New to me Remington M1903

[browningautorifle]

I can’t see any Join but guess it’s under the block,

It's at the back. That's why the step at the back of the foresight looks a bit odd.

they were short of 24” which is what’s required for a shotgun over here ( U.K.) so they’ve added an inch. Then bored it out to smooth bore.

That makes perfect sense. They didn't know to use a rod in the bore to measure...against a closed bolt.

[mrclark303]

Anyone have any idea on the foreign ownership markings?

Arab North African ??

[Chuckindenver]

got to be the roughest 1903 iv ever seen, has been there done that for sure, crazy barrel mod, SA made replacement barrels, 1942 and again in 1944. for the 1903.

[bigduke6]

Certainly is Chuck, the stock has had a good hammering inside and out, it wouldn’t handle a 30-06 round for sure, it is fire wood to be honest but I bought it for a conversion so not all is lost.

[Chuckindenver]

i love it, has been around for sure, i wouldnt change anything, but maybe the barrel, i know the UK laws might keep that from happening, maybe a 22LR tube inside the old barrel

[bigduke6]

.22 Liner is probably the way to go,

Be interesting to find more on the markings, to see were it’s been, I originally thought it may of been a lend lease at first, but no sign of any red paint…….

[bigduke6]

Cleaned up the woodwork, still a bit to go but does look better, the smaller of the repairs come loose, in process of making an other plus the bigger one but for the present time they had a bit of dye on them, but the wood is that soaked in oil, grease etc it’s not really doing much.

Areas around trigger etc were still covered in a lot of old grease, definitely been in storage at some point, on cleaning some of the crud away discovered a few flakes of red paint ……..these were tiny and had stuck to the grease, could be coincidental, think the serial number is high for a lend release but can’t find anything set in stone regarding this.

It does have proof marks, one under bolt knob, one on side of receiver and one on barrel , obviously barrel one done when it was smooth bored, the Receiver is hard to say if it’s old or new, the one on the bolt knob I’d say is probably when the rifle was released ( this is when they all would of had to go through proof)

The patches, repairs definitely UK or Commonwealth Armourer, especially the one on the stock behind the inlet for the tang, has a split along here and stops at a butterfly patch. I’ll get some pics up when daylight.

Markings on stock , direct behind trigger guard , very faint P in a circle and a small letter J under this
On the top at rear near tang of butt plate is a small 1.

[Claven2]

to me it's a M1903 Mk1 stock that was put on that rifle either during a refurb, or when the gun was made a shotgun. The barrel would have been removed to smoothbore it, so no telling if it's the original barrel, but it's not inconceivable that an early 1942 RA would get issued, get damaged, go back for overhaul in late 42 or early 43 and get a late 1942 SA replacement barrel installed.