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[northwalesfred]

hi all o3 springfield no 777178 is it safe to shoot

Information

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[martin08]

Yours is January or early February 1918 production, and DHT began on Feb. 20, 1918 at approximately serial number 800,000. So very close.

Molly Hatchet song comes to mind, "Flirtin' with disaster...."

[Fred G.]

Actually, the number 800000 was chosen because it seemed a good starting point for reference. However the actual double heat treating process began at Springfield Armory sometime after serial number 750000. They didn't pay attention to when it was.
Also, there were a few thousand Case Hardened receivers (Single Heat Treat) over 800000 that were used to build rifles, so you never know...

[m1903rifle]

Actually, the number 800000 was chosen because it seemed a good starting point for reference. However the actual double heat treating process began at Springfield Armory sometime after serial number 750000. They didn't pay attention to when it was.
Also, there were a few thousand Case Hardened receivers (Single Heat Treat) over 800000 that were used to build rifles, so you never know...

The receivers were numbered BEFORE they were heat treated. Are you saying that the few thousand receivers were numbered above 800,000 and then only given a Single Heat Treatment?

[Fred G.]

The receivers were numbered BEFORE they were heat treated. Are you saying that the few thousand receivers were numbered above 800,000 and then only given a Single Heat Treatment?

However or why ever it was done, there were several thousand casehardened receivers that made it onto rifles that had serial numbers above 800000. These were completed rifles and the receivers were never double heat treated.

---------- Post added at 02:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:01 PM ----------

The receivers were numbered BEFORE they were heat treated. Are you saying that the few thousand receivers were numbered above 800,000 and then only given a Single Heat Treatment?

However or why ever it was done, there were several thousand casehardened receivers that made it onto rifles that had serial numbers above 800000. These were completed rifles and the receivers were never double heat treated.

There were about 5,000 RIA 1903's that had double heat treated receivers whose serial numbers are in the single heat treat range of that Arsenal.

[eb2151]

Their is only one way ,actually to be sure.
You will have to disassemble the barrel from the receiver
and find the steel lot/Heat lot on the face of the receiver in question.
Their are safe lots on earlier receivers.
Respectfully submitted
Ed Byrns

[m1903rifle]

However or why ever it was done, there were several thousand casehardened receivers that made it onto rifles that had serial numbers above 800000. These were completed rifles and the receivers were never double heat treated.

---------- Post added at 02:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:01 PM ----------

I have one of the RIA rifles. The serial number is in the 280K range. It has a NS marked straight handle bolt with the little flaming bomb.



However or why ever it was done, there were several thousand casehardened receivers that made it onto rifles that had serial numbers above 800000. These were completed rifles and the receivers were never double heat treated.

There were about 5,000 RIA 1903's that had double heat treated receivers whose serial numbers are in the single heat treat range of that Arsenal.

I have one of the RIA rifles. The serial number is in the 280K range. The straight handle bolt is marked with the NS and a smaLL FLAMING BOMB.

[Fred G.]

Actually, the approximate 5,000 completed rifles were the ones that weren't used up in the testing and development of the Double Heat Treat process at Rock Island Arsenal. There were thousands more that were destroyed in the tests. I have one of the rifles as originally built on one of the surviving receivers whose number is in the 268000 range that was identified by John Beard sometime back. It has a barrel date of 7-18.

[Fred G.]

Rock Island Arsenal tested each of the double heat treated receivers with some type of sensitive instrument. Those that didn't pass were destroyed. A Very informative book written by John Beard and Nick Ferris goes into the details of it all. It's pretty interesting.

[Randy A]

Here is how it was explained to me, the 800,000 number is loosely based on dates. Where in fact the actions were not treated in numerical sequence and would stack up until a large enough batch (several thousands) were ready for heat treating. This is why the CMP will not allow rifles under 810,000. At that number they know all actions were in the correct process. Any numbers below that are a crap shoot as to weather they got the right treatment or not, some were treated but they also know many were not. As far as the Ops question, that sn is a smidge early I'd have to say it's in the unsafe class.