M1 Garand "S 68" marked milled bullet guide

[SurfRider19]

Can anyone tell me something about this part? Its a bullet guide with "S" on one side and "68" on the other. It is milled. As you are taking apart the rifle, you see it before removing the bullet guide. I have done multiple searches but have come up empty.
Thanks in advance.

[pro-nra]

IIRC, it is a WWII SA.

[SurfRider19]

Thanks for the quick response. if anyone else who sees this happens to know what time period/serial numbers of Garands were being issued at the time of its production? I have a couple of garands I am trying to swap parts on to see how close to a "correct" grade rifle I can get before selling a few of them.

[me109g4]

That is the number of the die made to forge this part, most of the time other machining operations removed the number, in this particular case it was not removed. it is a Springfield Armoury part, used through most of the WW2. Late ww2 bullet guides were made by a stamping process, as it was cheaper and quicker.