I see pins in both narrow and wide fillers of my 92/96 rifles, Dick. Pretty much the same location, so much so that the heads of the ones on the wide filler are awfully close to the edge of the filler.
Senior Member
I see pins in both narrow and wide fillers of my 92/96 rifles, Dick. Pretty much the same location, so much so that the heads of the ones on the wide filler are awfully close to the edge of the filler.
"I have sworn upon the Altar of God, eternity hostility upon all forms of tyranny over the minds of man." - Thomas Jefferson
Very Senior Member - OFC
Now, I'll have to look, Bob - I only have the one, and it has been a long time since I looked at that area in detail.
Senior Member
The width of the filler was probably determined by how much wood had to be removed to clean up the ram rod channel to where it could be filled neatly. Pins were used in all the conversions I have seen. As I said, I have heard that it was relatively easy to drive the pins out and remove the wood filler strip. I actually still own one of the two such rifles I have owned in the past. One day I will try and find the one I still have and inspect it better. On this particular rifle the metal has not been altered, only the stock. Years ago another collector showed me a similar rifle he owned that had not been messed with and it had original metal-flat crown, no hold open notch (cannot remember the serial number so cannot remember if cutoff had been altered). So based on his rifle and mine, it would appear there are rifles out there that had updated wood, but early metal features.
Very Senior Member - OFC
Now I'm REALLY going to have to look! [GRIN]
According to Mallory, and Bill Mook, the whole 1892/1896 thing was a cross between musical chairs and an Asiatic fire-drill. Time to remember the truism that we are trying to divine through the mists what happenned - from a collector's point of view - to objects that were seen solely as tools, to be utilized as efficiently as possible. Of course there are going to be variables, and, if the truth were known, many of our closet treasures are likely not quite as pure as we'd want to believe. The "unfired" Springfield is a complete myth, with the "untouched" specimen a very close second.
This has drifted from the original point - I still say that an 1892 stock, once upgraded, CANNOT be restored to original appearance. A 'ten-footer', yes - but nothing more.
Happy New Year to all!
Senior Member
Sorry Dick if I suggested it was undetectable, which is isn't.
Very Senior Member - OFC
Understood - didn't mean to get carried away! GRINOriginally Posted by Kragrifle
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