My First M1903

I've been wanting a nice 1903 for years to add to my collection. Two weeks ago I ran across this rifle being sold from a private collection. The collection contained about a half dozen of these along with many other Military surplus rifles. It is honestly in the best condition of any 1903 I've ever seen. It was advertised as All Parts Matching, Like New, Museum Quality. Which is why I paid what I did for it ($1500). Is it possible that this was unissued? Please give me an honest opinion of how I did here. I bought it to shoot but after seeing the condition I'm having second thoughts, what do you think? It feels like a new rifle, the bolt is well lubed but very stiff & not worn in at all. I'm just comparing it to most 1903s that I've seen, they're silky smooth & nicely worn in. from my limited knowledge, the serial#, barrel date, & RLB "C" stock seem to be correct. I've included photos of the marks that I can find. If there are any others I'd be happy to take the photos.

Send It, Sorry to say it but I see many red flags on this.
Proper stock would be a straight grip. Stock looks like a replica C stock with a bogus RLB recently stamped. The fitting of the handguard and front band do not look like armourer work, as there are gaps etc. Finish of metal and stock look too good to me to be original but I will let others comment on that. The buttplate is refinished for sure. Sorry Salt Flat

Hi,
The looks like a nice restoration that can run to the amount you paid, but not unissued rifle IMO. The receiver & barrel could be original by the Remington serial #. But a number of the parts seemed not be Remington marked like they should be. The stock is a C stock which Remington did not used on their produced rifles, look like reproduction stock to me. The rear sight is a late ww2 replacement (slide design & numbering font not Remington). The metal park do not look quite the proper color to be original. Remington did not make serrated (grooved) triggers. Have you shot it yet? how the accurate does it shoots.

Owen

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Originally Posted by Send It

Please give me an honest opinion of how I did here.

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It's a slapped together fraud and not a good one. Hopefully you can get your money back.

Unfortunately, I must agree with the others - the rifle has been pieced together with mixed parts. The stock is not original and the RLB stamp is faked. I highly suspect the stock is aftermarket. A boxed RLB stamp is too early for the rifle, in any case. A correct stock would have been a "straight" one without grasping grooves and a "spread" R L B

Few of the parts are R-marked (there should be an R stamp on virtually all the major metal parts) and the light gray finish was probably done by a former civilian owner. Below is a picture of what an original Remington should look like. I can post pictures of individual original R-marked parts, if needed. The rifle in the picture is quite a bit earlier, but your rifle, if original, would have looked basically the same.

Unfortunately, although a good "looker", the rifle was overpriced quite a bit and represented correctly, IMHO.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-3.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-4.jpg

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Originally Posted by Rick the Librarian

Unfortunately, I must agree with the others - the rifle has been pieced together with mixed parts. The stock is not original and the RLB stamp is faked. I highly suspect the stock is aftermarket. A boxed RLB stamp is too early for the rifle, in any case. A correct stock would have been a "straight" one without grasping grooves and a "spread" R L B

Few of the parts are R-marked (there should be an R stamp on virtually all the major metal parts) and the light gray finish was probably done by a former civilian owner. Below is a picture of what an original Remington should look like. I can post pictures of individual original R-marked parts, if needed. The rifle in the picture is quite a bit earlier, but your rifle, if original, would have looked basically the same.

Unfortunately, although a good "looker", the rifle was overpriced quite a bit and represented correctly, IMHO.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-3.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-4.jpg

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Thank you very much for your help with this. If you had to put a value on it, where would it be? It may help me with negotiations.

For a shooter, which you say you want...I should think about half what you paid. I'd still have issue with the fit of the wood though... You can get a good shooter that's at least original MILITARY parts. Not a repro stock. It may not shoot a bucket of barns with that stock.

The value on this one is just as a shooter. It's a parts gun, refinished, and I think it's a repo stock as others have said as well. I think about $750 range is pretty accurate.

Guys thank you very much for your honesty. I truly appreciate it.