Does anyone have a good picture of the difference between the earlier forearm checkering pattern (early to late 50's) and the later pre 64 FWT forearm checkering pattern? Thanks

Are you talking the coverage of the checkering?

Pretty easy to distinguish the two. Earlier patterns were very wide and the machine checkering very narrow.

Here is a pic out of the bible.

Thanks, do you know when they changed?

So here are two 1953 FWT's. Which pattern is this early or late?

Mid-1960....485,000 serial range....both of your Fwts are the early checkering pattern. One occasionally comes across earlier barreled actions "married" to stocks with the later pattern.

Thanks, looks like the top one is set back toward the receiver a little more than the bottom one.

Top one is 1960+ with a composite butt plate. The coloring is also a dead give away. The bottom one is early with an aluminum butt plate.. That's one of the first times I didn't agree with pocono..