New Zealand Lend-Lease Remington 1903s

[tristan]

I recently purchased an early Remington 1903, SN 3,016,xxx, with all early features. The rifle has New Zealand Lend-Lease markings on the butt of the stock. An unadvertised extra was the CAI import markings near the muzzle. I was wondering if anyone on the forum has the backstory on how the rifles were repatriated from NZ to the US. I have read the interesting tale of the Red Star Remington 1903s on this forum and others, but I can't remember seeing anything similar for any NZ repatriationsAttachment 92348Attachment 92349.

Information

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[Roy]

Nice one, Being from NZ I love NZ Remingtons and am lucky to own one here as they are quite rare. According to the NZ government stores board, large mixed shipments of weapons went to the US in the 1960's this is all that I know.

http://www.armsregister.com/arms_reg...ield_m1903.pdf

Do you have any pics of the whole rifle and the NZ marks?

Roy

[mrclark303]

Interesting, so unlike my NZ marked SMLE, these 1903 were only "NZ/census number" marked on the stock?

I would love one of these in my collection.

[Woodsy]

The lend-lease '03 Springfields were used in NZ during WW2 for arming Home Guard units. They were all gathered in at the end of the war and ultimately returned to the US along with 66 M1917 water-cooled BMG's that were also used by the Home Guard (and Airfield Defence). As Roy states, the NZ marked '03's are rare in NZ (only a handful 'fell off the back of trucks'!). I have never seen one of the NZ marked M1917 BMG's here. The NZ marked '03 I once owned was in near new condition, early WW2 manufacture by Remington and made to peacetime '03 standards. The only guns that NZ retained in .30/06 were the M1919A4 BMG's used by the Armoured Corps, and the Browning aircraft guns that were used in the Harvard (Texan) trainers until the late '60's.

[Roy]

Many of the NZ 1903's in the US are in excellent condition, mine however is less so and appears to have fallen off a truck, which backed over it. It certainly got hard post war use as a sporter but fortunately the owner never managed to get the front band off past the front sight! and it just was dangleing on the barrel!
Miraculously a NZ marked GG stock turned (In Otago) up with a patina to match the rifle and I also had a couple of early Remington handguards. The Sn is 3007800 or so, and still has the early Remington WW1 features. Lusting after a NZ marked bayonet for it now.

[tristan]

Greetings and thank you to the NZ collectors for your kindness in responding to my question as well as for the great information. Here are a couple of full-length pictures of each side of the rifle. The buttstock markings are:

NZ (Broad Arrow) D
2765

I can get a closeup if it would be helpful, and am willing to post detailed pictures of any other areas of the rifle that you would like to see. It is in overall excellent condition and I am very proud to have it in my collection.Attachment 92465Attachment 92466

[mrclark303]

Beautiful NZ 1903, quite jealous

Its on my wants list now .... along with a Lee Carbine and No4 to live with my ex NZ L2A1, LlA1, L2A3 and my all time favorite, my 1917 Enfield SMLE...

[Jonzie]

Here are a couple of full-length pictures of each side of the rifle.

Nice Rifle wish I had one. Thanks for sharing the pictures

[Woodsy]

Strangely, only the complete rifles were returned to the US. All the spare parts (stocks, bolts, extractors etc.) were sold by the Government Stores board and wound up at McCarthy's gun shop in Dunedin. A friend of mine got the remaining parts a few years ago and still has a good selection left. I will be seeing him this weekend and see what he has left.

[Sarge1998]

I acquired a 1905 Springfield Armory bayonet, the right side grip has a faint point up arrow followed by a Z and the numbers 6074 (just like the article in the second post), I believe this to be part of the Lend Lease to New Zealand during WWII. There are no markings on the blade to indicate the lend lease but the grips appear to have been there.