Question on Rock Island 1903 receiver color

[RCS]

Back in 2011, I bought an early (s/n 3576) Rock Island 1903 receiver from the CMP Auction.
I was able to restore the receiver to a pre WW1 era rifle with early parts & wood. My question is about the receiver blue color.

1) Could this blue color receiver be original ?
2) was this receiver re-finished by the militarty or some group such as the VFW or American Legion ?

Thanks RCS

Information

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[John Beard]

Answers are as follows.

(1) No.

(2) Yes.

Your rifle's receiver was originally issued as part of a 1905 modification rifle in .30-'03 caliber. Sometime between 1907 and 1910, the 1905 modification rifle was returned to Rock Island Arsenal for alteration to .30-'06 caliber. If the receiver exhibited wear from those three years of service, then it was lightly buffed and blued. Your rifle's receiver fits that description.

Thanks for sharing!

J.B.

[Jim Tarleton]

I have RIA SN 3122 with RIA 12-05 bbl in a no-bolt high wood stock with CN 08 cartouche. Maybe they are sisters, Bob !

[RCS]

Jim, you have a really nice early Rock Island and with a 12-05 barrel quite rare to find.

Back in 2011 when i bought my RIA s/n 3576 receiver, also bought another Rock Island receiver s/n 3670 in about the same condition as the first one plus a blued receiver too.
I was able to find a SA 6-10 dated barrel and Rick borecky found a single bolt stock for me at the CMP North. This stock was an altered 1905 stock plus it had something that I never saw before on a 1903 butt plate, unit markings. Ed Byrns told me the markings are Troop H, 8th Cavalry, Trooper #18

[togor]

An original early RIA receiver finish is blotchy.

[RCS]

Rock Island serial number 3576 was refinished as outlined in post #2

here are two more "blotchy" originals

[P0H0]

Rock Island serial number 3576 was refinished as outlined in post #2

here are two more "blotchy" originalsAttachment 129726Attachment 129727

They are beautiful rifles — RCS, is the previous upper band hole from its original rod bayonet configuration? I believe the blotchy appearance is due to faded case hardening and oiled rust/patina— same as the Krag. When the rifles were rearsenaled/updated prior to WWI the process may have included “browning”/rust bluing some of the case hardened parts and sometime in 1918 the process was changed to parkerization.

[browningautorifle]

“browning”/rust bluing

That must have taken ages in the original factories to complete. Sure looked like artwork though.

[RCS]

The early "no stock bolt" CCV cartouched stock was not modified, no second hole in the fore-end tip and without the rod hole in the inside channel. This is an early 1906 stock, with a SA 2-07 dated barrel . I was told it was a rebuild from 30-03 cal which could well be, but both a new 30-06 barrel and new 1906 stock were used, bolt has the small s stamp. This rifle came out of an estate sale and was well taken care of with an exc bore.

[togor]

As long as we're on early RIA '03s, here is the "S" stamp on the back of the bolt handle. As I understand things, this practice was discontinued within a few thousand bolts.