Cartouche on my 1903 Rock Island??

[Ed42]

Got a Rock Island 1903 that I believe has a born on date of 1917. It is about 8000 above the cutoff serial for the low number Rock Island rifles. It also has the swept back bolt handle. My first question is do you think it made it overseas to WWI? Secondly, the only stock markings I can find is on the left side of the rifle on the wrist kind of below the safety and it is a rather small rectangle with what looks like a 3 then maybe a G then maybe an M and then a letter or number unreadable and lastly a T or K. So maybe 3GM?K or T. Any idea of what that is? Thanks for any help. I’ve not had a 1903 before so learning curve here!!

[Ed42]

Here are some pics hopefully!

[Ed42]

Pics didn’t work. Hopefully this link to Imgur will! Any help would be great. I’m new to the 1903!!

Hope it works Imgur: The magic of the Internet

[Garandy]

3GM-K is an often encountered marking that I don't believe has been definitively identified though there are several theories. I believe it is also seen on M1917 rifles.

[Ed42]

URL works for my pics!

[1903Collector]

RIA only made straight bolts thru EOP in 1920. They never adopted the swept bolt like SA did mid 1918. So yours has not the original bolt body. Original make of the other bolt parts can not be determines without assembly and pics to observe.

You didnt mention the "type" (version) of stock and handguard, so answering the question "did the rifle make it overseas to WWI?"...well, it certainly did not with the current bolt, but it is possible that the receiver did, but is the barrel the original barrel? SAme question for the stock and handguard? Without pics of the barrel, stock, handguard and other parts that would allow evaluation to confirm Make and "type", one can not guess if those were original to the rifle as issued, and therefore whether they were part of a rifle that was shipped overseas during WWI).

The stock markings sound like some of the many small inspector stamps placed during various stages in the stock and rifle production and assembly. A period correct RIA S-Stock must be one with finger grooves and would originally have very RIA specific final inspection and make stamp on the left side behind the mag cut-off lever well as well as a very specific final Proof stamp on the underside right behand the trigger guard.

If the final inspection and make stamp on the left side behind the mag cut-off lever well and the final Proof stamp on the underside right behand the trigger guard are not present then the stock went thru an arsenal rework during which it was a common practice that most original cartouches (primarily the final inspection and make stamp and the final Proof stamp) were "boned" - that is, sanded off to varying degrees between partial and complete obliteration. The many small inspector stamps were often NOT boned or not nearly as much).

It seems likely that at the very least your rifle was arsenal reworked at some point in time (interwar, during WWII, or post WWII). The stocks of most, but not all arsenal reworked rifles, were stamped with the Arsenal cartouche in the same are that the original make an final inspection cartouche was located. Most, but not all were re-stamped with a final Proof cartouche of a style that were also specific to the rework arsenal.

[tazaroo]

@1903Collector
RIA did make a swept bolt for their NM rifles in 1919 but it wasn’t swept like a SA bolt.