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Legacy Member
M1903A1 NM w/Shipping Crate
It has been a while since I posted any M1903 pictures and my photo skills are pretty rusty. The attachments are pictures of a very late production (1939) M1903A1 NM I acquired several years ago. The rifle is in new condition and is complete with the original Springfield shipping crate. The crate has SA wax seals over several of the screws. The stock and forearm have the late drawing numbers and the bolt has the late "D-1" code. Springfield was apparently using up M1903 parts when this rifle was manufactured - note the Rock Island rear sight leaf with volley notch and safety with serif "SAFE/FIEW" markings. This is one of two M1903/M1903A1 rifles with pre-WWII shipping boxes I have seen in 30 years of collecting.
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The Following 24 Members Say Thank You to Tom Jackson For This Useful Post:
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03-25-2016 05:35 PM
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Glad to see you back, Tom!!
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
--George Orwell
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Advisory Panel
Wow! That's Nice!!!
Thanks for sharing!
J.B.
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Legacy Member
M1903a1 nm
John, Rick, Chuck,
Thanks for the responses. I am still collecting M1903s along with other U.S. and British military weapons. I have picked up a few interesting '03s over the last several years - I will try and post pictures as time permits. I need to get up to speed on my photography.
The rifle I posted pictures of, No. 1526131, is one of the very last NM '03 rifles manufactured and sold by Springfield. The SRS letter shows that it was sold on September 26, 1939. I liked the late bolt and drawing numbers on most of the parts. The upper barrel band and safety are clearly not new production parts but are old parts apparently re-finished and installed by SA. The same with the rear sight - based on the conformation of the "7" on the leaf it appears to be a RIA part. I have owned several late production M1903A1 NM rifles that had sights with the 2750 yard volley notch. It appears any sight that met the NM tolerances was used on late NM rifles. I don't think that there ever was a specific "NM rear sight". Based on the condition of the rifle I don't think it was fired after it left SA and all the parts are what was on the rifle when delivered. I have the SRS paperwork on the rifle but no original papers.
I have encountered only one other M1903 with pre-war shipping crate, No. 593836, so I was really excited to find this rifle. The outbreak of WWII and elimination of the National Matches after 1940 were probably big factors in keeping this rifle in new condition - it is too bad that the test target and star-gage card did not survive.
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I have a 1931 NM with some earlier pre-WWI rear sight parts, so this apparently was not totally rare.
A PRE-WWI NM with shipping crate! No THAT would be rare! I have NM 605,178 and I thought I was lucky to get just the rifle!!
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
--George Orwell
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Legacy Member
Pre-War NM
Rick:
My cased 1914 rifle is a star gauged service rifle and stenciled: "U.S. RIFLE, CAL. 30 M. 1903/STARGAUGED" on the crate. The barrel is dated "12-14". The rifle does not have the NRA sales mark on the floor plate (although it may be an NRA sales rifle) and is a standard service rifle in all respects. I have a pre-WWI NM rifle with 1913 dated barrel - but it is not as nice as yours. It is fitted with the B&B experimental rear sight. SA records show some star gauged rifles in the same serial number range as my rifle were issued to cavalry and infantry units for troop tests. My NM rifle MAY be one of these rifles. Here is a picture of the 1914 rifle (less crate).
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The Following 4 Members Say Thank You to Tom Jackson For This Useful Post:
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Does your 1914 rifle have a "white" raceway and follower rib?
A beaut!!
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
--George Orwell
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Legacy Member
Rick:
The 1914 rifle in the picture does not have the polished receiver or follower rib - it is in service rifle configuration. My 2-13 rifle, serial number 544856, has the bolt, receiver and follower polished in the same manner as the post-WWI NM rifles. The polishing marks on either side of the bolt safety lug are pretty distinctive on bolts polished at Springfield Armory.
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Legacy Member
nice
Beautiful rifle !
Thanks for posting.
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