Early Rock Island Find

[rayg]

That's a nice early 1903 RI rifle. The serial number places it as off the line about 8-07. I have one serial #87241, with the bbl date, 6-07. That is original correct also. These are very scarce early 1903's still having original dated parts as they are one of the earliest standard production Rock Island rifles manufactured with all new and correct period made components in the very first months of regular RI 1903 production in 1907. It’s not one of the put together rifles using mixed Rod bayonet or 30-03 parts. Rock Island arsenal waited until the Army finalized changes in the rifle from the rod bayonet, to the knife bayonet, and then from .30-03 to .30-06. After final model approval, any parts that were already made the arsenal assembled into complete rifles and issued them out. All these assembled rifles will have mixed period receiver and dated parts. By about 1907 most of those misc early parts had been used up by RI and rifles made after that were made mostly with newly made parts with fairly close matching receiver, parts and barrel dates. See C.S. Ferris & J. Beard, pg 25. The rifles should have all the correct early 1907 dated components and a high wood stock with no stock reinforcement bolts, a split rear sight base cut out, and a no sight groove hand guard, also the small rear sight wheel and the Platinum sight line on the rear sight leaf slider. The stock should have a “CN” 1908 cartouche and an “S” stamp on the stock tip and a proof “P”. Very scarce to find early original manufactured R.I. 1903 rifles that have not been assembled from stored parts and especially one that was made in the very first months of normal production.
Attachment 93847Attachment 93848Image, Ray