Original 1903? Not re-arsenaled???

[John Beard]

There's one at the gunshow here in Colorado Springs and they want a ridiculous amount of money for it.
S/N 1223xxx
Barrel 2-21
Forgot to look at the bolt.
No re-arsenal marks of any kind.
W.E.S. inspector. Got a soft spot for that as my name is Wes.
Smooth butt plate
What are the chances that this thing was never re-arsenaled?
If so what would be a fair price?
I'll tell you how high it is. I could probably get him down a 1000 bucks and it would still be twice what a good condition 03 is.

(1) I hesitate to speculate on the probability that the rifle you examined has not been overhauled. I can only state that original examples are extremely scarce.

(2) Walter E. Strong (W.E.S.) is the correct inspector for an early 1921 rifle. That's documented!

(3) The rifle you describe in excellent original condition should start at about $2500 and go up from there.

Hope this helps. Happy Holidays!

J.B.