Please help me with this m1903 a2

hi guys
Merry Christmas

i found on a gun store this rock Island 1903 A2. i know nothing about it. could anyone tell me if it is real or a fake??
thanks
andy

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/gp8ml7-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/n6VVTz-1.jpg
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https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/4WAhV9-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/qZHYCz-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/6qZFRi-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/JNEPF2-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/9qkzlq-1.jpg

Well I am far from the premier expert in this early model RIA, but I am 99% certain this is no 1903A2, and I have never seen any thing that looked like those cartouches before.


I don't remember much about the A2 but I know they were stamped cleanly before being hardened and this receiver appears to have the A2 chiseled in with a bit!


The stock is a 1903A3 Scant, definitely not a early RIA, so even if those were legitimate cartouches they would not be for that early RIA.


For $100.00 dollars I would add it to my oddities collection but it's not anything I would pay real money for!


My .02
Cheers


Update:
I take that price back, I like the late model barrel, I would give 200.00 for the barrel, and as a parts gun to be disassembled and sold as parts or used on other projects the whole gun might be worth 400.00, in MHO

That is what is called a Sub-Caliber Rifle made into a regular Inf. Rifle !................
Here maybe this will help, you have a good one there & yes it worth about a Grand !.................
Ten Oddball '03 Springfield Variations

Please see this link:
http://auction.odcmp.com/auctions/de...d=52&pic=0#img
Notice the quality of A2 stamping! Just saying!
Waiting for some more opinions on this one!

The "A2" designation does indeed indicate that at some point the receiver at least was used as a sub-caliber device for either a tank or anti-tank gun (sometimes even artillery). It would fit inside the barrel / breech of the larger weapon and allow the crews to train in reduced space. Many moons ago in Korea we had .22 sub-caliber devices for the 105mm main guns on our M60A3 MBTs. We'd drive up to a field about half the size of a basketball court where and entire model 'village" was set-up and dozens of scale model T-55s and BMPs were scattered about and we'd blast away with British made .22 tracer rounds - practicing the entire sequence of identifying the target, giving the fire commands, etc.. Now it is all done with computers. Sigh.

Of Note on the stock. The Boxed "O.G.E.K. = Ogden Arsenal Elmer Keith. He's the well know gun writer, worked as an inspector for a short while.

I found this on the net

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/7mrE9j-1.jpg

But i dont if the arsenal repair is correct. I mean the stock cartouche is correct?

I have done some more research, and both Chuck in Denver and Rick the Librarian say they have seen both stamped and scribed A2, so I will say that the receiver is most probably an A2.
Everything else on this gun does not look like a correct rebuild. Still wondering about those cartouches!
Just saying!
Tom

Hi Tom
May i know why for you it doent look a correct rebuild?

So for what i found,
The rifle was used as A2 , as it marked. The sent near 1944/45 at the odgen arsenal where it was rebuilt and rebarreled. As the cartouche odek say.
Than sent after the ww2 to greek for the civil war (1946-49) as the Marks says ( the X, the O and the 2 T on the stock and the B on the floorplate) coukd it be correct??

The rifle is a Greek return. Most likely the receiver was put back into commission by the US and than was sent to the Greeks at some point in time.

Aaha the cartouches explained, I was sure they were not SA or RIA, but I am not familiar with Greek cartouches, but I should have guessed same, but it would have been just a guess!

M1903guy explained the cartouche, " Of Note on the stock. The Boxed "O.G.E.K. = Ogden Arsenal Elmer Keith. He's the well know gun writer, worked as an inspector for a short while." E. Keith was an inspector at Ogden during WW2. Are there any other ways to identify this rifle as a former A2 other than the scribed "A2" marking ??

Because the A2 had no stock , the trigger and sear pins had to be held in place another way ( and maybe the floorplate catch pin , too ? ) . Two chisel stakes in an " X " pattern on both ends was done . Those may still be present .
Chris

Attachment 59250

Looks like that front bushing was slipped on and pinned in place with the front sight key as a normal front sight.