Sniper Training rifle 1903A1 Really and it is a "rear" rifle OOH REALLY

[Johnny in Texas]

Is there a data base of FAKE 1903A1 snipers




http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=229440519

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I can pretty well assure you that is NOT a real Marine sniper rifle. The serial number is wrong, the optics are wrong for the period (wrong A5 mounts), and it has a DAL cartouche, which it wouldn't have if it was a Marine sniper rifle. There are a few other discrepancies, but you get the idea. The price is absurd and laughable. The best estimate of value is about $1200 for a nice rifle that has had its collector value ruined by D&T'ing.

Ask yourself why the Marines would be building sniper rifles in 1932 when they had literally hundreds of sniper rifles left over from WWI. Also note that the Marines weren't training snipers in 1932 and had no sniper school at that time. Note that SA did not build any of the A5 Marine sniper rifles although they were built from SA made rifles.

jt

[Griff Murphey]

A-5 - agree totally with you guys that this is a fake. However, there is a picture of Marines coming home from Haiti in the early 30's which was published a few years ago in NAVAL INSTITUTE PROCEEDINGS. Several of the men (appearing to be older NCOs) were carrying cased rifles IN the cases at right shoulder arms. I sent this to Jim Tarleton and he agreed that these were probably USMC A-5 scoped sniper rifles. I would not be too quick to say there was not ANY USMC sniper training going on. I suspect that when USMC units went into harm's way, picked marksmen had the rifles available even if there was no formal "scout sniper" course as today. Unfortunately I did not keep that particular photo but maybe Jim Tarleton will weigh in if he is reading this.

The idea of this particular piece is a "fun" replica but it's at least $3.5 to 4K overpriced.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

There was no sniper training going on per se, but the Marines did utilize "sharpshooters", or snipers. The rifles they used were left over from WWI or dedicated team target rifles. I am agreeing with you, by the way. Some of the old trained WWI snipers would have still been around, and the OSD sniper course, which Jim Tarleton has painstakingly resurrected, was amazingly similar to current schools, but more extensive. Those guys would have put their previous training to good use in combat situations.

jt

[Johnny P]

Several years ago I met Bill Voorhies who was working part time in a local hardware store. Bill was a WWII USMC veteran, and over a period of time found out that he was in the sniper program, but for a reason he never gave, did not finish. In asking him about the rifle he trained with I could never get a description clear enough to tell what rifle it was. I took pictures of the 03-A4, 1903 with the Unertl, and a 1903 with the A5 for him to see. Bill immediately pointed out the '03 with the A5 as the one he trained with.

[Scott Wilson]

I believe that the rifle in question is in WWII profile C stock. Now that stock may be NOS or it may be a recently produced copy but I bet that it has made a trip to Stone Mtn. Georgia.