1903 Trench Rifle

[fredh46]

Gentlemen, your opinions on Gunbroker item #144640490, 1903 trench rifle with 25 round magazine, as described in Brophy page 217. Is there really any way to determine if this is authentic or a "bubba".

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[Johnny Peppers]

It helps to provide the link if you want someone to look at something.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=144640490

[Jeff L]

Difficult to prove the provenance of this rifle. It would be easy for someone to have found and added the 25 round magazine. My 2 Cents.

-Jeff L

[Chuckindenver]

Greek return, that someone added a 25 round box magazine to, to try and get a suckers money .
avoid it.
the rifle experimented with for trench use, had a hinged stock, and standard magazine box.
at least its not being pawned off as a {air service} rifle.
or special tankers rifle/

[fredh46]

My apologies for not including the direct link, JohnnyPeppers. I had meant to do that and then had a brain fart.
Chuckindenver, Borphy also shows a straightstock, standard rifle to which a bracket was attached to the left side of the stock, for attaching to the periscope. I was thinking that maybe this was one of those, but there is no eveidence of this rifle ever having had a bracket attached. Are the stock marks an indication that it is a Greek return? Thanks so much gentlemen, I apprecaite you sharing your knowledge.

[Chuckindenver]

in other 03 books they have better pictures of the rifle.
yes, the finish, and the stock markings are common of Greek returns.
several box magazines have been sold on Ebay,GB and AA.

[fredh46]

I have occasioanlly seen the mags for sale, but I would think that the floor plate would be extremely rare and almost impossible to make from a standard floorplate, since the magazine release is a part of it. But I guess given enough time, proper tools, knowledge, and desire, nothing is impossible.

[emmagee1917]

...to be detachable. It just replaces the floorplate. Loaded with strippers through the reciever. No feed lips nor anyway for it to stay loaded if removed. There was a metal cover that rotated on to keep the spring inside when shipping or removed from a rifle.
Chris