P 14 "Trench Art" stock, refurbishing opinion

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Frost Cracked

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Hey guys/girls

I recently picked up a lower stock for my P 14 restoration I'm doing. After doing what I can to clean it up, in preperation for steaming, sanding (LIGHTLY!) and re oiling... I noticed the stock had 3-4 pieces of 'artwork' on it.

The work is pretty crude, whoever did it wasn't an artist by much sense. There's a picture of a dog, someone's initials (?) and a long scribbly scribble that looks like someone signing their name in cursive, presumably while being shelled...

I'll post pics later if I can... but in the meantime...

What should I do? Clean it all off? Preserve these pieces?
 
plinker 777 said:
What leads you to believe the work was done in the trenches?
Click to expand...

I have no proof whether or not the artwork was done in the actual trenches, or by a bored soldier standing guard of a warehouse somewhere in England, or just someone at a factory somewhere or someplace along the line of the ~100 years since these rifles were produced. It just, kind of looks like someone trying to write their name under unfavorable conditions. Like trying to drink coffee on a bumpy car ride. Messy.

I may be wrong in using the term, but I was told 'Trench art" was a term used for people who did art, or made things, out of weapons, or old military stuff.

Either way, what I have is a very old rifle stock that looks like someone did some scratching/carving on.
 
You would have caught some serious hell carving up your rifle in WWI or in sevice anywhere else for that matter. Makes the whole "trench art" concept rather suspect. It was more then likely done by some previous owner. Feel free to sand it out....stock has already been defaced at this point.
 
2gNBHKX.jpg

The Name


gNYHBlV.jpg

Someone's initials, possibly

hPicSIA.jpg

Dawg

Sorry for crap quality of the pics, old camera.
 
Hitzy said:
You would have caught some serious hell carving up your rifle in WWI or in sevice anywhere else for that matter. Makes the whole "trench art" concept rather suspect. It was more then likely done by some previous owner. Feel free to sand it out....stock has already been defaced at this point.
Click to expand...

if you were in the trenches , that would be the least of your worrys...
 
Its pretty neat that old things like this have a story to tell. I have an old 30-30 with the name Mary carved in it. It always makes me wonder who she was, or maybe just a nickname for the gun. I wouldnt sand that out, it gives it character.
 
If you were in an actual trench your rifle would be clean and ready. You wouldn't be concerned about it's lack of poorly carved stick men, and neither would your Sergeant.
Trench art on old shell cases, sure.
 
Frost Cracked said:
The Name



Someone's initials, possibly


Dawg

Sorry for crap quality of the pics, old camera.
Click to expand...

Do you have a full length pic of the stock or can you take one and post it? If it has been sporterized, this kind of "art" is often done soon after sporterizing and by its owner who used it for hunting. Do you have the entire rifle or just the stock?

The P14 had very little actual battle use, in fact most saw none.
 
Andy said:
Do you have a full length pic of the stock or can you take one and post it? If it has been sporterized, this kind of "art" is often done soon after sporterizing and by its owner who used it for hunting. Do you have the entire rifle or just the stock?

The P14 had very little actual battle use, in fact most saw none.
Click to expand...

I'll try and post a picture tonight. But it is a full length stock. When I got it it had a lot of grease and grime on it, and I didn't find the details on it, until after I cleaned it up.
 
I should think a lot of "trench art" was done on stocks that had been replaced due to damage.
I have a buttstock that is FULLY carved, but showing damage where it would have fit into the buttsocket
I can only guess that it was a Maori who did the carving.
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Wish I could post a pic, but I am KUMPEWTER challanged
 
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