SRS Check

[builder jerry]

I am new to this forum, and a I wish everyone a better new year. The reason I joined this forum is to find someone to help me identify the 1903 NRA sporter I have. The serial number is springfield armory 1266799 . The star guage # B-1003 the barrel is sa 5-25 . The stock is the original, but was sent to G&H to be customized. I would like to know if the rifle is listed in the SRS database. Thanks for your help

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[Peconga]

I am new to this forum, and a I wish everyone a better new year. The reason I joined this forum is to find someone to help me identify the 1903 NRA sporter I have. The serial number is springfield armory 1266799 . The star guage # B-1003 the barrel is sa 5-25 . The stock is the original, but was sent to G&H to be customized. I would like to know if the rifle is listed in the SRS database. Thanks for your help

Welcome Jerry! You will be pleased to know that your Springfield 1903 #1266799 is listed in the Springfield Research Services (SRS) database as an NRA Sporter sold on July 31, 1925. The serial number falls in the middle of a fairly long sequence of consecutive rifles made by the Springfield Armory as NRA Sporters. Based on the barrel date and star gauge test number it is highly likely that the barrel is original.

[builder jerry]

thank you Peconga. I had a feeling the rifle was an original. I shoot cast bullets only, and she is a shooter. How do I go about getting paper work on the sales date and to whom the rifle was first sold? The stock is sporterized by G&H or shelhamer, but there are no markings to identify who did the wood work. The checkering is definitely accomplished by a pro from that era. The wood is light in color, so it looks like the rifle stock never had linseed oil applied from springfield. I read an article about how springfield would send a nra rifle to G&H for the customer if so desired. I collect WW2 rifles and shoot cast on the weekends. I came across this rifle by pure luck. I was looking for a 1903 action to drill and tap for scope, and this rifle was offered to me because the owner said it was a old piece of junk he had no use for. I took her home and was cleaning her up and noticed the star at the muzzle. I could use any information you can share. thank you again for your time.

[Rick the Librarian]

Springfield Research Service maintains a list of rifles for which there is some information, which is where, I believe, Peconga got his information. Getting a "certified" letter is a bit of a hassle. You contact SRS and are required to subscribe to there magazine, Martial Arms Collector. As a subscriber, you can request a letter. I believe the cost is in the $60-75 range. What you will probably get is a "official" letter from SRS stating the rifle is in their data base and a photocopy of the original sales receipt, showing to whom and when the rifle was sold. I am not sure it will indicate if the rifle was sent to Griffin & Howe.

[Peconga]

Looks like Rick beat me to the punch. The Springfield Research Service was founded by the late Frank Mallory. After his passing it has changed hands a couple of times and is now being run by one of his former associates as an affiliate service of the U.S. Martial Arms Collector newsletter. Basically the SRS provides a research service for government records from Springfield Armory and other military sources, which are mostly now housed at the National Archives in Washington. Opinions vary about the quality of service these days, but an SRS letter and documentation for an NRA Sporter would almost certainly add value to a serious collector.

Basically if you subscribe to the Collector quarterly newsletter ($35/yr) you can send them an inquiry by email, and they will let you know if they have any archive information available for your weapon. If so, for an additional fee ($150 if I recall correctly) they will provide you with a letter of authenticity and copies of any records that they can find. Sometimes the records are quite extensive (e.g. specifications, build notes, name and address of original owner, correspondence, etc) while other times they are quite cursory (e.g. a single entry in an arsenal rebuild registry).

The SRS used to publish books of serial numbers (very sporadically) and also offered a CD that was a compilation of the books and all updates published to date. At one point they even had the records online, but that was taken down long ago and it has been at least 10 years since any new publications.

Links http://springfieldresearchservice.com and http://usmartialarmscollector.com

Link to one discussion about the SRS (there are many on the Web) http://www.jouster.com/forums/showth...search-Service

[Rick the Librarian]

Most National Match and NRA Sporters have just a receipt, which is quite a bit cheaper. I believe the full records are the higher figure quoted by Peconga.

[builder jerry]

thanks for the information for records. I have a question concerning the original roll stamp on the barrel. The flaming bomb with the backward "C" has a punch mark directly centered in the "C". Is this of any significance to the barrel? The orientation of the "C" is correct, as with the stroke length of the dash. There is also no barrel band or any sign that the rifle ever had a band. Did G&H receive the rifles from Springfield and re-blue the barrels? The bluing on this rifle is very good for it's age. I appreciate any feedback you can give me on the subject.

[Rick the Librarian]

The person to ask regarding your questions about Griffin and Howe is Michael Petrov; I'm not sure he participates on this forum but I know he does on the Jouster M1903 forum. He literally wrote the book (two of them, to state a fact!) on this subject. Go on Jouster and PM him, would be my suggestion.