Thai marked 1903s

couple interesting 1903s came into my shop..
Attachment 59198Attachment 59199Attachment 59200

update... a good friend in Japan, says this is Japanese Military....

There are some pictures of Thai marked '03's in Brophy however i think his dates are off. At the beginning of WW2 Thailand was officially in the Japanese orbit. There was I believe a resistance movement and perhaps even a government in exile. But under those circumstances it is hard believe the US was sending weapons and they were in turn being marked in a foreign arsenal. I think most if not all of the Thai marked US Equipment is post war issue.

Attachment 59211Attachment 59212Attachment 59213

Very interesting, mum's the word.

Kurt

The markings on the receiver aren't Thai or Japanese, they are Chinese. It's the marking of the Nationalist Chinese army under General Chiang Kai-Shek. I have a Chinese Mauser and a Japanese Nambu with the same markings in my collection.


Chinese History - KMT Republic of China - Army / National Revolutionary Army


BBC - History - Chiang Kai-shek


Aid to Nationalist China: U.S. Army Military Assistance Advisory Group in Formosa - YouTube

well.
i can only tell you the man who said they are Japanese, is Japanese, and lives in Japan.
said that they are old script, if that means anything.
could have a China Japan connection,
same person helped me with some WW2 Japanese officers swords.

I agree with JGaynor - the only way the Thai rifles could date to WWII is if they received captured M1903s from the Philippines or some other source through their (then) allies, the Japanese.

My Chinese Mauser and Nambu type 14 have the same markings as this one: Nambu World: Showa 19.6 Nationalist Chinese Marked Type 94
I presumed the information on Teri's WWII Japanese Handgun Website "Nambu World" was correct.

Attachment 59217
Attachment 59218

Identical markings on my Chinese Mauser and my Japanese Nambu Type 14. If these markings arent of the Chinese Nationalist Army as mentioned on Nambu World, does anybody know what they are and what is the source of your information?

I asked Shane O'Keefe "a friend from the old neighborhood" if he knew what it says. No, but his buddy Bernie Goldstein has a tattoo in Japanese writing and he thinks it reads "Crouching Tiger, Flying Dragon." in KOREAN.!!!...:mad smile:

So sorry guys, couldn't resist...:D