New to me model 14 question

[Highway-08]

I’m new here, name is Alan Hufstutler. This is an awesome site I’ve already learned a bunch from.

I picked up a project model 14 rifle in .30 Remington, serial number C 57223 it was missing some parts of course. I bought a parts lot that had nearly everything I needed including the missing dog spring and magazine spring and follower but the magazine plug in my rifle had no brush guard and the one in the parts lot does. Is it possible that my, apparently 1917 manufactured rifle would have originally had a brush guard less magazine plug??

I’m really close to having it running right I think but don’t want to put it back together with the wrong plug.

Thanks very much in advance.

[Eddie Southgate]

Post a picture of what you are referring to . Not sure what you call a brush guard . Jim Peterson is the board expert on 14 -14 1/2 -141 everything. He is nambujim on here.

[nambujim]

Thanks for the nice comments Eddie, I'll do my best to inform!

Based on the serial of your rifle, it would have had the magazine plug with the brush guard milled into it. Only the VERY early rifles were supplied without the brush guard BUT all of the Model 14-1/2's were supplied with a magazine plug that had no guard.

If you can get a "project gun" working from assorted parts, good for you, its not the norm! One important thing to remember is how fussy these rifles are about the ammunition you put through them, they were made at a time when NEW pristine ammo was called for and ONLY use ammunition with RN bullets..........NO hard cast lead!

Hope this helps!

Jim Peterson
Charlotte, NC