1903

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surplusguy	1903	Lead	[-]
Posts: 72 (06/25/09 08:24 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None I just bought my first 1903.Sorry I cannot post pictures, but she is a beauty.The bore is like a mirror.The serial # is 9727xx, which I believe is very early but not in the batches that had poor metal treatment. It is a springfield with a SA 8-44 barrel which I would assume means it was rebarrelled by spingfield in aug. of 1944. It has a stock with no pistol grip.The bolt handle is straight down with no sweep to it.I seem to remember reading something of signifigance about that but it escapes me. Now, I know almost nothing about these rifles other than what I have said.Anything of interest anyone could bring to light for me?I bought it for $500. It came with a sling,the metal can in the butt with the oiler but nothing else,and 5 boxes of Korean war era ammo.Was this good.I have hardly bought the U.S. weapons of WW1 and WW2 because of the price but this seemed reasonable.Thank you for your time in advance..............ERIC
Youngblood		#1	[-]
Posts: 1122 (06/25/09 08:57 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	From your description, that sounds like an excellent price to me. Congratulations! And, yes, SN 9727xx is one of the "safe" 03s ... IIRC, the SN cutoff was ~810,000. Kim
Rick the Librarian		#2	[-]
Posts: 4688 (06/26/09 07:36 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	1. Your receiver dates to late 1918 2. The barrel was manufactured at Springfield in August, 1944 but could have been installed at a later date. 3. The bolt is proably case-hardened. If you can look for markings on the top of the bolt handle or on all sides of thw safety lug halfway up the bolt "body", we can tell you the date of manufacture. 4. Does the stock have grasping grooves below the rear sight? Any markings on the stock? Look on the left side by the on-off lever. 5. Assuming the bore is in good shape, you did well for $500 for a high numbered M1903.
surplusguy		#3	[-]
Posts: 77 (06/26/09 05:17 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Kim thank you.I had hoped I did well but I figured you fellows here would know more than myself.I thought there was a metal problem with the early ones glad mine is way above that.Rick ,wowwww, love all that info.I will fill you in on the questions you asked.The only markings on the safety lug is"SN".There is some markings under the bolt handle but are hard to make out but see if this makes any sense: an "8" or maybe two zeros beside one another with what looks like a "50"under that.No grasping groves on the stock.The only marking on the stock is where you mentioned under the on-off lever and is just an "S".I also forgot to mention that the but plate is smooth and not ckeckered.Thank you Rick for the info and any more you can help me with....................ERIC
Rick the Librarian		#4	[-]
Posts: 4690 (06/26/09 06:44 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The markings on the safety lug is actually (I believe) an NS. That indicates a 1919 Rock Island bolt, rather uncommon. The "8" is actually a small ordnance stamp ("flaming bomb") and a 50. That offers further proof it came fromRock Island and they stamped heir later bolts with those markings. Is the small of the stock "straight" or is it a full pistol grip like modern sporting rifles? Last Edited By: Rick the Librarian 06/26/09 06:48 PM. Edited 2 times.
surplusguy		#5	[-]
Posts: 79 (06/26/09 07:35 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick,the small of the stock is straight .Now when you say Rock Island are you saying that it is from another manufacturer other than Spingfield? If so, is this common and does it affect the value or collectability?Also, I see how I could have read the "NS" upside down depending on how you look at the bolt.That is kind of cool....................ERIC
m1 talker		#6	[-]
Posts: 6849 (06/26/09 07:40 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick- wasn't the NS stamp to mean it was made of nickle steel, which Rock Island went to in 1918 to get over the heat treating problem with the receivers? I seem to recall reading that Springfield went to new processes of heat treating the receivers and Rock Island Arsenall went to using nickle steel for the bolts and receivers to get around this problem. Curt
Rick the Librarian		#7	[-]
Posts: 4691 (06/26/09 08:54 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Curt, Rock Island produced double heat-treated receivers for a relatively short time - s/n 285,507 to @319,000, and the rest nickel steel. Youare right that NS stands for that. Surplusguy: Does your stock have grasping gooves? Keep in mind that you havea rifle that went through at least one (and perhaps several) overhauls. There was no attempt to match parts. A RIA bolt or other manufacturer was fine with them. "Mixed" parts were very common in rebuilds.
surplusguy		#8	[-]
Posts: 80 (06/28/09 04:35 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	There are no grasping groves in the stock Rick.Thanks for all this info.From everything you have said it would seem that it atleast has period era correct parts anyhow.............ERIC
DUSM		#9	[-]
Posts: 183 (06/28/09 07:26 AM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Check the portion of the stock visable through the front band for a flame and shell marking. Your stock without grasping grooves is a WW2 era replacement, and probably done when the barrel was replaced. Are there any stamps on the stock, such as OGEK, RA-P, etc?
surplusguy		#10	[-]
Posts: 82 (06/28/09 09:48 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	DUSM,there is no wood visible though the front band,all you can see is the barrel.The only mark on the stock is an "S" under the on-off lever on the left-hand side of the stock.Didn't the ealy stocks not have grasping grooves as well?....................ERIC
Parashooter		#11	[-]
Posts: 1671 (06/29/09 12:14 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Try looking for wood visible at the FRONT face of that upper band. Bet you can find some there!
M14man		#12	[-]
Posts: 158 (06/29/09 01:26 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The grasping grooves on the stocks was the standard until the beginning of WW2. Remington made a few with grasping grooves in late '41, but then to save time, the grasping grooves were eliminated. All WW2 made stocks from then on had no grooves. There were no stocks without grooves issued prior to WW2.
Rick the Librarian		#13	[-]
Posts: 4693 (06/29/09 06:55 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	A slight correction - Remington made rifles with grasping grooves into early 1942; there were some M1903s with Type C stocks, but almost all were installed on National Match and DCM sales rifles.
surplusguy		#14	[-]
Posts: 83 (06/29/09 08:57 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes Parashooter,you are correct you can see wood through the front of the upper band.I hade forgot about that.There still is no marks there how ever.Thank you for being so gracious in your reply.........ERIC
DUSM		#15	[-]
Posts: 184 (07/05/09 12:26 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	All early M1903 stocks have grasping grooves. The part of the stock I am referring to can be viewed under the barrel and above the bayonet lug, as viewed from the muzzle. The stock is not original, and is most likely a WW2 ear replacement. The area of the stock I mentioned can be see in this photo of 2 new stocks in the manufacturer's box, as the stocks are placed int he box in spoon fashion.

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