SRS entry SA or RIA?

[RT Ellis]

When SRS was available online in 2004 I got a hit on M1903 serial No. 197478 (I have the RIA rifle with this number). Here is the information provided in the SRS entry: "197478 - - 072306 - RIA INTERCHANGABILTY TEST -"

The listing was in the middle of several similar entries. The question I have was this referring to the RIA or SA serial number. Was it the RIA or SA rifle that was involved with the test?

Of course I wanted it to refer to the RIA rifle, but it occurs to me that it may have referred to the SA rifle of the same serial number. If the "072306" is the date of the entry then I assume it refers to the RIA rifle.

Information

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[RCS]

Check the production records for Rock Island, your serial number RIA 197478 may not have been manufactured in 1906.

[RT Ellis]

Check the production records for Rock Island, your serial number RIA 197478 may not have been manufactured in 1906.

Serial number falls in the range for a SA rifle, now why didn't I think of that....?

[RCS]

This was the photo that I remembered and just found, as I wanted to post it with my answer. These are original rifles.

Rock Island s/n 64145 with RIA 3-07 dated barrel

Springfield s/n 160963 with SA 2-07 dated barrelAttachment 82998

[Rick the Librarian]

The problem with SRS is that they MAY list RIA or they may not. Case in point:

I have SA # 78180. It is in original condition (after the switch to 30-06 in 1906-1910, of course). I have researched the complete early history of this rifle, and in fact, wrote a magazine article on it about 10 years back. It is listed on SRS - however, as a "hit":

78180 031223TRP C 10TH CAV

According to the above, this rifle was listed as being used by C troop of the 10th Cavalry in 1923. However, this rifle was obtained by John Gillie, a Montana mining executive, probably about 1910 or so and effectively "taken out of circulation" after that date. Again, I have the research, the letters and the rifle. Obviously the SRS listing above is for Rock Island Arsenal 78180, but for whatever reason, was not listed as a Rock Island M1903. I have no doubt that there are a number of other Rock Island rifles in the SRS data base which are not specified as Rock Island.

As an aside, I contacted SRS and offered to send them my research so they could make a notation that #78180 in their records was a Rock Island and they declined. The SRS record for this serial number is (by default) listed as a Springfield.