M1903 Gallery Rifle

Brophy states the production numbers of the M1903 Gallery Rifles (on Hoffer-Thompson basis) seperately for each year. He also lists 4.500 barrels being produced in 1920 and 1921, where no complete rifles were being built.

Does this mean now that any Gallery Rifle with a barrel dating 1920/1921 is being assembled from parts and not originally built in this configuration?

Furthermore, as production started in 1907: would the S/N of the receiver being used match to the barrel date, or can it be that a 1918 assembled rifle came on a 1910 dating receiver?

As I also understood Brophy usually every of these rifles has to bear a .22 marking somewhere, these were mostly parts considered obsolete for .30-06 rifles. Were these parts also from *any* period? So in addition to the previous question, could it be that a 1910 inspected stock is being fitted to a rifle with a receiver dating 1912 with a barrel dating 1918, or would this be a mixmaster? All numbers being given here are just examples, I do not have any specific rifle (unfortunately) - but if I ever get the chance to buy one, I want to make sure it's original.

ATB,

Georg

I'm no expert on the Gallery Practice rifles. But, I will convey a few observations.

The 1920-21 barrels were manufactured as replacements for bad barrels on Gallery Practice rifles turned in for overhaul. I can find no evidence that the barrels were used to assemble new rifles.

Serial numbers and barrel dates matched on original-production Gallery Practice rifles.

The early rifles had no ".22" markings and did indeed use obsolete .30 caliber sights. Later production rifles were marked ".22" on the receiver bridge, stock fore end tip, and bayonet lug. A 1910-inspected stock on a 1912-dated receiver fitted with a 1918-dated barrel would be a mixmaster.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

John,

Since noone posted on this topic, I thought it was the wrong place to ask for this. But your answer did help a lot, thanks! I was just confused by the Gallery Rifles some big auction companies were selling, since most of them had a receiver date which was completely from a different period than the stock fitted on those rifles, plus also the barrels had a lot different date.

Thanks once more :)

Georg