22 Trainer Questions

[alanten]

I recently looked at a 1903 22 Trainer. The receiver was marked U.S. Springfield Armory Model 1903 255,xxx, in the "fancy" script. The barrel was marked SA 10-38 below the sight, and at the base, Long Rifle Cart'ge only. It had a magazine that fit in a cutout in the floorplate.
Were there any Springfield Armory trainers that weren't Mark 2? Is this a frankenrifle?

[Herschel]

I have been studying and collecting the 1922 Series Springfields for more than 30 years.
The first 2,200 or so were stamped Model of 1922. Serials were from 1 through approx 2200.
The second model was the 1922M1 and marked as such on the receiver ring. Serial numbers of these started over with 1 and went to 20200 or so. Many of these had the bolt, stock, and magazine upgraded with with the M2 parts and the Model number on the receiver ring had an additional 1 stamped after the 1922M1 making it read 1922M11. When this was done, starting in about 1935 a B was stamped after the serial number.

The M2 rifles started again with serial number 1 and went above 20000.

Some 1903 receivers were converted from .30 cal to .22 LR by Sedgley. I have one that was converted to .22 WRF. I have seen many that were converted to .22 by installing an M2 Bolt and M2 barrel . Most of these remain as single shot.

Unfortunately you have a modified .30 Cal.

This is a brief explanation of the 1922 Series I know of no book that has been written expressley about the Springfield .22s. They are mentioned in periodical magazines and
books written about the 1903s.

[alanten]

The magazine seems to match the one shown in Brophy, and bolt and ejector drawing numbers match also. So maybe someone took M1922 parts and used a 1903 receiver?

[Johnny l.]

There is a training rifle for the Springfield. It is designated as the "Gallery - Practice Rifle
caliber .22-model of 1903". It is identical to the 1903, except for the. 22 caliber barrel (and sometimes the sight leaf and the firing pin spring) - but not always. The balance of the parts are regular 1903 parts. Some of the expensive and complicated to make parts are sometimes marked .22. These .22 marked parts are defective, and can only be used on the .22 rifle. They are marked .22 to keep them from ever being installed on the regular 30-06 rifle.

The barrel is rifled for the .22 short round. The .22 round is inserted into a cartridge holder that resembles the 30.06 round. This cartridge holder can be loaded into the magazine singly or using a stripper clip 5 rounds can be loaded into the magazine. Just like a regular 1903. The cartridge holder and "chamber" it fits into are dimensioned so that it will not fit into a 30-06 chamber , nor will a 30-06 fit into the .22 rifle. So, no accidents.

The idea was to have an economical training rifle that exactly duplicated all of the actions needed to use the regular 1903 and not have to remember any exceptions. They were made from 1907 to about 1919.

Hope I haven't goofed anything up here. "The Book of The Springfield" by Col. Brophy has some really excellent info on this .22 trainer.

Regards, Johnny Lawson