Help with 1903a3 purchase

[browningautorifle]

a handful of military surplus rifles from a family that the father had passed away and he had these rifles for a long time

That's the kind of story that usually accompanies. Not substance and no way to prove it.

[Calif-Steve]

A "story gun" for certain. Chuck has it right. Parts gun with faked stamps. Stock heavily sanded so seller was forced to add new stamps. Got to wonder just where it thing has been. A fire? A sporter? Parts gun, pass on it.

[One Holer]

I would still like to know how Chuckindenver and others know the cartouches and inspection stamps are fake. I think it would benefit all on here to know what to look for. Thanks in advance.

[browningautorifle]

it would benefit all on here to know what to look for.

And also the guys that do the faking...so many won't reveal the tells. It's learned over time.

[allanw]

I would still like to know how Chuckindenver and others know the cartouches and inspection stamps are fake. I think it would benefit all on here to know what to look for. Thanks in advance.

I'm not trying to tell counterfeiters how to do their job better but I don't think anything I can say would be a surprise to a faker so I'll just mention the things that jumped out at me on first sight.

When you look at the picture of the stocks, the Ordnance wheel immediately jumps out as not being correct, maybe because it's too perfectly stamped when the FJA and RA or all so many different depths? Also appears to be an overstamp of a lighter Ordnance wheel. The R being super deep and no letter A also looks immediately suspicious. Looks like the "R" might be an overstamp as well on a very light RA below?

[browningautorifle]

When you look at the picture of the stocks, the Ordnance wheel immediately jumps out as not being correct, maybe because it's too perfectly stamped when the FJA and RA or all so many different depths? Also appears to be an overstamp of a lighter Ordnance wheel. The R being super deep and no letter A also looks immediately suspicious. Looks like the "R" might be an overstamp as well on a very light RA below?

Welcome to the forum, but there are much more definite tells than that. They don't leave room for guessing. They're definitive.