Springfield Sporting rifle

I saw this Springfield Sporter and wondered about the stock. I confirmed the Serial number is a SS receiver and the barrel has the star gauge. But the stock has no cut out for mag cut off. Looks like some of the M1922 stocks that I've seen.

Is this a proper SS stock?

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../6vEHkpE-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../ThfBm0A-1.jpg

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

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../JKY1UEA-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../3VD5EIT-1.jpg

I won the other sporter in that auction. Lot 56, they had it listed as an A3.

Pretty nice price on this one too! Did you win it?

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Originally Posted by rcathey

I won the other sporter in that auction. Lot 56, they had it listed as an A3.

Pretty nice price on this one too! Did you win it?

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I sure did. Conrats to you. Your new rifle looked pretty nice.

Nice! Always good to see another bidder here. I miss the camaraderie of live auctions!

Back to your question, I don’t believe 1922 stocks ever had reinforcing bolts.
As for it being the proper stock, I can’t help much.

There are others here much more knowledgeable on the factory specs for these rifles. I usually just go for the prettiest ones :)

The 30 caliber 1922 stocks had the bolts, but the 22 caliber 1922 stocks did not have the bolts.

Thanks guys.

So, m1903rifle, do you think this is an original stock?

dont think thats a 22 cal stock, keep in mind, NRA sporter stocks were being repro a few years ago, they were pretty darn nice, i worked on a couple about 5 years ago for a guy, they were just like this.

Thanks, Chuck.

Did the repro stocks have the reinforcing bolts and lack the relief for the magazine cut off lever?

I once owned a repro NRA Sporter stock that had the crossbolts but lacked
the morticed out place for the cutoff lever. Perhaps mine was an earlier one
and the maker started making the morticed out place on later rifles. I can
only vouch for the one I had. The same stock had the barrel channel inletted
for the issue type 1903 barrel. I tried an NRA Sporter in it and it would not
drop in. Only a slight opening up of the channel would have been necessary
for the Sporter barrel to fit. I have no idea if the stock was a special order
from the repro stock maker or all his stocks had the same dimension . I agree with chuckindenver that the
stock was very good quality.

also, whats stands out to me, the rifle has been reblued, nicely done, but hot salts blued. originals were rust blued, the original headless cocking rods were in the white. have a few someplace. its been a while since iv seen a repro stock, last one was sent to montana to be checkered then back to me to be fitted to a rifle

Didn't the sporterized (by Springfield Armory) 03 have a checkered steel buttplate?

Yes. The 1903 Springfield NRA Sporter was not a sporterized military rifle. It started
with a new receiver and was built as a sporter.

The Springfield Sporter came in. Ran by my FFL holder to take a quick look.

The stock and metal are in fabulous shape. No "P" stamped on the pistol grip or any other cartouches that I could find.

I did find the serial number EP'd on the bolt body, but it is very light. Bolt appears to be original.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...lORzjpg1-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1a7pjpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...qlGBjpg1-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...gtGMjpg1-1.jpg


Didn't have much time before the rifle went in my FFL's safe.

A sporter 1903 stock does not have the "P" on the handgrip. It should have the notch for the cut off lever. The cut off simply will not work without it. Once you get it, take it out of the stock and have a look on the inside.

Best Erik

Thanks, Erik. I'll look inside the stock after the 10 day "cooling off" period.

On an original .22 stock, there is a small notch cut out of the forward end of the magazine opening, to clear the .22 magazine. Your rifle looks really nice. I would have no trouble justifying the use of a Dremel tool to make the notch for the cut off lever. Does the number on the bolt match the receiver? I notice the J5 bolt code. This is a common code for national match rifles, later than when NS codes were the usual. My original made in 1929 Springfield Sporter has a matching bolt with a N. S. Mark.

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Originally Posted by 1903kid

On an original .22 stock, there is a small notch cut out of the forward end of the magazine opening, to clear the .22 magazine. Your rifle looks really nice. I would have no trouble justifying the use of a Dremel tool to make the notch for the cut off lever. Does the number on the bolt match the receiver? I notice the J5 bolt code. This is a common code for national match rifles, later than when NS codes were the usual. My original made in 1929 Springfield Sporter has a matching bolt with a N. S. Mark.

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Thanks, Erik.

The number on the bolt does match the serial number.

I have checked more carefully and I made a mistake. There should be a circled "P" on the handgrip of a factory stocked .30 Cal. sporter. Perhaps I have been looking at too many Model of 1922's recently, that do not. Looking closer, I expect that my Springfield Sporter may have a factory replacement stock. These were available until at least 1940. Here is a picture of a 1922 NRA stock for a model of 1922 on the top, the Springfield Sporter on the bottom. The pencil is pointing to the tell tale notch.

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Originally Posted by Calfed

I saw this Springfield Sporter and wondered about the stock. I confirmed the Serial number is a SS receiver and the barrel has the star gauge. But the stock has no cut out for mag cut off. Looks like some of the M1922 stocks that I've seen.

Is this a proper SS stock?

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../6vEHkpE-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../ThfBm0A-1.jpg

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

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../JKY1UEA-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../3VD5EIT-1.jpg

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The simple contour of the pistol grip heal is consistent with the late and post war 1903A3 C stocks...type 14 or something. The sharp comb angle also looks A3, but the lack of cutoff well is a mystery. Also, weren't M22 and NRA stocks without a barrel band...or am I thinking of the WWI Air Service Rifle. Come to think of it the barrel band on yours is indeed shaped correctly for a sporter with no handguard, still...that cut off well has me stumped, but the pistol grip shape makes me doubt its correct. Would love to learn the correct answer as well!

All the Model of 1922 series rifles and the 1903 NR Sporter used the same barrel band. It went around the wood and stepped down for a close fit over the barrel. I have seen faked barrel bands for these rifles. One even had the R stamp, indicating manufacture by Remington.

The barrel bands on the original Model of 1922 rifles, the early 1922M1 Issue type, the 1922M1 NRA Sales variation, and all NRA Sporters had a shiny black finish. The M2 rifles had parkerized barrel bands. Nearly all the Springfield .22's that went through rebuild came back with a parkerized finish on all metal parts except for the Lyman 48 sight. From my experience in studying and collecting the 1922 series I would estimate that only 5% of the 1922, 1922M1, 1922MII and M2 rifles that remained in government inventory escaped refinishing that included parkerizing of all metal parts except for the bolt and Lyman 48 sight.

I brought home my new Springfield NRA Sporting Rifle. Took a few additional pics. Looking forward to submitting a range report

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ExVUjpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...42LJjpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...MMf3jpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...uWVejpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...23Q8jpg1-1.jpg




Only cartouche I could find was this "11" stamped in the pistol grip. Anyone know anything about this?

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...JERXjpg1-1.jpg

I went ahead and removed the sporter from the stock. Not what I expected

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...nlxAjpg2-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...fvrFjpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...PLv9jpg1-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...BpDwjpg1-1.jpg

Someone was caring for that rifle. Love to see that.

Thanks!

Any idea on the lettering in the barrel channel?

My O3's plus an M2. I think I have one more NRA Sporter, not in this photo. I have had the M2 for almost 60 years; the rest are more recent.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...lQ3hjpg2-1.jpg

Now that is a nice set of rifles. :super:

Nice looking rifle.

Anyone know anything about the lettering in the barrel channel?

To me it feels like a part number stamp on an aftermarket stock.
I could (likely) be completely wrong but that’s my gut feeling when I saw it.