Help with new Remington 03a3

[surpman1911]

It is the RA marked by the FJA inspector mark. Here is a good website http://m1903.com/rbmarks.htm

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[JGaynor]

It is the RA marked by the FJA inspector mark. Here is a good website Stock Rebuilding Marks

Surpman thanks for the reply but as others have mentioned the large "RA" in that location stands for Remington Arms. Interestingly the rifles specifications called for marking the stock withe the: Ordnance Escutcheon (Crossed cannon topped with flaming shell encircled with a cannoneers belt), and the Final Inspectors Stamp - in this case the FJA with or without a rectangular surround. BTW Col Atwood was in overall charge of contract manufacture for the entire Rochester Ordnance District which covered a number of industrial plants. Remington alone operated 20hours a day i believe six days a week. So the actual inspecting and stamping would have been done by a small army of enlisted men (or women) or their civilian counterparts who ultimately reported to Col. Atwood.

What's unclear Is why Remington felt it necessary to apply the RA? it was not called for in the specs and Smith Corona never stamped a similar mark. Clearly the markings on the receiver left no doubt as to who made the rifle. Another mystery!

Regards,

Jim

[M94/14]

The "RA" mark was apparently applied by Remington to distinguish Remington manufactured stocks from the Smith Corona manufactured stocks. At least that's the way I heard it.

[JGaynor]

The "RA" mark was apparently applied by Remington to distinguish Remington manufactured stocks from the Smith Corona manufactured stocks. At least that's the way I heard it.

i believe the "RA" stamp was applied to complete, finished rifles not just the stocks. Besides Remington had sub-contracted much of it's stock manufacture to third parties like Keystone who place their own mark on the stock. Many rebuilt rifles are seen with the "K" marked Keystone stocks but without any of the factory stamps (RA, Ordnance Escutcheon, Final Inspectors Stamp) because the replacement stocks were installed somewhere other than Remington.

Regards,
Jim