George Farr's Springfield 03 rifle (NRA Video)

George Farr's Springfield 03 rifle - one of the greatest untold stories of sporting competition!

Walk out of the mists at Camp Perry.... pick a standard issue rifle of the rack... and win the National Championship with a record 71 bullseyes? It actually happened! "Like a walk-on pitching a no-hitter to win the World Series". This is the rifle he used. Phil Schreier of the NRA National Firearms Museum tell the story of George Farr to John Popp on this episode.

George Farrs Springfield 03 rifle - one of the greatest untold stories of sporting competition! - YouTube

Because the bolt is highly polished, might this rifle be an early National Match 03 that was taken from the rack? I remember that he'd initially chosen another rifle first that he wasnt satisfied with and so he'd rejected it for this one that he used for the shooting. In other words I don't think that this rifle was a standard issue 1903

Yes, the record shows that George Farr had initially drawn one of the newly produced National Match 1903 Springfields from Army Ordnance prior to the matches. The day prior to the Wimbledon Cup Match however, his first rifle suddenly went sour, so he turned it in and drew his second rifle of the match.
I believe that it too was a National Match. Was it a 1920 National Match or a 1921? Only the serial number of the rifle would be able to narrow that down. Anyone know?
Anyway, he used Match Ammunition as well. Still, his ability to use that rifle and ammo to hit the bulls eye so many times was impressive. George Farr was certainly a Rifleman.

The serial of the rifle visible in the video is 1.216.470 which is not SRS listed as being NM. However, along that serial are a few 1922 dating DCM NM sales rifles, such as 1216487 and 1216491.

SUMMARY
It was interesting to see the FARR rifle, but I thought that as an NRA curator, the narrator, did a very mediocre job and did not seem to have a grasp of his subject.
The match was the Wimbledon Cup Match. It consisted of two sighters and 20 shots for record at 1000 yards, using any rifle and any sight. Some used the service rifle and some used a re-barreled M1903 with a “PRESSURE BARREL” in 30-06 (The Big Magnums had not yet made their appearance). A competitor fired 20 record shots and if he fired twenty FIVE’s, he continued to fire until he fell out of the 5 ring (there were no “V’s and certainly no “X’s” on the 1921 targets as alluded to by the narrator .) It is said that the 1921 matches added the “V” ring to the targets
“Dad ´Farr was no ‘bumpkin’ who had just ‘fallen off the Turnip truck’ but was a civil engineer who was on the Washington State Civilian Team. He was a self taught accomplished rifleman. As were many who were caught in the financial doldrums of the early twenties, he was not destitute but was not rich. He decided to use the as issued 1921 NM -M1903 and 1921 FA NM ammo.
The rifle he used was not the ordinary off the shelf ‘service’ rifle but was the Model 1921 National Match M1903 especially prepared for the 1921 Nationals by Springfield Armory.
The ammo that he used was not ordinary service ammo but was the especially prepared FA 1921 NM ammo (the famous or infamous “Tin Can Ammo.), which was some of the most accurate match ammo loaded up to that time.
He shot the match in his ordinary shirt (no padded jacket) using half of an opera glass for a spotting scope as he could not afford the spotting scopes in vogue at the time.
He took his place on the line and using the rifle which he had previously “zeroed” at the 600 yard line. Using his O’Hare sight mike he set in the elevation for 1000 yards and fire his first sighting shot –a TWO. After making a sight correction, he fired his next sighting shot – a FIVE. He then proceeded to fire twenty consecutive FIVE’s; at which point he got up to leave the line. His scorer told him that since he had fired a perfect score (all FIVESs) he should continue firing until he fell out of the FIVE ring and handed him two more five round clips. As was his practice he loaded the entire clip and started firing. Having fired ten more FIVES, he needed more ammo. The search began and he continued to fire while the search for more ammo continued. During a delay while others were searching for more ammo, the evening light was fading and his final shot was a four.
The winner was a USMC sergeant shooting telescope sight equipped heavy-barreled M1903 using commercial ammo.
The gathering crowd was so impressed by his accomplishment that they took up a collection to purchase the rifle for him (He could not afford the $41+ price of the rifle) and had a plate attached to describe his accomplishment and list the contributors.

As a result, the FARR Trophy was initiated, to be awarded to the high service rifle shooter of the Wimbledon and it is still in competition today.
This is only a summary of the significance of the FARR rifle. I hope someone finds this of interest.

Yes, your information is Very Interesting! Thanks!

Cosine, Nice of you to take the time to write that up, very informative!

Kurt

Just a small add to the story. The match was before the "X" ring tie braker. It was this incident that prompted the "X" ring to be used. Also, the family had the rifle for all of these years. I saw the rifle at Camp Perry and at the Reno Gunshow a few years back. His grandson donated it to the NRA. Nice touch by the family.

The 1921 Matches added the "V" to the targets not the "X". The "V" was added to the "B" and "C" targets in 1922, The 200 yard target was an 8" FIVE ring without a "V" ring until 1920 when the FIVE ring was increased to 10" without "V" ring. In 1960 the size of the FIVE ring was increased to 12" with a 6" V ring -which was later changed to a 4" V ring. The "X" was added to the new high power targets (SR & MR() in 1967 and became the offical competition targets. Initially the A-B-C targets could be used NRA classification but not for establishing national recordsThe 10-X LR target was introduced into competition 1975.

Here is a link to a wonderfully written account of what happened that long ago day at Camp Parry.

http://www.bobrohrer.com/sea_stories/end_of_an_era.pdf

---------------IF THE PDF IS BLANK CLICK HERE TO VIEW.---------------

Cosine26 is correct. I knew the "5V" Target was the outcome of this match. I understand that the spectators all pitched in nickles and dimes and the odd quarter to buy the rifle for Farr. Not sure what is cost, as used NM rifles sold at a discount. But, $41.00 was a small fortune in the 1920's.

I think that the rifle that Mr. Farr is posing with in the photograph within the article is Not the same one that he used to shoot in the match. The hand guard of the rifle in the photo has a concave shape and the bolt doesn't appear to be brightly polished. The rifle in the photo was probably just one that Farr was handed to pose with in the photo after he'd already turned in the rifle that he'd used in the match. At the time of the photo, the group of admirers had probably not yet had time to present him the 1921 National Match rifle with the silver plaque mounted on it.

Just a general observation on the NRA Museum: I had a friend of mine who got a "special" tour of the museum a few years back. He said nearly all the M1903s were mixmasters and numerous people on this and other forums have better examples.

After watching the video of the Farr rifle, I must agree with a previous poster that they curator's presentation fo the Farr rifle really sucked. I visited the NRA Museum a few years ago and the Farr rifle was one item I really wanted to see. I had to really look for it! The display case that it was in was crowded and the rifle was standing straight up, leaning against something else, with a small 3x5 card description of what it was. I really was disappointed in the manner it was displayed. I often wonder what became of the target that he fired. Probably the board was put back into storage for the next year without a thought.

MUCH, MUCH more informative that the NRA Curator!!!!!!!!! Your account is very much the way I have read about it. I also thought, when I visited the NRA museum, that the rifle would have a more promenant place. I found it in a large case with a whole bunch of other guns and items that seemed haphazardly displayed. The Farr rifle was standing upright with only a little typed 3x5 card with a brief description. I was disappointed.

I think that the only interest it holds for them is that it's one more attraction. The rifle could be more prominently displayed at the Springfield Arsenal Museum.