1903 Mark I Finish

[John Beard]

John;

You are the second knowledgeable collector I have heard this from. What is the source of the information and how come we don't routinely see at least some Mk1s in this original trim? Do you have any photos?

The source of my information is examining literally hundreds of Mark I rifles from when I worked as a volunteer at the CMP.

All Mark I rifles went through WWII. The very large majority of them got overhauled and refinished. Most got re-barreled with 1942-dated barrels. The survival rate of original examples is very small. And those with the black paint still intact are virtually non-existent.

Be aware that some Mark I rifles were overhauled and refinished in batches during WWII. And got their Mark I parts re-installed back on them. So, there are some Mark I rifles in circulation that look original but, in fact, are not. The CMP, for example, just auctioned one. And that's how they found it.

I'll search my files for photos.

J.B.

[wayne10]

Hi gentlemen, just getting into the 1903..Got a 1903 with the markings : US SPRINGFIELD ARMORY MODEL 1903 MARK I seriel# 10547xx. When was this made? It only has 10% finish and I want to have it reblued. Im confused because my bolt is parked. What was the original finish? TIA!!

Springfield covered the parkerized finish with a black OIL DYE. Often on original and very rare guns, the dye is found on the inside of the stock barrel channel. Email me directly and I can give you more data.

Wayne