Question on a High Number Rock Island
At the Salt Lake gun show this afternoon I saw a Rock Island 1903 in the 385,000 serial number range. The barrel is a Springfield Armory barrel dated 1-32. The rifle has a nice black parkerized finish and is a straight grip finger groove stock. I could see no cartouches or even proof marks o the stock.
My Question - Did Springfield Armory complete Rock Island receivers this late, or is it a rebarreled rifle?
Springfield-Assembled Rock Island Rifles
Quote:
Originally Posted by
epidoc
At the Salt Lake gun show this afternoon I saw a Rock Island 1903 in the 385,000 serial number range. The barrel is a Springfield Armory barrel dated 1-32. The rifle has a nice black parkerized finish and is a straight grip finger groove stock. I could see no cartouches or even proof marks o the stock.
My Question - Did Springfield Armory complete Rock Island receivers this late, or is it a rebarreled rifle?
Springfield Armory completed and assembled just about all Rock Island receivers over the S/N 400000 through S/N 430742 range. Springfield Armory also completed and assembled about half the receivers scattered over the S/N 375000 to S/N 400000 range.
Rock Island did not assemble receivers consecutively by serial number but assembled, instead, over a serial number range. Consequently, they were assembling receivers scattered over a 25,000 serial number range when rifle assembly was suspended in 1919.
Your rifle's receiver may or may not have been originally barreled at Springfield Armory in 1932. The statistical odds are about 50-50. If the finished rifle had been assembled at Springfield Armory, then it would have a Springfield Armory inspection stamp in the stock.
Hope this helps.
J.B.