Malaysian 1903 springfield

[GBEAR1]

Any one have any info on what I was told is a Malaysian marked 03? There is a very small crest on the upper front round of the receiver near the serial number and also a much larger one on the rear side of the butt stock. Thanks in advance.

[Jeff L]

Pics?

[Col. Colt]

If it looks like a "rotating Chrysanthumum (sp)" it is from Thailand/Siam. The Thai marks are exactly where you describe them. The US did give the Thais M1903s directly.

Bill Brophy shows pictures of Lend Lease/Military Aid markings in his big Springfield book, which you need! Pictures would confirm/deny this quickly - or order the book! CC

[GBEAR1]

Yes now that I think about it the markings look like the ones on a Siamese mauser. Are these guns considered rare? I would think that they do fill a niche in the 03 collectors world.

[Rick the Librarian]

Rare, probably not, but certainly uncommon.

[jgaynor]

These are examples of the Thai Chakra markings and what i believe is a Thai rack number from an A4 rifle.

Col Brophy is, to the best of my knowledge, the only source who documents these markings. However I don't believe he is correct about the rifles being given to the Thais in 1941. At that point of time the official Siamese government was in the Japanese orbit. I have been advised that one of the symbols in the large buttstock Chakra stood for Queen Sirikit who ascended to the throne in the early 50's. More than likely the rifles were conveyed in a postwar military assistance project.

The large characters at the beginning of the rack number stand for Bangkok the Thai Capital.

Regards,

Jim