Which '03 am I looking for? (Navy use)

[pmclaine]

There is no telling for sure what the history of any rifle is conclusively but I have been told that this one



comes from a block of serial numbers that were on the USS Betelgeuse, an AK that served in the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres.



Doesnt mean my rifle was on that ship but ones before and after in serial number were according to SRS records. The paperwork that came with it when I bought it last year indicate it was a CMP sales rifle from 2002.

Information

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[Cosine26]

The rifle looks as if it has the reverse safety found on some National Match rifles. Also it looks as if the bolt is polished.

[pmclaine]

The rifle looks as if it has the reverse safety found on some National Match rifles. Also it looks as if the bolt is polished.

Educate me regarding the reverse safety please.
The bolt does look polished and may have been but it is a WL3 not NS. There is no serial marking of the bolt and the barrel lacks a star gauge. The stock is marked with an S in the cutout but it lacks a serial number and drawing numbers. The barrel and reciever may have been an original set (8-31 SA Barrel) but the balance is mixmaster - a rather well cared for mix master that I am happy to have come into.

[Cosine26]

The normal safety is to the left for fire and right for safe. In 1928 the safety was reversed on NM rifles. With the "S" stock, if one "crawled" the stock in prone slow fire, he would probably get hit in the nose by the standard safety. ERGO - the reversed safety which put the safety to the right when in the FIRE position.This safety was available up through about 1931 when the supply was exausted.I believe that the idea came from K.K.V Casey, an early shooter.
If your "C" stock has an "S" in the cutoff recess it may well be a pre war Springfield stock. This is a valuable stock.
It looks as if your bolt is a DHT. Quite a comon cbange by shooters since the NS bolts were "sticky",Or it may just have been installed during overhaul. See Vi's bolt chart.