NM 1903 Springfield question

[Rick the Librarian]

If you can identify it and it is in the 1,300,000-1,500,000 range, it may be a stock taken from another NM rifle. Again, pictures would help.

[Calif-Steve]

Starting to sound like a parts gun to me. Really need some pictures to help.

[JerryB08]

Hello, I am new to the site and still learning. I don't mean to be off topic but can some of you look up any serial numbers? Or just Springfields? I inherited some old Civil War Colts and Colt want's 300 per pistol for the information. I have no use for the letter these have been in my family since they were new and they certainly will never be sold.

[Johnny Peppers]

The Colt letter would tell when and where your Colts were shipped. If you don't want these letters, what kind of information are you seeking?

[Calif-Steve]

Johnny- Are you saying the rifle is not a NM?

[JerryB08]

haha I don't want to spend 600 for the letter or to find it out. The letters would be nice if they were reasonable. The informatrion could be as bland as heck. I'm told one of mine is a confederate officers pistol that my ancestor captured. I would like to confirm that. But increasing the value does me no good what so ever as My son will get them eventually. I understand why they do it... But it would be nice if they could just tell you... no letter. Now S&W, Mr Jink's are stand up they simply told me my smith was shipped in 1872 to m &D robinson their largest supplier and sold from there some where. My family bought it new. a .44 American, but what good would a letter have been had it been a Colt.

I'm sorry I know this was off topic.

---------- Post added at 03:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:05 PM ----------

It doesn't sound like it.. Or parts of it are not

[Johnny Peppers]

Johnny- Are you saying the rifle is not a NM?

Not sure which post you are referring to, but if it is the post indicating the rifle was not a DCM Sales rifle, that only shows there is no record of it having been sold as a NM. It could have been a military NM which was never sold as a NM. The military retained NM rifles need to have everything original to a NM rifle of their particular vintage as a very good indication of what they were. As indicated by other posts, the rifle could have been a NM that never left the military, and at some point was turned in, rebuilt, and issued as a service rifle. It would be an individual decision as to how much premium one should pay for such a rifle.

The SRS letter indicating the rifle was originally sold as a NM is the best proof you can have of what the rifle really is. I have a NM with SRS documentation that it was a 1925 USCG team rifle which was returned to Springfield Armory on October 31, 1930, rebuilt into a 1903A1 NM, and sold to a civilian at the 1931 Camp Perry matches.