03A4 markings

[JGaynor]

One of these days i will wise up and check my own database . i have a record of 4993402 with a 5-43 barrel, Smith Corona Bolt (or at least the bolt sleeve) that was listed on the Gunboards forum a few years ago. The note i have with it was that it belonged to an Austrian collector and carried an M73B1 Scope. It had the modified receiver marking.

Regards,

Jim

PS If this is the same rifle 4993402 also had a 2groove bbl, and a scant stock with an SAA rebuild mark.

Regards,
Jim

[Promo]

The Austrian Army was supplied with 800 of those 03A4's.

I know where 40 of them are - all being demilled by removing the scopes and mounting bases and having the barrel drilled for salute shooting. Well, someday I'll buy 40 barrels, 40 scopes, 40 mounting blocks, .......

[JGaynor]

The Austrian Army was supplied with 800 of those 03A4's.

I know where 40 of them are - all being demilled by removing the scopes and mounting bases and having the barrel drilled for salute shooting. Well, someday I'll buy 40 barrels, 40 scopes, 40 mounting blocks, .......

Promo, Is there any chance that you could lay your hands on a list of serial numbers of the rifles in question (either the 800 originally tranferred or the 40 scheduled to be demilled).
As i suspect you are aware only 28,365 M1903A4's were originally built. Of that we know the US Army destroyed about 500 during one session in the 1990's. I have information on about 600 that should exist somewhere; either in personal collections or museums. To find an addtion 800 or even 40 would be a major shot in the arm to the data collection effort.

PS as to the serail number ranges for A3's and A4's the best sites can be reached through the sticky section of this forum. Simply scroll up to the link labeled the Remington Society of America or alternatively to Vi Shooters Site. The data on on both sites was prepared by Bill Hansen who accounted for such details as scrap rates durong manufacture. At the end of his list on the Remington site he provides a substantial section of notes detailing his methodology.

The National Park Service Springfiled Armory Website has several major errors which at least as far as WW2 Remington production is concerned makes that site all but useless.

Regards,
Jim

[Promo]

Should be impossible to get S/N of all 800 03A4's, but we'll see what I can find out. They recieved them somewhen between 1952 and 1955, they first belonged to the "B-Gendarmerie" (Bereitschaftsgendarmerie; literally belonging more to the police, in fact the ancestor of the actual Austrian Army, the "Bundesheer"). They obviously were all equipped with the tiny Weaver scopes. Additionally the "Jagdkommando" was using M1A1 paratrooper carbines until the 70's.

I'm already hunting for those 40 03A4's, the only thing so far I got to known i that there's not a single one with Z Prefix among those.

PS: And when I'm with that topic - the 'Bundesheer' still had 300 Garands that were Lend-Lease rifles. The Austrian wanted to give it back, the US didn't want to have it and also didn't want to sell them. So they were (or are now?) being destroyed.

[Johnny Peppers]

PS: And when I'm with that topic - the 'Bundesheer' still had 300 Garands that were Lend-Lease rifles. The Austrian wanted to give it back, the US didn't want to have it and also didn't want to sell them. So they were (or are now?) being destroyed.

Maybe some type of post WWII aid, but surely not Lend-Lease, or I don't understand who they were originally Lend-Leased to.

[Promo]

OK, recieved this answer:

They were introduced in 1956 and were lended to the Austrian Army. I was being told that just parts of them were being sold to the public (that was new for me - thought the other way round).
The Austrian Army had 470 of those.

[Johnny Peppers]

Lend-Lease ended in August of 1945. The rifles were transferred under some other type of aid.

[Promo]

I asked the most reputable collector of Austrian arms, was just repeating what he was telling me. And I was being told that these 03A4's rifles were being borrowed.

[JGaynor]

Should be impossible to get S/N of all 800 03A4's, but we'll see what I can find out. They recieved them somewhen between 1952 and 1955, they first belonged to the "B-Gendarmerie" (Bereitschaftsgendarmerie; literally belonging more to the police, in fact the ancestor of the actual Austrian Army, the "Bundesheer"). They obviously were all equipped with the tiny Weaver scopes. Additionally the "Jagdkommando" was using M1A1 paratrooper carbines until the 70's.

I'm already hunting for those 40 03A4's, the only thing so far I got to known i that there's not a single one with Z Prefix among those.

PS: And when I'm with that topic - the 'Bundesheer' still had 300 Garands that were Lend-Lease rifles. The Austrian wanted to give it back, the US didn't want to have it and also didn't want to sell them. So they were (or are now?) being destroyed.

Very interesting information Promo. i have an A4 which was loaned, given or sold to the Thai's sometime in the early 50's. It made it's way back to the US thru Interams Ltd in the late '60's - probably just tossed into a crate with a load of Siamese Mausers. Regardless of the precise legal terminology used to convey the rifles from the US Army to the Austrians to find a previously unknown batch along with the information about the unit to which they were issued is very significant.

Regards,

Jim

[Promo]

Seems like we changed the topic a bit, but as you're not familiar with it, might be of interest.

Well, "we" had several other really interesting rifles and handguns back then ... for example a SMLE with "Österreichische Gendarmerie" (means "Austrian police") markings:



It was given to the already mentioned "B-Gendarmerie" for usage within the british zone of occupation. What is really noteable about that piece is the marking on the sling that states "Eigentum der Sicherheitswache Wien" (which means "property of the security guard Vienna" - and this is one thing that nobody was able to tell me where it came from..):


The Austrian army also had a lot of 1911A1 pistols, they were called "Pi11" (meaning "Pistole 11"), they had markings like this Ithaca:

Among those 1911A1's were all brands, even Union Switch & Signal (but as far as I know no Singer )

They were also using Thompson MP's among with the B-Gendarmerie. As it's forbidden to own those, I do not have one (and I do not want a demilitarized MP).

BTW, they must have found some big arsenal one or two years ago somewhere in the East. Thompson MP's are being sold as decoration rifles for less then $500, but in really great condition. In Germany they're even converted to semi-automatic.