1903 Serial?

[chrism]

Hi, I just purchased a 1903 action with serial number 1498810 it has the matching serial number etched on the bottom of the bolt. The serial gives it a manufacturer date of 1935. So it can not be a NRA sporter? Maybe a national match? Thanks for any insight that can be provided.

Information

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[m1903rifle]

Not listed in Springfield Research Service records, but that number is close to some numbers sold as receivers. All NM are not listed in the records.

[Rick the Librarian]

Serial number etched on the bottom of the bolt? Can you post a picture?

As m1903rifle says, not all NM rifles are listed in SRS. There are several other distinctive characteristics. These include:

1) The "raceway" inside the chamber and the "rib" of the follower polished

2) The serial number of the rifle stamped under the stock near the lower butt swivel.

[chrism]

I am unable to post a photo according to the directions from the site on my phone. I will post it when I get home tomorrow. This is just an action so I dont have the stock or barrel. And I belive some parts are not origknal as the bolt shroud has a R stamped in it.

The serial number on the bolt is on tbe bottom and not the top. I read somwhere on the net that the later NM's where done that way. I only have experience with NRA sporters and the bolt serial on the ones I have seen is twice as large as the one on the bottom of this bolt.

[Rick the Librarian]

With most sites, you have to upload a picture to a website like Photobucket or Fototime and then post here.

I do not know of any NM rifles that had etched serial numbers on the BOTTOM of the bolt body. NRA Sporters, yes. Any other characteristics?

[chrism]

The raceway are not polished and either the flllower rib. The only other distinctive thing is the hole spacing for the front scpoe base nvever seen on short in distance before.





---------- Post added at 03:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:57 PM ----------

The raceway are not polished and either the flllower rib. The only other distinctive thing is the hole spacing for the front scpoe base never so close. Target block?

[vintage hunter]

Most likely drilled for Weaver top mount bases. The 1903 takes a #55 which has a 1/2'' spacing.

[chrism]

Well from what I have found online from several forums it appears that it is not anything special. The bolt serial number is inthe wrong spot. Also the bolt serial etching may have been done by a modern electric pencil. Etc..... I did not pah too much for it. Just thought that I may have gotten something special. It was fun to learn more about 1903 Springfields.

[Chuckindenver]

electro engraving serial numbers was done in a number of locations on bolts, depending on who and why it was done.

some NRA sporters had it done on the underside like the one pictured, some USMC rifles had it done just ahead of the safety lug, under the extractor, so that you would have to lift the bolt to read it.
some were done on the top, some nice, some not so nice.
lend lease rifles had them done on the bolt handle. as well as the bolt body itself.

[Cosine26]

Serialized Bolts
There are several reasons that bolts in US military rifles are serialized; some by the services and some by civilian owners.
1. Before safes became readily available at a reasonable price, it was common to store bolts separate from the rifles. When the owner wanted to fire the rifle, he matched the S/N's with no difficulty.
2. Some gunsmiths, when replacing a barrel serialized the bolt so that the owner could not at a later date come back and say that he had incorrectly headspaced the rifle. Owners would sometimes mix the bolts up and try to blame excess headspace on the gunsmith when the incorrect bolt was used. By the same token, most gunsmiths that I dealt with always marked the barrel with their name to indicate that they had actually performed the work.
3. At one time it was popular to have two or three barrels for the same receiver. The owner would change from a light barrel to a heavy barrel. The owner could match the bolt with the receiver to maintain the proper headspace. There are several articles on this in the early AMERICAN RIFLEMAN.
I suppose that there are other reasons for serializing bolts but this is what I have seen in the past.
fwiw