Pics of my first M1903

Purchased this along with a P17 this week, have been looking for a nice example of a M1903 for a long time and in the UK they demand a high price, and are hard to come by, the barrel i would say has seen the better part of its life, will be out to try it this week plus the new P17, only thing i know or if its correct is i found a page on the web which according to the serial number it was produced in 1930. any other info please,
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture155-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture153-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture154-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture164-1.jpg

Looks like a very nice rifle, bigduke. Yours was manufactured just over 10,000 before mine. That sure seems to be an early bazrrel date on yours; mine is 7-1918. Best of luck @ the range.
Donzi

Let's make that "early barrel". I gotta start paying attention :-)
Donzi

Your alowed to have a live rifle like that in the UK?? Was always told deactivated only.... Awesome if you can. *shrugs*

I'm looking at that serial and wondering if the "1" has been added to make it appear to be a high number. Someone who collects low numbers could be more certain, but the style of the script sure looks right for a 1909 rifle. My question would be should the "1" be so plain. I think not, and the spacing is wrong, too. If it is a low number there are some concerns RE the safety of the rifle with full power ammo; many who shoot low numbers, if they do so at all, use very mild loads. Others say they should not be fired at all. Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you may have been sold something that was not what you thought. Hopefully someone else will jump right in and say I'm wrong; hope so...

Bigduke what is the heat lot number on the underside of teh receiver. John Beard can confirm if the receiver is a high numbered one.

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Originally Posted by Matt Wolff

Your alowed to have a live rifle like that in the UK?? Was always told deactivated only.... Awesome if you can. *shrugs*

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Only things we cant have in the UK are Fully auto/semi auto rifles. Pistols were baned over 10 years ago, we still have black powder pistols and you can still shoot classic pistols such as Lugers, but this is limited to approved clubs and guns must be stored there.
thats just the basics, it would take me all day to explain our laws.

Sorry forgot to say semi auto rifles over .22rf so we can have ruger 10/22,s etc.

wow didnt know that. thats cool that you can still have live wwii bolt rifles. Was under the impression everything was banned cept black powder guns.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Griff Murphey

I'm looking at that serial and wondering if the "1" has been added to make it appear to be a high number. Someone who collects low numbers could be more certain, but the style of the script sure looks right for a 1909 rifle. My question would be should the "1" be so plain. I think not, and the spacing is wrong, too. If it is a low number there are some concerns RE the safety of the rifle with full power ammo; many who shoot low numbers, if they do so at all, use very mild loads. Others say they should not be fired at all. Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you may have been sold something that was not what you thought. Hopefully someone else will jump right in and say I'm wrong; hope so...

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If the .1 has been placed there this would meen it was made in 1909 still wonder about the 05 on the barrel.

If the receiver does date to 1930, a 1905 barrel wouldn't be unusual. Keep in mind that many receivers in the late1920s and 1930s were made as "spare parts" and were often mated to parts from earlier rifles, which had the receivers scrapped. The stock was originally made for a Remington 1903 or 193A3 rifle from World War II.

Just a thought, could the 1 and the last 3 have been added. Would the serial number than be in the range of the barrel date?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Griff Murphey

I'm looking at that serial and wondering if the "1" has been added to make it appear to be a high number. Someone who collects low numbers could be more certain, but the style of the script sure looks right for a 1909 rifle. My question would be should the "1" be so plain. I think not, and the spacing is wrong, too. If it is a low number there are some concerns RE the safety of the rifle with full power ammo; many who shoot low numbers, if they do so at all, use very mild loads. Others say they should not be fired at all. Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you may have been sold something that was not what you thought. Hopefully someone else will jump right in and say I'm wrong; hope so...

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I enhanced the photo of the receiver ring and using a caliper, I measured the distance between numerals and the height of each. The spacing and heights are correct. :thup:

What is odd is what appears to be an inletted insert into the stock mortise beneath the front receiver ring.:confused:

Jim:cool:

Hey Duke,

Nice rifle, does it have a Hatcher hole? About a three sixteenth inch diameter hole in the front left of the receiver just above the wood. What does the buttplate look like?

The combination of your rifle having the Hatcher hole? and the dink in front of the serial number could indicate USMC use at one time.

Two more things. Stick a toothpick into the slot at the rear of the front sight base. If the measurement is 0.20" then your '05 barrel is an original Rod Bayonet barrel which was modified for the thirty ought six cartridge. One of our experts here has several '05 barrels and has stated that they are exceptional. Not cheap either if a good one. Another indicator of your barrel having been altered would be a pin through the front of the front sight base.

Let us know what you see.

Best regards and thanks for sharing your rifle with us,

Lancebear

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Originally Posted by Lancebear

Hey Duke,

Nice rifle, does it have a Hatcher hole? About a three sixteenth inch diameter hole in the front left of the receiver just above the wood. What does the buttplate look like?

