What is the first month and confirmed earliest 03A4 rifle?
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What is the first month and confirmed earliest 03A4 rifle?
feb 43
I have an A4, it is the 145th rifle made. It has a 2-43 barrel date.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil
:madsmile:
:surrender: I give up how do I post bigger print/:sos:
When you go to post, look on the area just above the "box" where you post. You will see several "choices" -- font size, type, italics, bold, understand, etc. Click on what you want and go from there. You see your choices as to font, type and size "surround" what you're trying to type. Keep your post within those "boundaries".
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It works,thanks
102 m1903A4's were produced in Feb 43 however only 2 were shipped (most probably due to the lack of scopes).Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil
In March 43 both production and shipments jumped substantially.
There is a chart in the back of Clark Campbell's "The '03 Springfield Era" (2003) that is a reproduction of an original document which details Remington's production and shipments of 03's, A3's and A4's.
Regards,
Jim
one quick way to get bigger text is to highlight the message with a left click cursor drag and then click on the 'B' for 'bigger'
The B is for BOLD not bigger. The font size is still the same. Use sizes instead.
:beerchug:
i read in hatchers note book, that they received the first 2 A4,s for testing in late Feb, and didnt start getting the first lot till March.
he didnt say if it was do to issues with scopes, or paperwork, they were supposed to get the test rifles early Jan, but that didnt happen.
maybe bolt issues? i know early A4 bolts are pretty darn hard, and fit rough.
What is the first serial number block? :wave:
i remembered that the first 1000 or so A4,s were held up do to lack of C stocks being delivered from Keystone, so Springfield modified some early C stocks by hand to get them done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollywood
In Dec 1942 ordnance placed an order for 20,000 M1903-A4 rifles. In mid January 43 Ordnance Ordnance requested Remeington to divert 20,000 receivers frrom M1903-A3 production and assigned the serial number block 3,407,088 to 3,427,087.
Its interesting to note that no allowance for scrapped receivers appears to have been made.
In June of 43 when the second order of 8,365 A4's was placed a range of 4,000,001 to 4,015,000 was created but only the first 3000~ were used and due to a numbering error in the plant, were prefaced with the letter "Z".
The last 5000~ rifles in the second order were assigned to the so-called third block of 4,992,001 to 5,784,000. The highest numbered A4 has been calculated to be in the neighborhood of 4,998,59X - The highest number reported was in the CMP's 1999 inventory and was 4.998,512.
The calculated high end number of about 4,998,59X correlates well with the real world. Most of the published references seem not to have taken scrapped receivers into account and vary from 4,997,045 to 4,999,045.
Regards,
Jim
makes you wonder how many ended up as subcal, pressure test ect guns.
RIA Museum has a few such items on display, and most are made from A4 receivers.
maybe they didnt meet target standards??or were out of spec?
iv also seen more then a few A4,s converted to regular A3 rifles, some were pictured on the old Jouster forum over the years.
Anybody have a picture of an early A4 barrel, dated 2-43? I was wondering if the lathe marks on the barrel are very rough.
dont have a handy pic, but the ones i have seen. look like any other early A3 barrel, other then sans front sight, and a punch mark on the bottom side of that area.
I'm not sure what the question is but if you have a rifle you are trying to authenticate a better way of going about it might be to post or email us pictures of the rifle in question. In any case there never were many Feb 43 barrels - those that exist should have four grooves.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollywood
Following is a "photoguide" showing the important areas on an A4. (IMO anyway :) )
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...oGuide_R-1.jpg
Regards,
Jim
I have an A4 barrel that is dated 1-43, it is on an early 340 sn rifle. It does not have a punch mark on the bottom but it is machined as an A4. The barrel is original to the rifle. IMHO I think the machining on this earlier barrel is better than the later barrels that I have seen. This particuliar rifle was brought back from Vietnam in 1970 and does not look like it has ever been rebuilt.
Nice A4 - very nice. Do you know what unit was using it in RVN?
Jim
USMC
RVN
1970-1971
I Corps
Jim,
I believe he was in 2/28 infantry, 1st ID. I will have to check and confirm with him. He did three tours, 1st tour as a Marine, last two in the Army (long story). Here is a picture of the export paperwork but his unit is not on it. Also, here is a link to my original thread on this rifle, was looking to see if anybody else had some documented bringbacks. There was a Vienamese manufactured SKS and a Luger in this same shipment. I have the Luger, Father in law still has the SKS.
https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=5200
wow dont see many claim papers allowing them to take u.s. weapons home..
Is this the rifle I saw at the SAXET show in Austin?
yup, that's the one Cecil.
Cool try to borrow the SKS for a day. Are you coming to the show next weekend?Quote:
Originally Posted by xarmor
I will probably make it out next week. I won't have any money to spend because I just picked up another A4, probably heading for divorce court!!:super:The SKS is still with my Father in Law, he is keeping a tight grip on it since the last two rounds it fired hit him!! It has remained uncleaned and unfired since that day. The Luger and SKS came from the same unlucky soldier, he had no use for them anymore.....
Xarmor I have a Database entry on this rifle 3408455 that dates back a couple years indicting it was a "probable Vietnnam bring back". I guess i can update the source to "confirmed". Could you provide any addtional details as to markings, finishes and the scope (if any)? Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by xarmor
Regards
Jim
Jim?? - Confirmed??..Curious?
nice. id bet thats a 1903 barrel as well, iv seen a few early A3 barrels that have the contour for the rear sight base.
How would I be able to tell? I have had the handguard off before and don't remember seeing anything different, but then again I wasn't looking.
Mike the Vietnamese paperwork has the s/n. So it would have seem to have passed thru that part of the world in one capacity or another possibly issued to US forces or at least "friendlies".Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Haas
Regards,
Jim
Jim, PM sent on rifle info.