🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Need ID on a butt plate

[Wobbleshank]

Wondering if anyone knows what rifle this butt plate was on. Seems at some point, someone used an iron screw to attach it to the stock. There's also a handscrawled "Z" and "5" (possibly "05"). Stamped from the manufacturer in other places, including "B37" on the bottom.

 

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[DCMatt]

M1842 Springfield?

 

[Radon]

The "Z" could also be "N".

 

[Wobbleshank]

M1842 Springfield?

Sure looks like it. I wonder why mine has those stamped numbers, though?

 

[DCMatt]

I can speculate on the numbers but it's based on nothing more than my experience on this forum and as a CW reenactor. I'm guessing the '44' etched in is a gunsmith's mark to keep all parts on the same gun. It may be coincidental, but the M42 Springfield is a 69 caliber weapon. B37 may be Company 'B' musket #37. I've seen British muskets mark like that...

Just FYI, I use an old reproduction M42 as my reenactment weapon. It was "defarbed" many years ago and has inspector markings made by the original Harpers Ferry Armory die stamps. At 150th Gettysburg I had several old-timers remark about my use of "an original musket" for the event. It looks that good. Work done by Zimmerman Gunsmith.

 

[Wobbleshank]

I can speculate on the numbers but it's based on nothing more than my experience on this forum and as a CW reenactor. I'm guessing the '44' etched in is a gunsmith's mark to keep all parts on the same gun. It may be coincidental, but the M42 Springfield is a 69 caliber weapon. B37 may be Company 'B' musket #37. I've seen British muskets mark like that...

Just FYI, I use an old reproduction M42 as my reenactment weapon. It was "defarbed" many years ago and has inspector markings made by the original Harpers Ferry Armory die stamps. At 150th Gettysburg I had several old-timers remark about my use of "an original musket" for the event. It looks that good. Work done by Zimmerman Gunsmith.

Thanks for that great info! The puzzling thing about the B37 stamp is that it would be upside down if the musket were stored right-side up. On the other hand, if the gun were stored vertically, then it wouldn't matter because it would not be visible. Still, it's just kind of weird if it was meant to be a rack number.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Wondering if anyone knows what rifle this butt plate was on. Seems at some point, someone used an iron screw to attach it to the stock. There's also a handscrawled "Z" and "5" (possibly "05"). Stamped from the manufacturer in other places, including "B37" on the bottom.

Great find!
I’m sure that someone will help you
I found a but plate but had rifle shell a yard or two away from it and got id fast

 

[l.cutler]

It's not a M1842, they are steel and more squared off at the top.