1903 Springfield

[c&rfan]

I traded for this old rifle back in the early 1960s:

There was not much finish left on the metal but no rust or pitting. The wood was worn, well used and a little abused. I had planned to buy a new stock, sporterize and mount a scope. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

The sling came from an army surplus store; its unmarked and undated.



The rifle was made in 1933 according to the serial number . . .



. . . and the Springfield barrel date of 8 - 33 indicates its probably original to the rifle:



Most of the other parts appear to be correct for a 1903 . . .



except for the rear barrel band and sling swivel which are stamped sheet metal that is blued:



The trigger guard and magazine floor plate are correct . . .



. . . as are the rear sling swivel and butt plate:



There are very faint markings left that can still provide some information:

I don't have a clue about the J. There appear to be three letters in a box near the J, only the last letter is legible as an A. It is possible this marking is either FBA or JSA since both were inspectors of new rifles at SA or just two letters AA for Augusta Arsenal indicating the rifle went through arsenal repair at some time in its history.



The final proof mark is present:



But I don't for the life of me know anything about Betty . . .

(Someone on another forum speculated that the letters might be Greek - Beta Epsilon Pi Upsilon, indicating the rifle might have seen service in Greece at some time in its history - who knows?)

The bore is worn but still shiny. I used this rifle to hunt deer until sometime in the 1980s when my wife gave me a Ruger 77R in 30-06 that I could easily scope. I retired the 1903 and haven't fired it since. I would hope to replace the lower barrel band and swivel with vintage 1903 Springfield parts if I can find them, otherwise the rifle will stay in its present configuration as part of my collection.

One member of this forum saw the rifle posted elsewhere and graciously offered the opinion that the the bolt appeared to be an L6 type from the 1920s and that the handguard was of WWII vintage (which, in my opinion, might indicate that the rifle did go through an arsenal - Augusta? - repair at one time).

Any other comments, questions, and information would be appreciated toward attempting to determine the background and history of this rifle.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[John Beard]

You have an interesting rifle. Thanks for sharing!

As you noted, your rifle's receiver was made in 1933 and the rifle still retains its original barrel. Rifles from that period are very scarce with original barrels. The receiver is made from nickel steel and should be safe for shooting if in good condition.

Your rifle's barreled receiver was originally manufactured as a spare part for use in replacing a low number barreled receiver on a rifle turned in for overhaul. Stock markings indicate that your barreled receiver was shipped to Augusta Arsenal for use in overhaul at that location. Your rifle was originally assembled during the mid-to-late-1930's period using assorted parts taken from rifles that had been turned in for overhaul.

The stock appears to have originated from Rock Island Arsenal and the "J" is the probable inspection stamp of John L. Hanssen, a college student who inspected rifles at Rock Island during WWI. The "AA" is the overhaul inspection stamp of the Augusta Arsenal and is consistent with your rifle's serial number. If you look behind the "AA", you may see another initial which denotes the last name of the inspector at Augusta.

The handguard, lower band, and rear sight drift slide assembly date from the WWII period and are probable field replacements. The rear sight leaf was made at Springfield Armory during or prior to WWI.

The bolt was made at Springfield Armory during the 1919-20 period and was probably taken from a Mark I rifle. The bolt is double heat treated and should be safe for shooting if in good condition.

The upper band and magazine cutoff were made at Springfield Armory. The floorplate was made at Rock Island Arsenal.

"BETTY" is probably the name of some GI's girlfriend or wife. Although frowned upon, the practice of carving names or initials into stocks occurred nevertheless. Some GI hunkered down in a foxhole on a remote island far from civilization and dodging a violent shower of lead and artillery being hurled in his direction could care less about regulations.

Hope this helps. Thanks again for sharing!

J.B.

[c&rfan]

You have an interesting rifle. Thanks for sharing! . . .

. . . "BETTY" is probably the name of some GI's girlfriend or wife. Although frowned upon, the practice of carving names or initials into stocks occurred nevertheless. Some GI hunkered down in a foxhole on a remote island far from civilization and dodging a violent shower of lead and artillery being hurled in his direction could care less about regulations.

Hope this helps. Thanks again for sharing!

J.B.

John,

Thanks for all the great info. I've often wondered if Betty's significant other suffered any disciplinary action for abusing his rifle.

Sure wish I knew more of the history of this old warhorse; thanks for filling in some of the gaps.

[John Beard]

John,

Thanks for all the great info. I've often wondered if Betty's significant other suffered any disciplinary action for abusing his rifle.

Sure wish I knew more of the history of this old warhorse; thanks for filling in some of the gaps.

I seriously doubt that Betty's significant other suffered any disciplinary action for abusing his rifle. By the time they got done mopping up that island in the Pacific or cleaning out those hedgerows and forests in France and Belgium, everybody was just glad to get out alive. There were literally thousands of rifles in much worse shape than that turned in.

When I worked as a volunteer at the CMP, I saw a Springfield Armory Type C stock having Marine Corps provenance with "BOUGAINVILLE" nicely carved in one side and "TILLIE" nicely carved in the other. And judging from the stock's well-used appearance, I had little doubt about where it had been. We arranged for the stock to find its way onto a rifle destined to a Marine who had served in the Pacific during WWII. He was proud to get it.

J.B.

[Emri]

John,

What was your telltale that the floorplate is RI just from the pic shown ? Was it the front edge ? You might have a better look at it than I do on this work laptop.

I have 2 that are RI, but the biggest telltale is the machineing inside.

Thanks,

Emri

[Jim Tarleton]

Excellent gift idea, John. I commend your actions and all those involved.

Jim

[Lancebear]

Hey C&R,

You have a great rifle, you got it when I was still suckin' my thumb.

Your rifle has great matching character in color, wear, old parts and overall "Look".

Not all '03's have that. Wouldn't ever change a thing except...what I like to do, strip it completely and detail every metal part with Remoil and a nylon brush. Wipe the wood only on the exterior with lemon oil and a clean towel rag.

Your sling appears to be very fine and pliable. Don't know if verdigris is harmful to leather but you could just brush that off. Or, if you know how to use Saddle Soap with a nice horsehair shoe brush, ya' might just find markings with a gentle careful soaping if the whole sling is supple and has no dried spots or major cracks. Found a lot of hand cut markings on an Argentine 1891 carbine sling that were not visable before cleaning.

Anyway, your rifle is fine just the way it is, especially like the stock.

Lancebear

[RBruce]

Isn't that an 03A3 middle band?

[c&rfan]

Isn't that an 03A3 middle band?

Could be. Its definately not a milled band that would have been on a 1903 of this vintage.

[bigdaddy]

We can all only hope that the GI who carried that piece was able to return home and have a happy fruitful life with "Betty". God bless em , every one of them.