Remington 1903 Cartouche

[Leggett71]

Picked up a late 42 DOB '03 yesterday with some strange markings.

Rebuilt by San Antonio Arsenal at some point by the right side stamp, had 2 proof marks, 1 in a box 1 in a circle. But curiously it had a "Z" stamped at the heel of the receiver on the stock just behind the tang & a "Y" in the wrist of the stock just below the proof marks.

Any information as to the origin of these 2 odd stamps.


Leggett 71

Information

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[Rick the Librarian]

Hard telling ...

Any inspection stamp on the left side of the stock?

[Leggett71]

Other markings on left are in photo 4. Two boxed stamps very faint. Lower & Most legible looks like ends in AAC. One nearest cut-off appears to end in an H.

Leggett

[BEAR]

Does it have an Ordnance Bomb stamp on the flat tip of the stock, just under the barrel?

[Leggett71]

No ordinance stamp on flat. But in removing the handguard there is a P proof mark on the underside of the barrel near the end of the stock & an A23 stamped on the top of the barrel a few inches in front of the rear sight.

Leggett

[Leggett71]

Couple more pics.

[Rick the Librarian]

The "A23" is the barrel steel lot code; the P on the barrel indicates that the barrel passed a firing proof test.

On the left side of the stock, I can read the AAQ (Augusta Arsenal) - but can't make out the stamp above.

The stock is probably a Springfield or Rock Island one. If the top inspection stamp on the left side of the stock is an RLB, it is an early Remington stock and worth some beaucoup bucks.

For the record, the original stock would have been a FJA-stamped stock with stock pins and no handguard retaining ring "slots" near the receiver.

[Leggett71]

Rick,

Thanks as always you are a wealth of information.

Wish the stock markings were clearer but they are what they are. Stamp does not look like an RLB but Rifle looks almost unfired with the exception of a few bullet trails in the remaining cosmoline still on the receiver intrenals. ME - 0 TE - 1, bore bright and no erosion.


Rifle came from a WWII vet's safe in NE Oklahoma, said he had it since the war only shot it a few times.

Still curious where the Z & the Y came from. All my research has not turned up an origin, and the letters do not make up any part of the vets name.

Thanks again for the information.

Leggett