Four digit 03 Springfield

[GUTS]

I bought this from a friend of mine yesterday. I don't think any of the parts are original to the reciever serial number except maybe the butt plate. The stock has a WWII cartouche and I think it's a type four by the profile. The bore is pitted but has decent rifleing and the muzzle gauges 1 1/2. I knew when I bought it that it wasn't any where close to being original but I couldn't resist because of the low serial number which(according to the VI shooters page)put it in the first year of production, 1903. The brown spotting is apparently rust but doesn't seem to be causing any major pitting. I wiped it down with oil and a lot of brownish red came off on the cloth. The firing pin is late, 1925-1940, it has a pre WWII sear, and the bolt heat lot is JJ5.
I am not sure if the JJ5 is the same as J5, but J5 would put it around 1918-1919. If it wasn't raining here I'd take some pictures outside in decent light, the flourecent light makes it look crappier than it really is. When my friend told me he had a four digit 03 I got pretty excited but he didn't say anything about the condition. When I saw it I was pleased that at least it hadn't been sporterized. I gave him $500 for it.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

I gave him $500 for it... I would have too. Maybe could have been prettier but it's all there.

[chuckchili]

Love it. I would have gladly given $500 too.

That's one early barrel. Don't see many of those around!

[Kirk]

The stud for the blade on the front sight seems to have been trimmed a bit. Overall, the rifle is a nice piece! And, when it's that old, the red/brown stuff is called patina, not rust.

[RCS]

You do not see many SA 8-06 barrels on rifles. The last one that I saw was on s/n 308520.
Do you have the early rear sight base ? Attachment 23084

On my s/n 4918, the barrel was dated SA 05 with A below the date, barrel could not be salvaged.

[John Beard]

Nice rifle! You did exceptionally well!

The bolt steel lot code is "J 5". Double-stamping was not unusual.

Thanks for sharing!

J.B.

[GUTS]

RCS, I'm not sure what you mean by early rear sight base, can you enlighten me? The bore might be a little better but the fellow that I bought it from said the only times it was ever shot was when he would shoot blanks through it to blast webworms out of the trees in his farm yard. He said he would hold it high enough with one hand so it would be around five feet from them and the blanks would blow them out of their webs. I thought it sounded a little nuts myself. I'd like to have another barrel with the 06 date for this reciever and bolt I have.





---------- Post added at 10:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 PM ----------

Here is my other complete 03. The barrel was a sewer pipe so I had it rebarreled with an 11/42 barrel.

[RCS]

Attachment 23089the early rear sight base is open at the bottom with two straps at each end. Photo show an SA s/n 160963 with SA 2-07 dated barrelAttachment 23085Attachment 23086Attachment 23087 I like your PODD stamp too, I also have one - not many around

[GUTS]

Yes it does have the early sight base, I noticed that configuration when I took the stock off last night to see how dirty it was inside. I was using bent pipe cleaners to clean the gook out of the little channels under the sight base. I met a fellow a couple of years ago that wanted me to take the PODD stock off and sell it to him because he had some connection with the Philipean Ordnance Depot, I said no thanks, I didn't feel like changing out the stock for a different one.

[RCS]

your SA GAW stamp is a late WW2 rebuild marking also found on M1 Rifle stocks that went through rebuild.

Some interesting rebuiAttachment 23093Attachment 23094ld stamps -