Question on inspector's cartouche??

[Bob - The Beagle Master]

My 1903 RIA was made in 1913 and the inspector's stamp is CN 1913 which should be C. Nelson 1905-1913, Joe Poyer's "The M1903 Springfield Rifle And It's Variations" lists Nelson as a Springfield inspector, not as a Rock Island inspector. How come?

Information

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[Rick the Librarian]

According to C.S. Ferris' Rock Island Rifle Model 1903 Conrad Nelson did work at Springfield Armory--from 1892 to 1904. He was appointed as final inspector of small arms at Rock Island Arsenal in 1904. He remained at RIA through the entire period of the first manufacture of the M1903, and indeed, until 1915, when he went to Remington, during their manufacture of the P1914 and later, M1917 rifle. He returned to Rock Island after the war and remained until his retirement in 1929.

Except for that early period, he never worked at Springfield. It is unfortunately, one of many errors in Joe Poyer's book on the M1903. Your rifle has the correct inspection stamp.

[Ogtree]

If your handguard is also original it should have a "capsule-shaped" indentation
on the inside (barrel side) of the handguard. I have commonly heard this feature called a "fixture slot", presumably a means of securing the wood in position as the wood was shaped. I believe that Conrad Nelson approved handguards at RIA would have this feature and WW1 rifles would not.
I have a CN/1911 stock with a JLH/1918 overstamp and the handgurd has the "fixture slot".

Ogtree