Walt,
The pad is a commercially sold pad that was available at about any sporting goods outlet.
Back in the 50s as the Army began issueing the M-14. National Guard armories were allocated the surplus M-1s. They in turn began selling off the weapons in their inventories. These consisted of stores of Krags, 1903s and 1917s. A friend of mine who is from Minnisota told me that an armory in his home town even had Trapdoor carbines that they sold.
My best friends dad bought three 1903s complete with bayonets for $10 each. He gave us one to play Army with and we ended up beating that nice old Springfield to death, just being stupid kids.
My Uncle bought a Krag for $7.50. And used it for a pick-up gun.
Alot of these were used as is, without any alteration, as hunting rifles. Thus the addition of the recoil pad.
I don't have a clue about the plate. Maybe someone was going to give it as a prestentation piece. It looks somewhat like the base plate for a saddle ring from a carbine with the rail removed, but is in the wrong location. Or some good ol' boy's idea of "Purtyin' up" his gun. judging from the old laquer built up on the wood. Someone tried to dress it up at some point.
Ron
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I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one.
What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...
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