You sure it is not the wood?......regards...alex
You sure it is not the wood?......regards...alex
I posted pictures of my rearsenaled P14 and M1917 in the past. In just the two examples I have they interchange and fit fine. It’s my understanding that the Brits did not have replacement stocks for P14s that were rearsenaled in preperation for WW2. M1917 replacement stocks were procured for that purpose. If any alterations were made that’s unknown to me. The original whale belly P14 stock was an odd duck.
P245-- The Brits made replacement stocks without the volley sights for replacement. That not to say that if a shortage of P14 stocks occurred that unserviceable M1917 were cannibalized for their stocks. You are not far off the mark about the Brits using M1917 parts for their P14s. The Brits did obtain a number of M1917 firing pins and re-manufactured them to fit their P14s.
I read that whale belly stocks, if I picture what you mean, were only made by Eddystone. The r and w stock looked like regular m17 stocks.
Last edited by tmark; 02-17-2018 at 07:38.
If the wood was originally for an M1917 and put on a P14 the magazine well area will be poorly fit as the mag well is slightly bigger on a M1917 than a P14. My P14 is wearing a 1917 stock, who knows when it was done. The cleaning rod holes are supposed to be different also, but I can’t remember the difference. The Weedon contract stocks were locally sourced in Britain. I,m looking for an old article that I have somewhere that suggest post Weedon Britain source some left over M1917 stocks.
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The Whale belly on the early P14s were made on all three. I had a Winchester P14 drill rifle with its original whale belly stock. The lower forearm was very wide with a distinct line cut going up at about 40 degrees from in front of magazine well forward. The rifle still had its volley sights. Sold it for a very good profit. Should have kept pictures. It’s my understanding one big complaint of the early P14 was weight. The whale belly went away to shave weight, and the volley sights were antiquated when they entered service.
The belly was for ammo capacity.
If it was shaved off then the rounds went to under 5 in a 303.
Keep in mind it was intended for 270 caliber P13 and more rounds with rebated rim.
Oddly you could load 1 more 30-06 into it (6)
The SMLE has a larger external mag that held 10 (rapid firing)
The Belly just hit the blind magazine or it would have stuck out as well.
SMLE was a two piece stock, the others one.
Last edited by RC20; 02-22-2018 at 11:18.
From what I gather the "whale belly" stocks were only used on the early Eddystone P14s. These whale belly stocks are easily identified as having no finger grooves in the foreend part of the stock and also a clearance cut for the volley sights when elevated. (Side note: The replacement P14 stocks manufactured in the GB near WWII also did not have finger grooves and also no volley sight cuts. They were not made from American Black Walnut.) Winchester and Remingtons did not have these type of stocks when manufactured in the US. Eddystone later which to the same type of stocks as the Winchester and Remington. Since your Winchester P14 drill rifle had an early Eddystone stock, it was probably fitted later in its service life as there was no replacements to be had. Normally the Early Eddystone stock would not be a drop in fit on the Winchester P14 as the Magazine Case is quite different than the Eddystone and Remington built rifles. But was probably hand fitted. It a shame you did not keep the pictures.
Last edited by fjruple; 02-23-2018 at 04:29.
I found this picture in a weapons book of a P14. While not the greatest picture , it does show a bulge in the stock behind the grasping grooves. Somewhat reminiscent of a bulge in the magazine area of a Johnson rifle.
Could this be a whale belly stock?Whalebelly P14.jpg