"SS" on my 193A3

[André]

If you look closely at my pic 3 posts above, you'll notice said cartouche, albeit not deeply impressed, between the "RA" and "FJA" markings.

[martin08]

Yes. Mine with the SS-stamp also has the crossed cannons, lightly applied.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Mine has the 'RA' lightly stamped and the stamps are all over the place.
(I think it was stamped on a Monday morning and the guy wasn't happy to be back at work!)

[André]

Finally, I had the opportunity to test-shoot my A3 after swapping front sight blades with a friend collector. With the original E blade the rifle shot too high (+/- 5") and I calculated that I would need a C blade. With the latter, I shot to POA at 100 m, using 150 SMK handloads approximating 030 ball M2 ballistics. Accuracy was stunning : 5 shots in 3 cm at 100 m (= 1 MOA). I handn't shot a rifle over iron sights in years and I re-discovered that a close to the eye peep sight did not run far behind a scope in terms of accuracy (NB : I really mean close to the eye as I dislike the distant sight on the 1903 ). Now, I want to test some other ammo ( I have leftover bullets of 150 g WW Silvertips, Rem PP and 155 Hornady A-MAX), before deciding on a standard load. Considering I haven't access to a range over 100 m, I will forget about the distance notches of the rear sight and use them to correct elevation if needed.

[browningautorifle]

So there you go. All is well in the end. Glad to see this all work out. Nice looking rifle and it shoots like it should...so do you. Never forget half the accuracy involved is the shooter...

[Doco overboard]

For what it is worth ,my Father who once out of the Air Force managed government projects as a civilian for over 30 years (and after doing an unexpected weapons inspection of my stuff!) told me that the US stamp on the Butt stock of an 03a3 I own made him reminisce of when terminology was used like that when they cleared stuff away from like a dry-dock except they used spray paint cans to mark welding equipment defunct radio gear etc. that remained exposed to weather and when they were gonna get rid of things that were not deemed as sensitive or radio active. He said it meant usable surplus when I asked him, and that was it. This occurred way before I became curious about things like stock marks and I think he may have recognized the mark for what it is, a visual Que to recognize things that are still good, in abundance but in the way and need sorted out. Seems to me a lot of SS and US are also associated with a boxed ogek, they cleaned house one day?