Punch mark

[John Beard]

Greetings fellers; Can anyone tell me what a punch mark on the shelf below the serial # means ? gun is #825259 , thanks

It means the rifle has been overhauled and re-proofed.

J.B.

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[Mike Haas]

It means the rifle has been overhauled and re-proofed.

J.B.

JB - I'm confused again by your answer. I thought the "punch mark" indicated the reciever had been proofed and accepted for use. Multiple "punch" marked indicated rebuild and re-proof.

I note that the OP was asking about a 1903 receiver so my question now goes to 03-A3's (Rem. & SC). I have 4 Remingtons, all of which have the single "punch" mark. One of which I believe to be completely original and one that I know has been re-barrelled. I also have a SC (very late) that has been overhauled without barrel change (RIA stock Stamp (L/Rear) with one "Punch' mark on the receiver.

What gives??

[John Beard]

JB - I'm confused again by your answer. I thought the "punch mark" indicated the reciever had been proofed and accepted for use. Multiple "punch" marked indicated rebuild and re-proof.

I note that the OP was asking about a 1903 receiver so my question now goes to 03-A3's (Rem. & SC). I have 4 Remingtons, all of which have the single "punch" mark. One of which I believe to be completely original and one that I know has been re-barrelled. I also have a SC (very late) that has been overhauled without barrel change (RIA stock Stamp (L/Rear) with one "Punch' mark on the receiver.

What gives??

Turk's rifle is S/N 825259. At the time his rifle was originally manufactured during WWI, the practice of placing a prick punch proof mark on the receiver ledge had not been adopted. So, the presence of such a mark on his rifle's receiver ledge indicates that his rifle went through overhaul years later after the practice had been put in place.

Your '03-A3's were manufactured a number years after the practice of placing a prick punch mark on the receiver ledge had been put in place. So, your '03-A3's properly have the prick punch mark. The prick punch mark is an original factory proof mark.

Except in one particular case, rifles going through overhaul did NOT receive additional prick punch proof marks on the receiver ledge. One was deemed sufficient.

For reasons yet to be discovered, a branch of military service adopted a policy of placing three prick punch marks on the receiver ledge during overhaul. The three prick punch marks are NOT an indication of multiple overhauls. The three prick punch marks are thought to be overhaul subinspection marks and not necessarily proof marks. In any case, the three prick punch marks were placed simultaneously in a single event and NOT over a period of time.

Hope this helps.

J.B.