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Hello,
So I saw this and decided to bid on it, now im trying to see if its worth even if I bid on it or am I screwed: Unmarked Model 1903 Springfield - 30-06 - Experimental? - Bolt Action Rifles at GunBroker.com : 876162918
Thoughts are appreciated
Bernard
That is a weird one.
To me, it feels more like someone had a receiver casting, did a lot of work to it, and cobbled together a rifle out of it.
If this were some crazy rare prototype, I don’t think the finish on the receiver would look like that.
I'm thinking it's a put together. Even experimental rifles have markings. Hard to say where the receiver came from.
I saw a couple of receivers (only) like this for sale on the Hoosiers Gun Parts site a few years ago. They were described as 1901 Trials Experimental, unfinished and not heat treated. Someone at Hossiers might know more about these. It would be interesting to know if the one on Gunbroker is heat treated. Salt Flat
I went to the Hoosiers site and they still have some pictures and info regarding these 1901 Trials experimental receivers. Here's the link. --Salt Flat
1901
Definitely one of the so called M1901 receivers. The bolt has the safety lug ground down so that it will enter the receiver. The rear sight resembles one found on M1903 Rod bayonet rifles. The stock is a later one with both reinforcing screws. And, last but not least, it has a Rod bayonet front sight. Totally a "put together" outside the arsenal.
As stated it appears to be a random conglomeration of parts using one of the unfinished 1901 receivers. The area of concern I would have is someone buying it and trying to shoot it. As I remember it some one examined one of these and found it had never been heat treated.
So, with all this said...could one get a receiver of this ilk heat treated? Who would do it and to what standard? Is there a Rockwell number? Anyone know what would be done here?
The absence of the 'hump' on the clip bridge and the cut-off housing extended forward of the thumb cut identify this as a M1901 receiver, numbers of which were sold off to Bannerman in a partially finished state and made up by him with a mixture of Krag and obsolete Springfield parts.
a number of these unmarked receivers showed up after the Springfield Armory closed back in the 1960's
It has made the rounds over the years. It is simply put, a cobbled together 1903. The rear sight is a Krag 1902 sight. The screws are not correct and do not fit properly. The receiver is very questionable. AS is it even safe to fire. With no marking at all I would never attempt to fire it. Now there are some nice parts not not worth the asking price.
The receiver is a 1901 and not heat treated. I have one and on the one from the auction, the burrs on the sharp edges from manufacturing are still there Dead soft of whatever steel Krag receivers were made of.
On another forum, a poster has seen this put together at a Texas gunshop. He said it has sat around there for a long time.
Yea, somebody used an un heat treated 1901 receiver and put together a franken03. It isn't safe to fire and isn't worth what the final bid listed was. I've one of the unused 1901 rear sight base's for that model.