Mystery 03 Receiver, (3 major things wrong with this receiver)

[tomwatts]

1. This receiver is shorter than any other 03 receiver I have ever seen, none of the standard 03 parts, bolts, stocks etc fit it. The comparison picture with normal receiver on top compared to the short receiver on bottom tells the story.
Attachment 20895

2. The Serial Number has been forged. At first glance it appears to be 1241691 (a year 1922 receiver), but the digit "1" at the beginning of the string is a different font and the addition of the "1" moves the entire serial number out of proper alignment with "US Springfield Armory 1903". So its a year "1906" receiver.
Attachment 20893

3. This picture shows that the cut off area has been hacked off, for what I would assume is a left hand bolt.
Attachment 20894

So given all this about this Mystery Receiver, what do you guys think. The size issue has me stumped the other two issues are just unusual.

When I joined here I promised to bring you weird 03 stuff
Tom

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Johnny Peppers]

Looks like the guy read his ruler wrong when he welded it back together. Oops!

[John Beard]

The receiver is a welded restoration. The "1" at the beginning of the serial number is spurious.

The presence of the spurious "1" at the beginning of the serial number indicates that the receiver ring has been softened (annealed), perhaps when the receiver was welded back together. The receiver is NOT safe for shooting!

J.B.

[Mike D]

Been reading Michael Petrovs' book lately and that receiver reminded me of a section Michael wrote about Sedgely converted '03 receivers.

Sedgely cut down and re-welded '03 receivers to make sporters in various "shorter" calibers. That doesn't look Sedgley done, but could have been done for the same purpose.

[Chuckindenver]

the 1 was added at a later time...

[Allen Humphrey]

I doubt anyone could have stamped that exta "1" without annealing that metal first.

[tomwatts]

I knew it was not safe to shoot, "a 1906", even if I could rig up the proper headspace/cartridge combination.

I can't think of anything else to do with it, so it will become a paperweight!

Are their a lot of screw ball parts like this floating around the 03 ether? Just curious.

Is somebody out their collecting the oddballs, if so I might donate.

Tom

Getting parts like this is the bain of internet auction web sites and buying parts based on pictures...

[Jim Tarleton]

Nice weld job. I have cut and shortened several receivers, but not the 03. I have removed as much as 1/2" from the length without harm. Not too many years ago it was a common practice. One of my favorite rifles is a 91 Mauser cut down to feed a 22 K Hornet. It is a jewel to shoot and reloading is a breeze. Since I shoot in a swamp, I set it up to eject the empties into the narrowed clip so I wouldn't lose the empties.

Jim