SC 1903A3 Rebuild Barrel Markings O.B.S.3

I have searched a bit and found no like rebuild codes I found while cleaning my new acquisition SC 1903A serial #3622813. I place this receiver in Jan 1943 with with a barrel date of 3-43 so the barrel and receiver seem likely original to me. Thinking the three month window was relevent? Anyway, the barrel under the hand guard reads RBLT O.B.S.3 1.3.1945. I can't seem to find O.B.S.3 in any of the arsenal code charts I can find online. Also seems odd an A3 would be rebuilt only two years after being built and likely retain the original barrel and from what I can tell the original stock as it's a SC stock. Any help identifying O.B.S.3? Probably simple and I am just missing it.

Thanks

Ok, so, that’s cool. I’m going to have to give my A3 a look over.
Very interested in what the experts have to say!

More common to find with M1 rifles, thought someone had a list of the rebuild codes ?

Here are some for M1 that I found and others for 1903, but still no match or even partial match.


M1
AAA,AN,A4 - Anniston Army Depot
AA - Augusta Arsenal
AHA - USMC Arsenal
BA - Benecia Arsenal
LE - Letterkenny Ordnance Depot (orange triangle on pistol grip) or LEAD
OG - Ogden Arsenal
MR - Mt. Rainier Ordnance Depot
RA - Raritan Arsenal
RR - Red River Arsenal
RIA - Rock Island Arsenal
RRA - Red River Arsenal
SAA - San Antonio Arsenal
SA - Springfield Armory
Std Prod - Standard Products
TE - Tooele Ordnance Depot

1903 - See attached

Further research finds that OBS 3, stands for Ordinance Base Section 3, Brisbane Australia. I was told this rifle was a bring back, unlikely right, but the mans father was a B-25 navigator in WWII. I have emailed him to find out if he was in the Asian theater. Would seem more likely this could be a bring back if he was in the Asian theater and a Navigator who would not have been issued a M1? Regardless, a fun research project. Don't think this one will get "put back" to full SC status. Very cool that the exact location of this rifle during the war can be pin pointed. Does a rebuild on a 2yo rifle mean it was actually used or just abused? Cool stuff!

I've also seen "PBS" - which I've been told is "Peninsular Base Section, which translates as Italy.

After contacted the man who inherited the rifle from his father, I find that his father was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines during the war. The timeline and location makes sense given the location of B25's in both locations during the later days of the war. Still digging.

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Originally Posted by Winch61

After contacted the man who inherited the rifle from his father, I find that his father was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines during the war. The timeline and location makes sense given the location of B25's in both locations during the later days of the war. Still digging.

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B-25's were used in those areas late '42' onward until Wars end and it wouldn't shock me that a B-25 crewman would be issued/obtain a 1903-A3.

Rob

Good start! The way organized research works - and in contrast to wishful thinking - is to establish a known, then work towards the lesser known. It's like moving through a new house at night with the lights off - grab that doorknob (the known), then ease your way down the hall. Fewer wrong turns or stubbed toes that way.

My next step would be to find the organization chart for OBS 3. Try AFHRA at Maxwell AFB and/or NARA. The former has often responded quick like a bunny to my requests for basic info like this. The reason for getting the org chart is that you have no idea whether ground forces and air force ordnance units served together at OBS 3. The goal here would be to understand the possibilities of where your rifle served before rebuild (you'll never know for sure, of course). Again, go from known (OBS 3) to lesser known - how many and what types of ordnance maintenance units are under consideration. If it turns out the number of candidates is manageable, then you can pursue operations reports for those units to get an idea of what type of work they were performing. Reports of this type vary widely in detail - apparently there was no standard - but the good ones often contain lists of types and quantities of items worked on.

I have a 1944 T/O&E for a medium bombardment squadron. All aircrew were authorized pistols; all ground crew were authorized carbines. That's the rulebook, but early unavailability of carbines would have made '03s the substitute. Anecdotally there are Missing Aircrew Reports from CBI that list '03 serial numbers, so flying with '03s is not unheard of. Of course, a handful of anecdotes tells us nothing about how frequently something like that happened. Hypothetically, if you told me you had learned that this rifle was turned in when carbines became available, I would not object. This scenario too could be researched, but it might take a long time and lots of $. First things first. Good luck. Keep at it.

Old thread but some added details. This is the third one I know of, all done in 1945.

As it makes no sense they would be rebuild 1903A3 (let alone they wern't used enough to wear out) as well as the one I owned was pristine, I believe OBS3 was rebuilding them to send back with GI to the states.

Who knows if they were selling them and or by using up spare parts.

Is the barrel SC as well as the receiver? Two others were R receivers with SC barrels. Mine had 1 MW and TE.

Came across a 1903A4 with a SC barrel 12-42. After taking off the handguard I found the markings on the top of the barrel RBLT. O.B.S. 3 with 9. 4. 45. under it. The rifle and all it's parts had been parked, replacement stock and HG. It came to me at a gun show from a retired Marine. I didn't get any story with it but that he got it from an older Marine that had given him some weapons he had had from WW2.

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Originally Posted by RC20

Old thread but some added details. This is the third one I know of, all done in 1945.

As it makes no sense they would be rebuild 1903A3 (let alone they wern't used enough to wear out) as well as the one I owned was pristine, I believe OBS3 was rebuilding them to send back with GI to the states.

Who knows if they were selling them and or by using up spare parts.

Is the barrel SC as well as the receiver? Two others were R receivers with SC barrels. Mine had 1 MW and TE.

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The barrel is SC from March 43 so based on receiver date of 1/43, I believe this to be original. I thought I read somewhere that A3's was used more than we think due to the initial shortage of M1's in the field. I don't recall where this was..believe it was based on photos of the field with A3's being seen. Anyway, it is peculiar why it was rebuilt, but could have been left in the mud, covered in blood, damaged stock, million reasons. The individual I purchased the rifle from said his dad was issued the rifle, no reason to think a 80+ year old veteran would lie about it at that point in his life. Don't think the feds are searching out illegally brought back weapons. He also had is 1911, that went to the other son. I have not spent much time on this of late, life tends to get in the way, but with some free time now I may look into it a bit more.

Thanks for the feedback and any help is greatly appreciated!!