The combination of your rifle having the Hatcher hole? and the dink in front of the serial number could indicate USMC use at one time.

Two more things. Stick a toothpick into the slot at the rear of the front sight base. If the measurement is 0.20" then your '05 barrel is an original Rod Bayonet barrel which was modified for the thirty ought six cartridge. One of our experts here has several '05 barrels and has stated that they are exceptional. Not cheap either if a good one. Another indicator of your barrel having been altered would be a pin through the front of the front sight base.

Let us know what you see.

Best regards and thanks for sharing your rifle with us,

Lancebear

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Some pics showing front sight but has the protector over it (Should i take this off or leave on?), pic not very good but the letter is a U and also on the berrel band same U, no hatchet hole on left of the reciever also pic of butt plate,
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture179-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture180-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture181-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture178-1.jpg

Hey Big,

I think you are supposed to take the sight cover off to shoot.

To take it off, insert a small diameter shaft screwdriver through it and hold the front of the barrel with one hand and put the fingers of your other hand on both sides of the shaft and pull up sharply. Don't pull towards your face, could get a nasty punch. The sight base will be scratched but it was done already when the cover was installed. You'll then be able to see if the sight base pin is in the front or rear.

Death to tyrants,

Lancebear

hope these may shed some light, also had look underneath action and only stamp in stock is W
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture196-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture197-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture198-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture199-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture200-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cture201-1.jpg

Hey Big,

Thanks for the photos. Looks like you are now the proud owner of a rifle with an altered Rod Bayonet barrel. That's a good thing! Congrats! Don't know about the "W" on the stock, maybe someone like J.B. will tell us. Guess it is an inspection mark?

Death to tyrants and their toadies,

Lancebear

Thanks Lance,
I am at the range on friday will see how it shoots, bore looks good apart from last inch at the muzzle may have to counterbore, but think will keep it as it is.

So how did it shoot?

Your rifle has the correct serial number. The "1" at the front has not been added.

The "W" in the stock is a Remington factory subinspection mark.

Your rifle's barrel was originally made for a rod bayonet rifle.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

Thanks for that JB and thanks to everyone else for all the info provided, you will all be pleased to know it shoots like a dream, i managed 6 rounds in a 3" group and 3 of these were in a 1" group at 100m.
Cant believe the accuracy, am very impressed, anyone know where i can pick up a M1903A4 ?

Hey Bigduke,

Good shootin'. Guess you'll be leavin' that barrel alone now:).

Took a look at my '03 with an '05 barrel on it today. It is exactly fourteen hundred and ninety numbers higher than yours. Pretty close. Has AAG on the left of the stock, Augusta Arsenal. Does your's have any inspection marks on the left?

Wonder if anyone else here has an 03' close to our two with an '05 barrel?

Happy Fourth:),

Lancebear

yep the barrel is staying , no marks on the stock only mark i found is the W in previous pics.
1490 is not a lot, i wonder what the time difference was between them in days or weeks ? some pics to compare will be good.

Hey Bigduke6,

The difference could actually be years, since in the thirties, Springfield was not churning out rifles like they did between 1903 and the early twenties. Believe they were putting rifles together with new receivers and good old parts on hand. Though I think John Beard has posted that many thousands were put together in the thirties, could be wrong though:). He'll sure let me know about that.

Our rifles could have also been assembled or reworked in the early forties. Yours wears a Remington stock, mine a Springfield Scant stock manufactured in the forties as a replacement stock. Who knows? Maybe J.B.?

Anyway, both rifles could have receivers and barrels mated in the thirties, used in training, and in the early forties had the stocks replaced with the WWII wood they wear now.

Think I can post some photos for you. Always lookin' for a project.

Were you ever in the service? Bigduke6 kinda' sounds like a call sign. Or maybe you are a John Wayne fan?

Regards and death to tyrants,

Lancebear

Makes one wonder if old stock barrels from SA that were taken off when Rod Bayonet rifles were converted weren't hauled out for this small SN range??

That's what I was thinkin'. Could just be a coincidence though. My barrel is an altered one also.

LB

LB,
Not in armed service but am coming up to 20 years As an Engineer officer in the Merchant Navy (Merchant Marines as you would say over there).
Bigduke6 was, Kilgore(Robert Duvall) in the film " Apocalypse now

"Put on heading 270. Assume attack Formation... Getcha a case of beer for THAT one..." (for your group, that is!)

Yes, one of my favorite movies as well. I'm glad the rifle is a shooter and that I was wrong about the S/N being altered. Must have been the lighting in the pic. John Beard is he ABSOLUTE authority.