P-14 with DP Stock PIC HEAVY

[gerard488]

I just got a P-14, rifle is good but it has a stock from a DP rifle. The person I got it from says he bought it that way at Woolco or Woolworths many years ago. Looks like someone used a belt sander to remove the DP paint/ markings and did a rough job. Both handguards were sanded on top, both sides of the stock beside the mag and the buttstock, right side around the brass disc area were also sanded. Looks like this was done a long time ago' The rifle was imported by Century Arms, stamped on the barrel. The big question now is: Who would have replaced the stock? Century arms?, Bubba? Or is it remotely possible that it was a wartime repair shop replacement. There was quite a lot of dark, almost black grease under the wood and on the mag spring

 

[Potashminer]

Not sure what you are asking, OP? Those big holes in the wood were cut there to drive a drill bit or similar though the chamber and a steel pin was inserted to make it a "DP" rifle. So now has a barrelled action in that stock set that does not have a pin through the chamber. How does that surprise you? Of course that barrelled action does not belong, originally, in that stock set. So , multiple good wood workers over the years have figured out how to insert cut out plugs into those holes, using appropriate walnut to match the original stock - some better than others at staining and matching the "patch". It is what it is.
There is considerable discussion on-line what "DP" meant - original rifle or barrel could have failed a critical gauging test, and was declared no longer fit for service - for "Drill Parade" duty only. Or, a warehouse could have received a requisition for 150 DP rifles - some substandard ones were ready to go, but to fill the requisition, perfectly "serviceable" ones could have been grabbed "off the rack" and used to make up the order.
I would guess up to you to tell us why you bought this rifle in this condition???

 

[gerard488]

Not sure what you are asking, OP? Those big holes in the wood were cut there to drive a drill bit or similar though the chamber and a steel pin was inserted to make it a "DP" rifle. So now has a barrelled action in that stock set that does not have a pin through the chamber. How does that surprise you? Of course that barrelled action does not belong, originally, in that stock set. So , multiple good wood workers over the years have figured out how to insert cut out plugs into those holes, using appropriate walnut to match the original stock - some better than others at staining and matching the "patch". It is what it is.
There is considerable discussion on-line what "DP" meant - original rifle or barrel could have failed a critical gauging test, and was declared no longer fit for service - for "Drill Parade" duty only. Or, a warehouse could have received a requisition for 150 DP rifles - some substandard ones were ready to go, but to fill the requisition, perfectly "serviceable" ones could have been grabbed "off the rack" and used to make up the order.

1 The person I got it from says he bought it that way at Woolco or Woolworths many years ago. Is this even possible?
2 Who would have replaced the stock? Century arms?, Bubba? Or is it remotely possible that it was a wartime repair shop replacement.
The holes in the wood have not been filled, nothing has been done to hide the fact that it is a DP stock.

 

[Potashminer]

I do believe that the last picture is showing Century Arms International, St. Albans, Vermont as the importer of that barrel into the USA. I have the barrel clamps and action wrenches to remove the barrels from P14 and M1917 rifles, so I assume many others do as well - so swapping out a barrel to a receiver to a particular stock set can be done by us "home garage guys" - I can think of no reason at all why a military armourer would take a "DP" rifle, and re-fit it into a different stock. or take a "DP" stock and fit it onto a "good" barrelled action. So pretty much leaving bubba as a likely possibility, although after what I have read about "Mitchell Mausers", I would not put much past a USA importer, back in the day...
From your posts, a buyer from Woolco or Woolworth's bought it, then sold it to someone else, and then you have bought it. Whomever did this accomplished what was desired, I think??

 

[bearhunter]

Bubba did the work.

International Firearms out of Montreal sold thousands of the DP rifles described by potashminer back in the day. They were $15 each plus taxes and shipping.

Most of them had as new barrels and some had been FTRed before going into storage and subsequently made into DP rifles.

At the time, they were a great source of parts, especially very decent receivers, which also bore the DP stamp on the receivers.

I bought ten of them.

Most of the stocks were sold to folks that wanted to put a sporter back into military configuration.

All ten of the rifles I bought were FTRed and never issued.

I stripped all of them down for parts and made hunting rifles out of the receivers. International had Beech stocks available as well as barrels.

They were a good deal and a great platform to learn on.

Your stock once had red an white stripes painted on it, all the way around, except for the bolt, just in front of the trigger.

By the way, all of the FTRed, DP rifles I received were low number Winchesters with matching bolt numbers and had gone to the UK and were chambered for the 303 Brit.

 

[tiriaq]

The DP P'14s came from India. There were Ross Mk. III rifls too, with pins set through the barrels.
One P'14 DP I broke for parts had the best bore I have ever seen on one of the rifles.
I used the stock to restore a sported rifle. I fitted armourer style inlays to get rid of the notches, rather than try to make them disappear. Armourer stock repairs were neatly done, but making the repair invisible was not a primary objective.

 

[bearhunter]

The DP P'14s came from India. There were Ross Mk. III rifls too, with pins set through the barrels.
One P'14 DP I broke for parts had the best bore I have ever seen on one of the rifles.
I used the stock to restore a sported rifle. I fitted armourer style inlays to get rid of the notches, rather than try to make them disappear. Armourer stock repairs were neatly done, but making the repair invisible was not a primary objective.

I did one the same way.

I cut away the area before the hole on the handguard to square and glued in a couple of matching color pieces from an old stock, sanded and rubbed in some BLO.

Did the same to the hole on the stock. Had to look closely to see the repairs.

You don't see those take off DP stocks much any more.

International took a lot of those rifles and shipped them to the UK, where they were stripped down and had their receivers modified to sporting configuration. Then either a 7mm Rem Mag barrel or 300 Win Mag barrel was installed. They put on new manufactured sporting stocks, checkered and made of Beech with a Walnut stain.

For a while, you could purchase the sporter stocks or the DP stock sets. They also sold modified magazine/trigger guards and scope mounts for the D&T receivers.

Triggers weren't offered but the P14 trigger is fairly simple to stone and remover the secondary let off.

 

[quinnbrian]

I’m trying to rebuild one right know... and would love to find some wood in as good condition as yours... with out going after market.
Cheers
Brian

 

[britinbc]

Hi
Slight o/t but a few years back i bought a enfield No4 off corwin arms,

the decription was

' DP markings struck out by armoury '

it was one of the ex italian navy ones

cheers J

 

[TheCyaba]

Heyyyyy I seen this rifle for sale on NL classifieds I think

 

[gerard488]

I talked to the guy I got it from and he says that he bought it this way at Canadian Tire a long time ago and I believe him. (I thought it was Woolco but I was wrong)I cannot see how bubba did the stock change before it was sold by Canadian tire. That means the importer must have changed the stock in order to sell it. If that was the case, I cannot see century going through the trouble of changing the wood and then making such a mess of it while removing the DP paint markings. Surely there must be more that were done like this one.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

It was a different time. In the 1950s and 60s retailers had catalogues and ads in the newspapers every hunting season pitching just about every WW2 firearm imaginable. I remember the Canadian Tire catalogues, and have seen newspaper box ads. Did Woolco or Woolworths sell guns? I'm too young to remember those days, but others will tell you those stores did.