1903 Help, … John, Rick, Anybody?

[Nick Adams]

Okay, so a friend who’s the head gunsmith at a local gunshop was selling off some of his “private stash” of rifles. Yesterday he invited me over to have a first look at what he had.

Among the rifles in his safe to be sold were Mausers, a few Krags, a few M1 Garands, and a lone Springfield 1903. Most of these old rifles he inherited from his dad who was the gunshop’s original owner and the head gunsmith for decades. The shop opened in the 1960s and his Dad passed in the early 2000s.

The price he wanted for the 1903 was too good to pass up, so that’s what I brought home. It’s fully intact, not “sporterized.” According to my friend, his Dad “got it from the DCM in the late ‘70s or early ’80s,” and doesn’t believe his Dad shot it other than maybe once, just a few rounds to function-test it. My friend says he never shot it either.

Receiver of this S.A. 1903 says: 1284558. If I read the serial # reference materials correctly, that puts the build date right at the EOP, like late December of 1927. Barrel is stamped: S.A. 1-28 with flaming bomb (FB). So the barrel is probably original to the rifle, maybe?

The right side of the rear sight’s elevation ladder has an ‘R’ stamp, as does the sight base exactly in the middle. There’s also an ‘O’ stamped on the rear right of the barrel lightening cut, just barely above the wood line.

Stock is an ‘S’ stock without finger grooves and has two bolts. The only stock marking is a FB stamped into the front “nose” piece just above the bayonet lug. There’s possibly a very faded circled ‘P’ (non-serif) on the underside of the pistol grip but it’s very worn there and hard to make out. I found no cartouche stamps or other inspector marks on the stock itself.

There’s an ‘R’ stamped on the rear right side of the trigger guard. There’s also an ‘R’ stamped on the right side of the steel piece directly above the bayo lug.

The bolt has two distinct ‘R’s stamped on it. The backside of the safety lever also has an ‘R’ stamp. There is a ‘U’ stamped on the side of the front band. The buttplate is the uncheckered, smooth type with latch.

Maybe not really relevant, but the rifle came with a well-worn leather 1907-pattern sling. A faded stamp on the sling near the rear hooks looks to be: “MILSOC (?) 1944.” I know nothing about Mil-slings.

So, can anyone tell me what I have with this particular S.A. 1903?

I’ll try to add some pics shortly.

Thanks!
Nick

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