Rock-ola stock question

[RickS]

A few years ago I picked up an all correct Rock-Ola serial #1691XXX from an older gentleman who need the extra cash. The stock is a high wood with "RMC" in the sling well, type 1 band, no marks showing any other types of bands. The condition indicates it could be original all though there is no way to tell. Back to the stock it has the cartouche horizontial. I would love to believe its original and would find it hard to believe he would fake a stamp. Here are some pictures.

http://imageshack.us/g/853/rock003.jpg/

[col b]

Here is a pic of my early Rockola CMP Bavarian...highwood appears to have original unmolested finish....still has the name of the person it was assigned to taped under the forearm.

[dbarn]

Originally Posted by RickS

Back to the stock it has the cartouche horizontial. I would love to believe its original and would find it hard to believe he would fake a stamp. Here are some pictures.

http://imageshack.us/g/853/rock003.jpg/

May we see more photos of your Rock-Ola? It would be good to see a close up of the markings on barrel band and flip sight area as well as the front sight and barrel markings. If possible. Thanks.

There is a person in Florida, that I use to do business with in my earlier collecting years. He was and still is very well thought of by a lot of folks. Most of the hard core collectors have come to realize he has a cottage industry of faking carbines, including faking acceptance stamps, welding stake marks, and selling fake barrels to name a few. He always denied his items were fake, and would take a personal check. Instead of cashing this check, he would hang on to it for a long time, until he was sure you would keep his items. If you had problem with his stuff, he simply returns your undeposited check and would tell you that there were others who would appreciate his work.

He once sold me a supposed documented 7 million Inland that turned out to be a ground down, re-welded, and re-stamped M2 receiver. BTW, his fake Rock-Ola stamps were of the horizontal variety. I too use to believe he could never do anything like this.

[tripledoose]

I decided to purchase the stock and roll the dice!!! If it's a fake, maybe I can sell it for what it really is and recoup a little of my money. If u want to see a pic of it, I got it from gunbroker item #250838416. it's a bit rough, but I am open to opinions.

[dbarn]

And here is the link. Like the one above, it was applied with two separate stamps.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=250838416

[gunny]

[tripledoose]

Lol you know what? I knew better too.....lesson learned

[colgems1966]

not trying to rain on anyone's parade but that stock on gunbroker looks all wrong. i have a very nice rockola i've had since 1989. other than a few minor dings and taking on the arsenal red color it looks almost new. you would wonder at first because it is so nice with a clear deep struck cartouche but it is genuine. it is marked rmc in the slingwell but unfortunately was modified to low wood. here's what bothers me about the gunbroker stock. 1) that stock looks like an m2 contour does not resemble the shape of mine at all which has a correct early profile. 2) not a rockola buttplate, i know they mixed and matched parts but i could see few instances where it would be necessary to change a buttplate. 3) stamp looks "wrong" 4) it is stamped further back toward the oiler cutout than any real ones i've seen. for the record i have a aug 43 167xxxx it has a vertical stamp one piece in the center of the buttstock.

[tripledoose]

Yep like I said, lesson learned. I am pretty new to carbines. I have Riesch's book and that should have been enough to stear me away but......

[colgems1966]

the price would have made me suspicious. i don't keep up with it; but i doubt you can buy a cartouched rockola stock for $60. if you just did it maybe you can cancel the tranaction. tell the seller you believe it may be a fake give him the reasons why, the first being it is a pot belly rockola marked stock. maybe he'll let you off the hook.