Interesting 1902 Carbine...

[Pete Ebbink]

Had an older collector near my home show me his 1902 carbine (serial # 2180x).

The gun looks like it is factory original, has all the classic 1902 features, and is in very good condition with the following interesting features :

1. It did have the 1-screw stock lug attaching iron. Iron is serial numbered to the gun's serial.

2. It has a vertical Crown/N proof both on the left frame side as well as on the barrel underside, directly ahead of the tip of the wooden forestock. Believe the vertical C/N proof did not start to appear until 1920 or 1921, so what it is doing on a model 1902 carbine ?

3. The width of the grip safety is very odd. Not the narrow early type but not the wider later type. It's width is in between the two recognized sizes.

4. The front toggle link is absent the DWM logo. Toggle link is completel blank and did not show evidence that it had any metal removed.

5. The shoulder stock plate may be a more recent replacement, as it is thought to be plastic and not of bone or horn material.

The Owner speculates this might have been a pattern gun in the DWM shop that was released for sale later...

Would appreciate any thoughts or comments you folks might have about this piece.

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />