1903 Springfield sporter...or NM

[Calfed]

The original bolt would have been a WL3. The nickle steel bolts did not come into use until 1928. This info is according to Brophy on pages 44 and 45.

Thanks, Herschel. When it arrives, I'll go over it carefully and report what I find.

[Cosine26]

Calfed
Regardless of how it turns out, in the absence of a major defect, you received a very good deal. I have some thoughts.,but they are conjectures only, and one good fact out does a hundred good conjectures.

[Calfed]

Thanks, C26.

I'll give it a good going over and post more pics when it arrives. Hopefully that will shed additional light on this.

[Calfed]

The sporter arrived at my FFL this afternoon and I got a chance to give it a quick once over before it went into the safe for the obligatory 10 day "cooling off" period.

I could not find any indexing groove on the barrel for a normal 1903 rear sight and the barrel seemed to be slightly different in profile to my 1903 military profile barrels. It does have the star gauge on the crown.

Bore is shiny and sharp.

Bluing is in very good condition, except a bit faded on the floor plate.

I could not find any cartouches on the stock, which appears to be in good shape and solid.

The striker and cocking piece of the bolt is bright blue. The bolt body is parkerized and I could only find a punch mark on the bolt handle...no letters or numbers.

I grabbed a few pictures...

[Cosine26]

Calfed
Glad to see that you have received the rifle. Your pictures are good but closer in person inspection will reveal more. I would, based upon your latest pictures, say:
1. The stock looks like a M1922 Sporter stock that was ordered as a stock. Since it has no marks, I would tend to believe that it was fitted by the owner and not the armory. I believe that the armory would have done a better job on the fitting of the butt plate. The inletting appears to be good around the action and barrel.
2. The receiver is D&T for what appears to be a scope block so I would tend to believe that the original or some previous owner mounted a target telescope a la USMC sniper, maybe for 1000 yard shooting. When the Sporter barrel was installed, it was not D&T for a scope block, but I do not know why not. since it has a Lyman17A front sight installed I believe that it was used for target shooting.
3. The original NM M1903 would have come equipped with a headless cocking piece and a reversed safety. I believe that the entire pin assembly has been replaced as it appears to have been reblued with a commercial bluing solution so common after WWII. About 1938, the headless cocking piece was disallowed for match shooting.
4. The Barrel does not have the spline cut for the FRSB and appears to be of Sporter configuration. It may well been installed by the armory. I believe that the armory would prior to WWII sell the barrel and install the barrel for ~$1.50.
Looks as if you hit the jackpot. I wonder if a converted NM to Sporter is rarer than a true Sporter?
Looking forward to hearing more info.
FWIW

[Calfed]

One other pic



---------- Post added at 09:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 PM ----------

[/COLOR]

Calfed
Glad to see that you have received the rifle. Your pictures are good but closer in person inspection will reveal more. I would, based upon your latest pictures, say:
1. The stock looks like a M1922 Sporter stock that was ordered as a stock. Since it has no marks, I would tend to believe that it was fitted by the owner and not the armory. I believe that the armory would have done a better job on the fitting of the butt plate. The inletting appears to be good around the action and barrel.
2. The receiver is D&T for what appears to be a scope block so I would tend to believe that the original or some previous owner mounted a target telescope a la USMC sniper, maybe for 1000 yard shooting. When the Sporter barrel was installed, it was not D&T for a scope block, but I do not know why not. since it has a Lyman17A front sight installed I believe that it was used for target shooting.
3. The original NM M1903 would have come equipped with a headless cocking piece and a reversed safety. I believe that the entire pin assembly has been replaced as it appears to have been reblued with a commercial bluing solution so common after WWII. About 1938, the headless cocking piece was disallowed for match shooting.
4. The Barrel does not have the spline cut for the FRSB and appears to be of Sporter configuration. It may well been installed by the armory. I believe that the armory would prior to WWII sell the barrel and install the barrel for ~$1.50.
Looks as if you hit the jackpot. I wonder if a converted NM to Sporter is rarer than a true Sporter?
Looking forward to hearing more info.
FWIW

Thanks, C26.

I wondered if the stock might be a 1922, but thought I'd read somewhere that the 1922 stocks did not have cross bolts like this one.

My FFL is a pawn broker and Friday's are always busy, so I didn't get a chance to take a lot of pictures. I'll take better ones when the 10 day cooling off period is over.

[Cosine26]

The M1922 stock for the ,22 rim fire did not have the cross bolts, but those for the Sporter did, as I understand it. The stock for the .22 rim fire which was made [B]for sales [/B not for issue was identical for the Sporte. As I understaqd it the M1922 .22 rim fire stock came first and then the high power stock was added before the release of the Sporter.
For your info:
Sporter Stocks
The following information is excerpted from an article entitled “United States Rifles, Caliber .30” by Lt. Col Townsend Whelen which appeared in the AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine in August 1934. According to the information provided, LtCol Whelen was the Ordnance Officer of the Seventh Corps Area.
SPECIAL STOCKS
* The D.C.M. price list includes certain stocks available for sale to members of the N.R.A. The old style service straight-grip stock, the pistol-grip stock type C and the “Stock Assembly, cal .30, SA 6597 “ for the Style T rifle, have already been described, and are for replacement purposes on standard rifles.
* The “Stock assembly, cal .30. SA6595.” Is the N.R.A. sporting-type pistol-grip stock which was standard on the above U.S. Rifle, Cal. .30, M1903 N.R.A., now obsolete. The similar stock SA6596 is intended for the same rifle where the owner desires to replace the Lyman No. 48 with some other sight and objects to the cut in the stock.
*The “Stock, assembly, cal. .30 SA6598,” is the pistol-grip sporting-type for the service and National Match rifles. When the standard stock and the rear-sight fixed base are removed from these rifles, this stock can be substituted. The similar stock SA 6599 is intended for such use when the standard rear sight and fixed base are to be retained. In this case the owner will usually desire to fit some form of walnut hand guard between the rear sight fixed base and the lower band, and the standard military lower band (Band, lower) should be used to retain the hand guard in place. With all other sporting stocks the appropriate one of the special bands should be used, the band not being included in the price of the stock.
*When the member desires to convert the service or National Match rifle to sporting type, and he removes the standard stock and hand guard, he finds that the exposed surface of the barrel is rather rough. If he further removes the rear-sight fixed base, he finds that the barrel under it is not blued, and is rough in shape. It is usually customary to have a gunsmith polish and blue this unsightly barrel. When this is done, the barrel grooves of stocks SA6598 and SA 6599 will not fit. Therefore “Stocks,, assembly cal. .30, SA 6600 and SA66012 have been provided, having narrow barrel groves which a gunsmith can channel cut to fit the refinished barrels.
*Note that the price of a stock includes the walnut stock only, and does not include the lower band, lower band swivel, lower band screw, butt swivel, butt swivel screws (2), , butt plate, or butt, plate screws(2) and these must be ordered separately. The old- style service straight-grip stock, and the Type C pistol-grip stock, use the “Plate, butt, assembly,” and the sporting type stocks, including the Style T, use the “Plate, butt, M1922(Sporting.”)
* I am sure that the above information is well known to the M1903 experts but hope that it will provide some insight into how the Ordnance Department supported NRA member back in the 1930’s.
* Incidentally it was about this time that the “Sporter” was discontinued but the ordnance department indicated that they would maintain a supply of spare parts for five years. Later it was announced that these spare parts would only be sold to individuals who had previously purchased a “Sporter.”


Sporter Stocks
The following information is excerpted from an article entitled “United States Rifles, Caliber .30” by Lt. Col Townsend Whelen which appeared in the AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine in August 1934. According to the information provided, LtCol Whelen was the Ordnance Officer of the Seventh Corps Area.
SPECIAL STOCKS
* The D.C.M. price list includes certain stocks available for sale to members of the N.R.A. The old style service straight-grip stock, the pistol-grip stock type C and the “Stock Assembly, cal .30, SA 6597 “ for the Style T rifle, have already been described, and are for replacement purposes on standard rifles.
* The “Stock assembly, cal .30. SA6595.” Is the N.R.A. sporting-type pistol-grip stock which was standard on the above U.S. Rifle, Cal. .30, M1903 N.R.A., now obsolete. The similar stock SA6596 is intended for the same rifle where the owner desires to replace the Lyman No. 48 with some other sight and objects to the cut in the stock.
*The “Stock, assembly, cal. .30 SA6598,” is the pistol-grip sporting-type for the service and National Match rifles. When the standard stock and the rear-sight fixed base are removed from these rifles, this stock can be substituted. The similar stock SA 6599 is intended for such use when the standard rear sight and fixed base are to be retained. In this case the owner will usually desire to fit some form of walnut hand guard between the rear sight fixed base and the lower band, and the standard military lower band (Band, lower) should be used to retain the hand guard in place. With all other sporting stocks the appropriate one of the special bands should be used, the band not being included in the price of the stock.
*When the member desires to convert the service or National Match rifle to sporting type, and he removes the standard stock and hand guard, he finds that the exposed surface of the barrel is rather rough. If he further removes the rear-sight fixed base, he finds that the barrel under it is not blued, and is rough in shape. It is usually customary to have a gunsmith polish and blue this unsightly barrel. When this is done, the barrel grooves of stocks SA6598 and SA 6599 will not fit. Therefore “Stocks,, assembly cal. .30, SA 6600 and SA66012 have been provided, having narrow barrel groves which a gunsmith can channel cut to fit the refinished barrels.
*Note that the price of a stock includes the walnut stock only, and does not include the lower band, lower band swivel, lower band screw, butt swivel, butt swivel screws (2), , butt plate, or butt, plate screws(2) and these must be ordered separately. The old- style service straight-grip stock, and the Type C pistol-grip stock, use the “Plate, butt, assembly,” and the sporting type stocks, including the Style T, use the “Plate, butt, M1922(Sporting.”)
* I am sure that the above information is well known to the M1903 experts but hope that it will provide some insight into how the Ordnance Department supported NRA member back in the 1930’s.
* Incidentally it was about this time that the “Sporter” was discontinued but the ordnance department indicated that they would maintain a supply of spare parts for five years. Later it was announced that these spare parts would only be sold to individuals who had previously purchased a “Sporter.”
FWIW

[Cosine26]

I do not know why that stock information printed twice

[Calfed]

I picked up the Springfield sporter today. Looked it over more carefully and found that the bolt has "J 5" stamped on the safety lug and a ping mark on the underside of the bolt handle at the root. It has been parkerized.

The barrel is dated "5-25" and has the star gauge mark on the muzzle.

There is a tapped hole on the rear bridge, under the Lyman rear sight.

There is a circle P cartouche on the underside of the pistol grip

What else can I look for to help identify this rifle?

[Cosine26]

Hi Calfed
Glad to see that you have the rifle in hand and it is well worth $600, in my opinion.
I have some theories, but they are based upon conjecture so I shall wait until the heavies, who have more facts/knowledge than I to speak up.