1903 Rifle with Blown Action

[usabaker]

While doing my weekly LOOK N SEE on PROXIBID I ran across this 1903 Rifle with an action that looks to have been blown apart. I would have loved to hear the story on this one.

https://www.proxibid.com/1903-Rifle-...ation/69843286

Information

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[browningautorifle]

No indication of manufacturer...or even when it happened.

[Doco overboard]

I was looking at the knob on the striker to figure out possible time frame.
Maybe later style?
Not sure

[green]

Has later swept back bolt handle

[bob q]

Fools can blow up about anything . There is a big gun store / range in Houston with over 100 blown up firearms on the wall . Most are modern and of about every type .

[Calif-Steve]

Stamped trigger guard and late (WW2) bolt. Odd collection of parts. The story would be interesting, but it looks to be very old and probably no one is still around to tell the story. Entire receiver is totally gone, looks like someone hid something.

[CINDERS]

Well we can certainly say they got their mileage outa that one, would not want to be either side or behind that rifle when it let go.

[Jim Tarleton]

Note the brazing metal on the off side of the receiver. To get that much metal someone heated that receiver ring to a red hot temperature. Nothing like an annealed receiver to give a big bang to your day. Nothing surprises me anymore. A couple of years a go I was at a turkey shoot with my rabbit eared LC Smith 2 3/4" 12 ga, Some moron grabbed it off the rack, stuffed a high brass 3" OO buckshot in it and shot at a squirrel. I turned around just in time to see my beautiful Smith doing a flip-flop in the air and that fool screaming and running. His left thumb was hanging by a thread of flesh. The left barrel blew half-way down the forearm. One gun ruined and one drunk firefighter looking for a new job that didn't require two functioning thumbs. That particular turkey shoot was sponsored by the fire station - no more. You can't fix stupid.

[Smokeeaterpilot]

Not saying it's associated with this test. But the Ordnance Department did a lot of testing for various reasons, especially with the 1903. Stamped triggerguard may help with approx. timeframe.

Here's some photos from a 1920s test concerning reheat treatment and strength of the metallurgy. The failures are very similar to the rifle in question. If service connected, the rifle may have been involved in some sort of endurance testing (and failed).

[ArizonaBeagle]

Thanks for that information.......

"Bullseye powder loaded in accordance with the test procedure."

That'll usually tell you something real fast.

The NRA also did this with an Arisaka and had a hard time blowing it up.


AZB