Recently acquired 1903A1 Questions

[Valkyrie45]

I just purchased a 1903 Springfield and have a couple questions. My book said the 1903A1 serial number range was approximately 1.2 to 1.5 million with a Type C stock, etc. This 03's SN is 1,505,XXX. It has a SA barrel dated 8-42. The bore is dark but has lots of rifling. Have started the cleaning process and hope it slicks up. Stock has a nice dark red color with nearly no skuff marks, etc. From the books description it is a WWII type C stock. It doesn't have any cartouches or finger grooves and feels fat in the grip. Why is the SN above the highest range in the SA book references. Did SA build several thousand extra receivers and build rifles on in to the early 40's? Any history or references on this range of high number Springfields would be appreciated,

Information

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[Rick the Librarian]

Although is open to question by some, technically, any M1903 with a Type C stock (or a Scant, too, for that matter) was considered a M1903A1 by the Army. The highest known Springfield M1903 was in the 1,536,000 range. (Remington M1903s, M1903A3s and SC M1903A3s were numbered 3M and above) Yes, Springfield built over 200,000 extra receivers during the service life of the rifle. Most were used earlier (often to replace low numbered receivers), but some were undoubtedly assembled during early World War II.

[John Beard]

I just purchased a 1903 Springfield and have a couple questions. My book said the 1903A1 serial number range was approximately 1.2 to 1.5 million with a Type C stock, etc. This 03's SN is 1,505,XXX. It has a SA barrel dated 8-42. The bore is dark but has lots of rifling. Have started the cleaning process and hope it slicks up. Stock has a nice dark red color with nearly no skuff marks, etc. From the books description it is a WWII type C stock. It doesn't have any cartouches or finger grooves and feels fat in the grip. Why is the SN above the highest range in the SA book references. Did SA build several thousand extra receivers and build rifles on in to the early 40's? Any history or references on this range of high number Springfields would be appreciated,

(1) Your SA book references are in error.

(2) No. The last SA receivers were made in the spring of 1940.

(3) The most accurate serial number/production data are available at the following link.

http://vishooter.home.att.net/sa_serialization.txt

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[Loy Hamilton]

RTL do have the most colorful avatar.

Weather kind of warm today in sweet home Alabama!! Had a tornado warning just a while ago in northern Madison County.

At what point did they technically start refering to them as A1's? When the C stock started appearing?

thanks,

Loy

[Rick the Librarian]

As I recall, the "official" adoption was made in 1929. For several more years, the only C stocks were on NM and Sales rifles.

[Valkyrie45]

Thanks to everyone for the information. I love learning more about US Military weapons. So by the SN chart recomended to me it appears this receiver was made late in 1937. With a SA barrel dated 8-42 and what was described to me as a WWII Type C stock would this rifle be considered to have been rebuilt during WWII, sometime later than WWII or did the receiver sit in storage until being built sometime after the 42 barrel date? I realize this would be purely conjecture but since the stock has no cartouches, etc. I was thinking it was not in the main war time assembly process. Could this one be one of the ones built for Sale?

Since the two 03 books I have, seem to be lacking in some information, what reference guide would you recommend? I have "A collector's Guide to the '03 Springfield" and "The Springfield 1903 Rifles".

Thanks Again.
Bruce

[John Beard]

Thanks to everyone for the information. I love learning more about US Military weapons. So by the SN chart recomended to me it appears this receiver was made late in 1937. With a SA barrel dated 8-42 and what was described to me as a WWII Type C stock would this rifle be considered to have been rebuilt during WWII, sometime later than WWII or did the receiver sit in storage until being built sometime after the 42 barrel date? I realize this would be purely conjecture but since the stock has no cartouches, etc. I was thinking it was not in the main war time assembly process. Could this one be one of the ones built for Sale?

Since the two 03 books I have, seem to be lacking in some information, what reference guide would you recommend? I have "A collector's Guide to the '03 Springfield" and "The Springfield 1903 Rifles".

Thanks Again.
Bruce

(1) It's possible that the S.A./8-42 barrel is original to your rifle's receiver, but not likely. Some of the very high serial number receivers (mostly above S/N 1529000) were originally fitted with 1942-dated barrels.

(2) As I recall, the WWII-era Type C stocks inletted for the '03-A3 barrel guard ring didn't appear until 1943 or 1944. So, the stock indicates your rifle was overhauled in the latter part of WWII.

(3) Your rifle was not originally built for private sale.

(4) A good reference book on M1903A1 service rifles has yet to be written.

J.B.

[Don W]

Valkyrie45,

The first aircraft program that I worked on was the XB-70 (Valkyrie)

http://area51specialprojects.com/xb70story.html

I hope the link works ~~~~~

Don W

[Valkyrie45]

I am afraid the selection of my name "Valkyrie45" was not due to any experience with such an awesume plane you referred to. I chose my name building a ebay account five years ago when I owned a Honda "Valkyrie" motorcycle. At the time I was 45 years young. My wife claimed it was a midlife Crisis, and maybe it was. I rode for about a year and witnessed several riders either injured or killed and decided to enjoy my dearest hobbies, hunting, fishing and collecting military stuff instead of limping around or worse, wheel around the rest of my days.

The Valkyrie Bike is a very powerful motorcycle. Six cylinder, six carbs, 1500 ccs of GO!

Thanks for the help with my 1903A1.

[lonewolf]

Should have bought a Harley....More about enjoying the ride than "fast"