove some of the haunches next to your trigger, they're raised and don't affect the bedding, just leave the area covered by metal alone.  I say this because some of the greeks, and some of the fat usgi overtons for that matter, are so high they block 1/4 of the trigger height interferring with your trigger squeeze.    If it looks close to your old usgi stock, then your fine in that regard.  I had to take down an overton that really blocked the trigger opening.  I used a draw knife to carefully pare down about an 1/8 of an inch and then sanded the area with a palm sander and blended it into the sides and then finished with hand sanding.  Just a note because I'm not sure how much you've worked with wood, if using a draw knife or wide chisel, work going away from the pistol grip area.  Otherwise the blade will dig into the wood grain and leave slits.  That and take the wood off slowly in thin slivers.

Also you're going to want to do that movement check of the rifle in the stock with the trigger guard out. Basically you don't want a size 9 boot if your foot is size 8.  If your stock is snug with the trigger assm out you should be good to invest the work in smoothing up the surface.

I like the idea of a blond stock with the dark greek park.  It's distinctive.  There are some maple aftermarket stocks that have a similar light and dark appearance.

Well that's my free advice, it's worth what you paid for it!  I'm not an expert by any means, I've refinished a few stocks and read M1 books and manuals, and learned a lot from the web sites.  I wish you luck and enjoy.

SoS
PS- If your stock fits ok, just go shoot it for now, make sure everything will be ok, before you invest your time in the wood.  Also gets the itching to stop!  I did that mistake, stripped my first stock down before shooting the rifle, that was a long 2-3 weeks and I ended up sending my rifle back to CMP for issues it had.  (BTW I could have fixed it with the knowledge I picked up along the way)

PSS- The general recomendation on sling keepers is to only have them over two layers of leather, don't be tempted to slide it over three on the front loop for convenience or looks.   Fortunately I only did that to an old hunter brand sling before I learned the right way.  Stretched loops are pretty useless.