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