NBA Sporter

[Leggett71]

Lady at the flea market yesterday was selling her deceased husband's collection of military rifles. Aftrer somw research it appears she haD A 1903 ROCK ISLAND sn 32xxxxx with 1917 barrel. It was configured like a NBA sporter. Were any sporters made out of RI parts?

Leggett

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[Rick the Librarian]

Not to my knowledge, especially with a 1917 barrel.

[Calif-Steve]

Flea market? Did you buy it all?

[supercub]

Don't think Rock Island went to 3.2 mil. Too many x's?

[Leggett71]

Yeah too many xxxxxx's was in a rush to have breakfast with the boys. Tried to edit when I got back but figured that out yet. Too old & illiterate.
Read some more last night. The stock was correct 1922 style, Lyman 48C apature. But the receiver 1919 RI s/n & 1917 barrel was out of place. Only cartouche was a U on the stock grip. Rifle was in fine shape. Had a rubber butt pad added but stock had not been cut. still had slot milled for std butt plate.

To answer Calif-Steve , no I did not buy anything she had looked on the internet and was way out of line with price on any thing I was familiar with and would not budge. She was asking $1850 for the RI, which if it had been a NBA would have been a steal. But I was not familiar with any RI sporters & it had no NRA or star gauge markings.
Hoping to see what info ya'll could bring to the table so if the rifle was legit I could go back this next weekend. She is a regular at the flea market.

Thanks for the responses

[Rick the Librarian]

The rifle might have a M1922 or NRA Sporter-type stock, but the odds are overwhelming it is simply a sportered/modified M1903 service rifle. Top worth (if it does have a M1922/NRA Sporter stock) maybe 600 or so.

Her thinking the rifle is worth $1800 is a classic case of "a little knowledge being a dangerous thing". She probably looked a picture of an NRA Sporter and assumed since her rifle looked like one, it WAS one! She'll have that rifle for a long time.

[ABPOS]

What the heck is an NBA sporter? I see you referred to it twice that way, so I'm assuming you mean it that way. I only knew of an NRA sporter, which in my opinion, even one of those wouldn't be worth $ 1850. At least, I didn't think so.....

Maybe I'm all wet.

---------- Post added at 12:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 PM ----------

http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/e...1-c-0c287dd146

I guess this explains it. I never heard of one.

[Rick the Librarian]

It would depend on the condition, how original, etc. as to whether an NRA Sporter would be worth that much. A really nice one would be worth more.

[ABPOS]

Huh. Interesting.

[Leggett71]

Per the 1903 Springfield book an NBA sporter was manufactured by Springfield arms in the early 1920's. Less than 1000 were made on the 1922 stock platform and were not well accepted. Noted they were only good to fire offhand. Not much in the reference books on it.