new Smith Corona

I filled a big hole in my collection and finally got my first 1903 rifle, a Smith Corona 03-A3 from an auction. Looks pretty unused, except it must have been stored upright since the buttplate is kinda worn. The little I know of SC's are the X on the bolt, round cutout for the barrel band spring, and buttplate, which it's got. I think the cartouche is right. Beyond that I don't really know what else to look for. Kinda hard to see in the pic but it's got an O on the tip of the stock, and a little M by the proof. Any opinions, or comments on the correctness are welcome, thanks!

Looks really nice to me, but I am no ex~~pert.

DW

x2 on the no expert and looks really nice.

Nice,Correct stock,butt plate,barrel,from what I can see the bolt is correct.You did well.

Looks very nice so far. I don't ever recall seeing a SC Barrel stamped the way yours is though...Gonna be interesting if John Beard or Larry Byrd opin..

Congratulations! You did exceptionally well! :thup:

Everything I can see about your rifle looks correct and original. And your rifle is in splendid condition. :thup:

And in response to Mike Haas, the punch mark in the barrel date is not unusual for SC rifles from that time period.

J.B.

Thanks all, glad to hear it passes muster! How about a front sight cover, do I need to get one of those or did some just come without them? Also who made the stocks for Smith Corona? I have Brophy's book but it doesn't say. I was wondering if the "O" on the tip was for overton.

zaugau,

Does the barrel of your new rifle have a 6v, 4v, or 2v barrel ??

TIA, Don W

It's got 4 grooves. I just checked muzzle wear on a stone axe gage and it sits about halfway between 0 and 0.5

Man... I gotta go to auctions with you! NICE find... it looks much like mine sans the Raritan inspection/overhaul markings on mine. You just never know what might pop up in an estate sale or auction.

About 12 years ago, about the time Gettysburg came out, a guy stopped by my house with a rifle he bought at an estate sale. At the time I was a municipal Police Chief and he wanted to make sure he didn't need to "register it". The guy wasn't a collector and was a non-hunter.... didn't own any other firearms so he was totally ignorant on rifles in general. He bought it 'cause he saw rifles something like it in the movie, which he liked. It was an original Berdan's special order M1859 Sharps Rifle in excellent condition.... with a diary and letters from the original owner who served in 1st USSS in Company G raised here in Wisconsin. I stood there speechless.... and nearly passed out when he advised he paid $300 for it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mike in Wis.

About 12 years ago, about the time Gettysburg came out, a guy stopped by my house with a rifle he bought at an estate sale. At the time I was a municipal Police Chief and he wanted to make sure he didn't need to "register it". The guy wasn't a collector and was a non-hunter.... didn't own any other firearms so he was totally ignorant on rifles in general. He bought it 'cause he saw rifles something like it in the movie, which he liked. It was an original Berdan's special order M1859 Sharps Rifle in excellent condition.... with a diary and letters from the original owner who served in 1st USSS in Company G raised here in Wisconsin. I stood there speechless.... and nearly passed out when he advised he paid $300 for it.

---

jeebus I almost just fell over... lucky sob

Matt,
What finish does the stacking swivel and band have? Some of the late S-C rifles had a blued band with phosphate swivel, and are factory staked.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mike in Wis.

Man... I gotta go to auctions with you! NICE find... it looks much like mine sans the Raritan inspection/overhaul markings on mine. You just never know what might pop up in an estate sale or auction.

---

Thanks! Actually I didn't actually go to a live auction, it was just on auctionarms, but ended midweek so I don't think it got as many bites. It ended at $676. I'd like to go to a nice estate sale sometime but haven't been to one yet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Johnny Peppers

Matt,
What finish does the stacking swivel and band have? Some of the late S-C rifles had a blued band with phosphate swivel, and are factory staked.

---

I took a pic of the area, I think it's like you say.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zaugau

Thanks! Actually I didn't actually go to a live auction, it was just on auctionarms, but ended midweek so I don't think it got as many bites. It ended at $676.

---

That's a very impressive deal for an online auction. Wow! :beerchug:

Z,

Man don't dare install a front sight cover on that beautiful rifle. It will scratch the cr$p out of the front sight band. Get one yea, don't put it on.

Thanks for the photos. You are one lucky dawg.

LB

Back in the late 80's, I went to an auction that had advertised in a local penny saver paper that a .30-06 military rifle was being auctioned. I rushed to the auction, but missed the time before the auction when you could inspect what was being auctioned. During the auction, they brought out an 03-A3, but I was too far away to tell anything other than that. I bought that rifle, and was extremely pleased to find out I had an unissued, still in cosmoline Smith-Corona, just like the one pictured above. I removed the cosmoline from the bolt, but it remains in the bore and is to this day unfired (except for it's initial proof firing).

Don

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Beard

Congratulations! You did exceptionally well! :thup:

Everything I can see about your rifle looks correct and original. And your rifle is in splendid condition. :thup:

And in response to Mike Haas, the punch mark in the barrel date is not unusual for SC rifles from that time period.

J.B.

---

John

Mine has the punch in the bomb. Barrel date seems to be 1-43, receiver sn is 3625182.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Loy Hamilton

John

Mine has the punch in the bomb. Barrel date seems to be 1-43, receiver sn is 3625182.

---

Smith-Corona 1-43 dated barrels do indeed have the punch mark in the Ordnance bomb! :thup:

J.B.