Heavy Barrel T Model 1903 A Few Questions

First I would Like to introduce myself as I am new here. I am a well seasoned Collector of interesting guns and stuff. I should have joined up years ago.

I picked up this 1903 28 inch Heavy Barrel T Model today. Serial Number 1314415. From What I can see it is a 1929 gun going by the serial number. The number falls in with a number of other target models. The gun looks good to me with a few exceptions. Obviously it needs a buttplate. It had a lace on leather pad at one time but it had come apart. I believe it has been reblued. There was a 1999 repair tag with it stating " remove rust and touch up ". There are a few small spots of minor pitting on the barrel that have been cleaned and blued over. The wood looks great and untouched. The bolt sleeve is a bit of an odd color sort of like case colored? It has the headless cocking piece and reverse safety. The bolt is numbered to the receiver. The trigger guard looks polished and blued as well.

My questions: What type of buttplate is correct for this gun and does anyone know where I might obtain one? If anyone has a similar gun can you measure from the back of the trigger guard bow to the end of the wood so i can tell if this has been shortened any. Mine measures 12 and 1/4 inches.

Was the interior of the receiver polished? The top of the follower is polished off but not the rest of it, is this correct?

Is the bolt sleeve the correct finish.

What type of front sight would be most correct? I have several Lyman Globes and a Winchester Globe with windage adjustment that will fit the dovetail.

I have put a Winchester A-5 scope on it and that seems to give it a completed look. According to Brophy that should be an OK scope for the gun.

There is a 3 digit number on the bottom of the barrel. Is that the star gauge number?

Thanks for your help on this one. I do have plenty of other interesting guns to share at some point.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462236_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462242_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462239_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462245_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462290_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462286_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462285_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462282_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462256_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462258_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462301_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462306_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462309_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...462318_o-1.jpg

You have an original Style T that was sold on 12-16-30. This info is from SRS Sales data.
I measured the stock on one of my 1922 Springfields, that has the same stock, and
from back of trigger bow to back of wood it measures 12 5/8". It appears that your stock has been shortened 1/2". The correct buttplate is the 1922 Buttplate that came on the
NRA porters and 1922 Series Springfield .22's. Generally the wood on the butt of the stock was slightly proud of the buttplate. You would have to try one to see but I believe a correct buttplate would stick out from the wood enough that it would be unsightly. The hollow inside of the buttplate can be filled in with weld then machined down to make it fit the dimension of the wood. That would take a good gunsmith but would be one cure to the problem. The scope blocks are the type needed for the A5 scope. No problem with the scope you have
but it would be a problem to mount a newer target scope with the concave ended screws that mount the scope to the blocks. The blocks for later scopes have little half moon milled out places for the concave ends of the screw to fit into. Bubba sometimes tries to make the newer ring assembly fit onto the blocks on your rifle and ends with a buggered up edge to the block.

I suspect the reversed safety came on your rifle from SA.

The correct front sight would be a plain military post. The are available and inexpensive.
Another option will be Lyman 17A that will fit into he dovetail, or another maker's globe type sight that would fit the dovetail.

Your bolt is correctly numbered to the rifle. I have similar discoloration on other bolt sleeves. I am sure it is correct as the bolt sleeve
has to match the reversed safety to make it work

The numbers on the bottom of the barrel are the star gauge numbers.

The circle P on the pistol grip indicates the stock came on the rifle. Replacement stocks
were available but lack the circle P proof.

You can see in Brophy what the buttplate looks like. The show up often on the internet autions in the $100.00 and up price range. A correct one will be nitre blackened. Most that are available are parkerized. The parkerized ones came from stocks of guns made up to issue to rifle clubs.

More than you asked but I believe information that will be useful.

Thanks Herschel, That was what i was hoping to hear except for the short stock but I kind of expected that. You confirmed a lot of what I was thinking and added a bit of useful information as well. I am glad to hear you have seen similar colored bolt sleeves. That was one of my major concerns. I have a nice looking Lyman 17 that will most likely end up on the gun. My A5 scope looks right at home on the rifle. The thumbscrews that hold it on are not correct and bind up in the holes before fully seating. I always end up needing the hardest to find items one can think of. I will add these to my list. All in all I am fairly pleased with the rifle. It came into my local gunshop and then left. I was fortunate to give the owner my number and told them to give me a call as I seriously interested in the rifle. It will right at home along with the other interesting Springfields in my collection. The hunt for these old guns is a major part of the fun. Stuff like this comes my way quite often, I never have to go looking for things to spend money on. Do you know if the inside of the receiver where the bolt slides was polished bright on the guns? None of the pictures I can find show this are very well.

The number of my HB Style T ends in 14441 very close to your rifle. Mine is listed in the DCM sales book. I bought it from Scott Duff back in 2008. Many of these rifles had the stocks shorten thats what they were made for. Mine had about a 1 1/4 inches removed. I think the HB O3's are a cool rifle. Thats why i now have three.

---------- Post added at 07:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:17 AM ----------

I also have the original star gauge record card and a 1000yrd NRA shooting metal with the rifle.
I got some great stuff from Scott over the years. I wish he was still dealing.

I did some online searching on the T style guns and found many to very close to my serial number. I suppose a batch was set aside for building these. After talking with Herschel and taking a very close look at the stock I am starting to believe it has not been cut. It still has the center hole from the lathe when it was made. If take a very close look around the edges you can see the stain which would have been removed if it had been cut. The buttplate measurements also seem correct. I have located a correct buttplate and when it arrives it will tell the story. If it fits then all is good. Where can you find the original star gauge records? I am also going to look into the SRS records. I have all the books and this gun is not listed. When you consider the number made vs the number of gun in their list that is not surprising.

You have to be a member of the US Martial Arms Collector. Its $35.00 per year you get 4 magazines per year with good information.
As far as the star gauge record you can't that was sent with the rifle along with a target. I have 3 Springfield 03's with records.

---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:45 PM ----------

All my HB rifles along with 3 NM 1903 and 1 1922 M1 have SRS papers. My .22 M1 I have the original paper work and letters from the buyer and Springfield, along with the original target the rifle was shot at.