Rock Island serial numbers

[Jerome Cooper]

I recently acquired a RI with a serial number which is over 421,000. It seems to be much higher than the usual ones and is probably one that has been assembled from parts left over somewhere in the 20's or 30's. How far did that program go in terms of serial numbers and what is the highest number recorded on these completed Rock Islands. Thank you. J. Cooper

Information

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[Calif-Steve]

They got up to 430,XXX, then stopped receiver production. All receivers, finished or not were shipped to Springfield in the early 1920/21 timeframe. Springfield put them into production around 1927. Your receiver was likely finished at Springfield and had a 1927/28 barrel mounted on it. I have roughly the same thing with a 1916(?) barrel on it, the parkerizing matches perfectly on the barrel/receiver and I would guess the barrel was installed at Springfield in 1927, no way to know, however.

[Rick the Librarian]

The last confirmed serial number was 430,742 and supposedly the parts were sent to Springfield in the mid-1920s. Most barrels seen on these higher-numbered receivers were in the 1927-1929 range, with a handful from 1930.

Get a copy of C.S. Ferris' book on the Rock Island M1903 - he goes into some detail on these "hybrids".

[Jerome Cooper]

Thank you for the information. I neglected to mention that the barrel is not an SA. It is marked AV which must have been one of the barrel makers for Springfields at one time. It looks like an original. It is in good shape and the rifle shoots accurately. Thanx again for the help. J. Cooper

[Rick the Librarian]

AV is the Avis Barrel Co., which made replacement barrels for M1903s from 1918 to 1919. I would bet the barrel was removed from a scrapped low numbered receiver and installed on your receiver. Possibly it is original, but it may have been installed at a later time, also. "Parts is parts" was the US Army's motto!

[Calif-Steve]

Good chance your Avis barrel was installed at SA. But, no way of knowing, for sure.