Is there any difference in the stock on the 1868 and 1870 muskets?
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Is there any difference in the stock on the 1868 and 1870 muskets?
The short answer is "Yes". The 1868 stock will be found with, usually, 4 cartouches while the 1870 will be found with 3. The 1870 also has a left side with what is often referred to as a "ski-slope" tilt at the top of the shoulder flat area, where it meets with the tang and the barrel. There are probably some other differences, but I don't have my notes handy to check. I'm sure someone will be along with full particulars for you.
The vast majority of 1870 stocks are still cut for the long receiver. In 50 years of collecting, I've seen exactly ONE 1870 with short receiver inletting. They must be quite rare - I've even had several people tell me I was wrong, that such thing does not exist, but I have pictures, somewhere.