1903 Springfield Mk 1

[junebug]

Is the inspection code R A - P located on the left side of my Mk1 correct and would
it match up with the Serial #1078881 and barrel dated 12/18? What name was the
inspector? Thanks!! judobaise@gmail.com

Information

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[Rick the Librarian]

The RA-P inspector stamp is from Raritan Arsenal in New Jersey. That usually indicates a WWII overhaiul or inspection. I believe the "P" was for "Peterson" but am not 100% sure. The RA-P would not be correct for an original M1903 Mark I.

[junebug]

Thanks for the info. My stock is an original cut Mk1 stock with the ejection cut
exactly correct. The stock has a "C" stamped on the very end of the front. If
the initials RA-P is as you state, why would the stock be a replacement with the
cut in the stock? They would have put on the later stock without the cut. Is it
possible the stock was replaced soon after the original was maybe damaged and
had to be replaced? If someone later made the cut to make the rifle more value,
he did a great job!! I have made comparisons with 2 other originals and mine is
just like them, but they don't have the inspector stamp of RA-P. What does the "C"
on the front indicate? Need a little more help. You're the man!! Thanks alot !.

[Rick the Librarian]

Hard to tell where the stock came from. A previous civilian owner may have matched the stock with the action. People are always looking for "correct" stocks. Keep in mind it has been 65 years since these rifles were used. Yours could have gone through a lot of owners. Use of a former Mark I stock would be legitimate. It may have been taken off a scrapped rifle receiver or just been "available" when needed. "Parts is parts" was the motto at military arsenals. There was no effort to match them up.

My guess is that a previous civilian owner matched the stock. Another thing to keep in mind is that the rifle is what it is. Supposedly, Mark Is were kept in reserve into well in the 1930s, saving them about 15 years of use. Another source told me that a fair number were issued to the National Guard in the 1930s, probably saving them more wear and tear. Your rifle could have received a "light" overhaul or inspection after only seeing a small amount of use. I don't remember all the "details" of your rifle. Can you post pictures?

[Mike D]

Thanks for the info. My stock is an original cut Mk1 stock with the ejection cut
exactly correct. The stock has a "C" stamped on the very end of the front. If
the initials RA-P is as you state, why would the stock be a replacement with the
cut in the stock? They would have put on the later stock without the cut. Is it
possible the stock was replaced soon after the original was maybe damaged and
had to be replaced? If someone later made the cut to make the rifle more value,
he did a great job!! I have made comparisons with 2 other originals and mine is
just like them, but they don't have the inspector stamp of RA-P. What does the "C"
on the front indicate? Need a little more help. You're the man!! Thanks alot !.

Junebug - The RA-P stamp (Harry Peterson, Raritan Arsenal) does not tell you the stock is not original to the rifle, just that the rifle, or maybe just the stock, has been through the arsenal for inspection/overhaul. Unless I'm mistaken, you've not provided enough info to determine if the stock is original.

I would like to see pics, also.

[junebug]

Another thing i failed to tell------------i am a computer dummie and i will need to get some of my grandsons to show me how to send
pictures to a email. I have all my guns recorded on my picasa 3, but i have had more to not go out than those that did go out. I will
send some pictures when they teach me how.--------------------------under ten years old telling an old "foggie" like me how to do anything---
-------------------------that is the way it is now!!!

[Rick the Librarian]

Junebug -- I'd be glad to post your pictures for you. Email sent. --RtL

[enbloc8]

Hard to tell where the stock came from. A previous civilian owner may have matched the stock with the action. People are always looking for "correct" stocks. Keep in mind it has been 65 years since these rifles were used. Yours could have gone through a lot of owners. Use of a former Mark I stock would be legitimate. It may have been taken off a scrapped rifle receiver or just been "available" when needed. "Parts is parts" was the motto at military arsenals. There was no effort to match them up.

My guess is that a previous civilian owner matched the stock. Another thing to keep in mind is that the rifle is what it is. Supposedly, Mark Is were kept in reserve into well in the 1930s, saving them about 15 years of use. Another source told me that a fair number were issued to the National Guard in the 1930s, probably saving them more wear and tear. Your rifle could have received a "light" overhaul or inspection after only seeing a small amount of use. I don't remember all the "details" of your rifle. Can you post pictures?

I can testify to what you say in the first part...in storage I have a beater 996XXX M1903 that had a well-used Mark I stock put on it. My guess has always been that it was done in a postwar overhaul, even though there's no arsenal marks on the stock. (It only has the inspection mark of three letters in a box; I don't recall them offhand.)

The second part makes sense as well...the mid-late 1930s were when they began to enlarge and reorganize the Guard units in preparation for the war clearly on the horizon. And after the Pederson devices were declared obsolete and scrapped, an M1903 Mk 1 was just another M1903 in stock.

[Rotor]

For lack of pictures I’ll post some of mine.

This is a Mark 1 I got from the CMP 4 or 5 years ago. I don’t believe it has the correct trigger or cut off parts. The stock is Mark 1 and is marked with a boxed RIA over FK. Is the Rock Island stamp a post WW2 rebuild stamp?
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There is a brass screw repair at the wrist that seems very stable though It has only seen 100 rounds from me.
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JR

[Rick the Librarian]

The RIA/FK is a stamp from 1941-46, so it actually dates from WWII.