All:

I haven’t seen enough 1895s apart to know, but for those of you who have them, where is your 1895 stamped with serial #? Mine is stamped on the buttplate and the butt stock. Nothing on forearm, but definitely an 1895. JM on barrel. Made in 1896. Murray’s says it’s a toss up basically.

All my 1895's are stamped on the butt stock and plate but nothing on the forearm, apparently a couple guys here have their forearms numbered with a pencil but none of mine are. Some also might have this mark on the barrel, I've found them on both round and octagon barrels. I remember someone took a better picture of what I think is some kind of proof mark but I never saved a copy of it.

Old thread with a couple pics, but not better than that one. Kind of like a U, but one side often seems taller than the other.

The "Mad Dog" stamp.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3949993

And, yes.. buttplate, buttstock, MAYBE the back of the bolt have serial number stamps?. Forearm not stamped. Even on the earliest 1899's the forearms were pencil written it seems, not stamped.

I've got an 1895 bolt here somewhere.. if I knew where I'd check for serial number. I know the early 1899's had the bolt stamped.

I just pulled out a 1895 bolt out of the parts box, nothing stamped on it anywhere, even with my dollar store glasses on.

Mine is stamped on the butt stock under the plate, an "R" on the butt stock at the end of the lower tang, on the butt plate, S/N normal place on receiver, an "M" in a circle on the bottom of the barrel near the receiver, a "JM" on the first octagon from the bottom near the receiver. Nothing on the bolt or forearm either.

1895C
butt plate stamped
butt stock stamped
only forearm mark is inspector 3 on end
JM stamped
M stamped
maddog mark

Just checked over my only, lonely round barrel 1895A that I know was back to the factory for a new 1899 bolt that had a serial number stamped on it.

The butt stock, butt plate and receiver have matching numbers. I suspect a former owner stamped a clear "W. A. F." into the butt stock under the plate as well. The fore end wood only has an inspector "3" on the end while the barrel has but a partial stamping that looks something like this:

(,

Probably a mis-struck stamp.

"...back to the factory for a new 1899 bolt that had a serial number stamped on it. "

That is good info to know. Wonder if all replaced bolts were serialed when factory swapped out?