Did you use a small handheld steamer or an iron with a wet towel maybe?
The first few ventures were with a good ole clothes iron then I moved onto a edgebanding iron aka mini iron and damp cloth diapers. I usually just chase the op rod handle dents from where all the guns have been precariously crated. I don't spend a whole ton of time on the minor dings and scratches. Alot of Garand collectors are pretty picky and able to discern whether or not a stock has been over sanded or heavily restored.
That looks mighty good to me. Can't tell what that stamp is for sure? Is that an eagle with three stars above it? If so I have that's what I have on my CMP Garand stock, in the same place. Does that denote stock manufacturer? No other marks on mine other than the circle-P. My stock has the color tone too. It's much better after cleaning with denatured alcohol and applying several thinned with mineral spirits BLO.
I think it was the eagle/three star 3/8" DAS stamp. It was pretty damaged during its life but the outer box is still in decent shape. Harrington and Richardson used the 3/8" acceptance stamp instead of the 1/2" stamp on the earlier 1950's stocks. This stock also has a wide porch behind the receiver which was also a feature on the H&R stocks.
Help me with that "Wide Porch" ? I can guess, but never heard the term 'till now. I know Winchester M1 carbines had different shaped stocks that were flat/wider than others. My stamp is 1/2". I'd read about that but didn't recall who's was what.
H&R stock on the left. International Harvester stock on the right.
Thank you for putting this up. So interesting, the small variations in these rifles over the years, yet they pretty much all have interchangeable parts.
Have you had a stock twist? I was going to try the dishwasher for the first time on an old rebuild stock.
