Old honor guard rifle

[rrd101]

I found 2 1903a3 honor guard rifles while cleaning out a house for a guy
1 is complete the other is missing a few parts. I'm keeping the complete one
These were chromed or nickeled sometime in their past. But the bores look pretty good
they both have some finish coming off and dings in the stocks
The incomplete one is missing the trigger guard'hand guard and striker
Does the incomplete one have any value

[Doug Douglass]

Try posting pictures in the for sale section. I would suspect someone would be interested.

[IditarodJoe]

Welcome to the forum rrd101. Ceremonial rifles were generally chrome plated over nickel plating (sometimes over copper plating). Often the stocks were painted using an incredibly hard and tenacious enamel paint. Many will have fired thousands of blank rounds in their ceremonial role and, unfortunately, were prone to receive minimal cleaning. As a result, restoration can be a somewhat daunting task. That said, both of your rifles DO have value.

If the one you're keeping looks reasonably good and has a decent bore, I personally would be inclined to leave it as it is as a good example of a ceremonial rifle. Clean it up, take it to the range, and shoot it. The one that's missing parts will make a good project rifle for someone.

I picked up a ceremonial Krag from the CMP a year or so back and am slowly returning it to something more closely approaching it's original military appearance. I had the metal dechromed by a local metal finisher and have stripped the enamel paint from the stock. I'll eventually refinish the metal and stain & re-oil the stock. I might also put a new barrel on it. When all is said and done, I'll undoubtedly have more into it than it's worth, but that's how hobbies sometimes go. Offer yours for a couple hundred bucks and you'll probably find a buyer.

[John Beard]

Some honor guard rifle bores were carelessly chrome plated along with the rest of the rifle. The bores are now undersize and can build up dangerous pressures when shooting. You would be wise to inspect and measure your bore diameters.

Hope this helps.

J.b.

[IditarodJoe]

I did not know that, J.B. Thanks.

rrd101, As you appear to be new here you might not be aware that John Beard a resident expert on the Model 1903 rifles. Many knowledgeable people post to these forums, and what Mr. Beard posts you can take to the bank.

[rrd101]

Thanks I had heard of the bores getting chromed. It didn't look like it was Will have my bore slugged when I take the garand in to be recrowned. I'd like keeping all my body parts where they belong

[kcw]

I have an Eddystone M1917 which "had" a chromed bore. The fellow that owned it before me (a close friend) decided to shoot it for the frist time one day at the range. I was shooting about five places down the line. Upon his firing the first shot, the guy next to him shouted, "What the XXXX!!?" Sticking out the end of the barrel was a 10" shard of chrome! Several others were on the ground immediately forward of the position. The full length of the piece hanging out the barrel was about 15". The firing of that single round cleaned out all the chrome in the barrel! It's a wonder that the barrel (a WWII HS) didn't split, but everything appeared to be OK. The local gunsmith confirmed the headspace about a week later. From what we can make of it, the inside of the barrel had not received the plating required to properly affix the chrome (THANK GOD!), but for some reason the chrome still stayed there for decades while blanks were being fired.

[Fred]

Wow! Excellent information here about this subject! Thanks all. This might very well save a life. Maybe mine!

[Tom06]

You can use instant rifle blue to test. It will not blue chrome.
Do not use a q-tip it has an oil on it, use a bit of paper towel.

[Calif Steve]

Found in a house? As in VFW property?

[rrd101]

Yes found in a trashed out rent house. Under a pile of garbage with the cock roaches. It's a shame what was once
a nice rifle was neglected then discarded when they skipped out in the middle of the night.