"Display" picture of M1903s in Alaska, 1912

[Rick the Librarian]

A picture that a friend of mine scanned for me, was taken (according to the caption) in Alaska in 1912. Some of the caption is hard to read. Fort "Gibbon" or "Geddon"?

I love old pictures because of the high resolution. The original scan is a bitmap of 18.5 Mb! (thought I'd better make it smaller or all you guys with dial-up will get mad at me!!

The rifles appear to be those with no-bolt stocks and no-sighting groove handguards.

The original picture:



A closeup of the left side of one rifle - obviously, a no-bolt stock:



A closeup of the top of one rifle. The "no-groove" handguard is shown. Also, the receiver markings on the original scan appearto be Rock Island. From what I have been told, Rock Island M1903s were usually those sent to the Army in the Far West and Pacific possessions.



Finally, a closeup of the inspection stamp. It appears to be a CN, for
Conrad Nelson, who inspected RIA M1903s until 1913, when Rock Island ceased making M1903s until 1917.



(This picture is used with permission of Fort Casey State Park)

Information

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[rayg]

Rick, neat early Springfields, Ray

[Michael Petrov]

It's Fort "Gibbon"

[Rick the Librarian]

Thanks, Michael - Fort Gibbon, it is.

[deserttrans]

Thanks for the nice info and pics Rick.

[PeteDavis]

You know, until I "rediscovered" the M1903 in 2000, I assumed that all of them had no bolt stocks, and no-groove HG's. My first rifle fit the "original" description. If only I could find it now.

PD