Thoughts on this 1903A1 Sniper

[TDP0311]

Any thoughts on this 1903A1 currently on gunbroker?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=390061889

[John Beard]

The rifle is not convincingly authentic.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[chuckindenver]

agreed, replica

[oldtirediron]

This rifle is more than murky!! Wrong stock and many other piece meal parts to fool someone!! the owner does not paste any pictures to his auction that would let you see any of the original features of a M1941 USMC Sniper; just because it appears to be a M1941 does not mean it is!

[TDP0311]

Makes sense, the seller basically says the rifle isn't the real deal without explicitly saying it. If I'm not mistaken, the Marines never used the later Sedgley USMC barrels. It is a nice reproduction, though!

What would be the correct stock for a USMC M1903A1 sniper?

[Promo]

Mine both have a C-Stock with a S in the cutoff and a drawing number in front of the rear sling swivel, so I guess that should be original. Plus they both have the heavily checkered NM buttplate.

I noticed a few things about the linked rifle, mainly:
- USMC marked barrel, I've never seen that before
- Handguard carved unlike the legit ones I've seen (plus appears to have just recently been done, look at the colour differences!)
- Rails on the rifle are not polished
- Keystone replacement stock (note the notch for the handguard retaining ring of the 03A3 rifle!)
- Buttplate not NM type
- Screws not staked
- Scope blocks have strange shape and notch

It probably was an USMC rifle, but not a sniper.

[Kragrifle]

I have a rifle that resembles a marine piece. All the parts are similar in wear. However, rifle does not have the large relief hole in the left side of the receiver. I have heard that not ALL marine rifles had the Hatcher hole, but...?

[ncblksmth1]

This rifle looks like one put together by a guy in the low-country of SC. He notoriously buys what he calls Junker rifles and then rebuilds them into Rare birds. He then advertises them as original. Look closely at photo #17. First its the wrong contour for the parabolic cut for the front sight mount. More than that no other part of the stock has sharp edges yet here in the slot is a sharp edge at the top. Also there seems to be either a badly cut small groove in the middle or a piece of wood added when cut wrong. My other problem is the "Hatcher-hole" I know these guns were often refinished but wouldn't the hatcher hole still have a lip around it?
I may be wrong but that what I see. I figure if I can see it there has to be a lot more wrong.

Bob

[TDP0311]

Bob, as Promo pointed out, that is a Keystone C stock made for an 03-A3 or A4. Those cuts are for the handguard retaining ring.

Speaking of Keystone C stocks, were any used for 1903A1s at any point?

[Randy A]

Aren't the original rear blocks against the frsb and screw spacing different?

[Crashyoung]

Are online auction sites usually full of 'suspect' rifles?

[Emri]

I have a rifle that resembles a marine piece. All the parts are similar in wear. However, rifle does not have the large relief hole in the left side of the receiver. I have heard that not ALL marine rifles had the Hatcher hole, but...?

The presence of a Hatcher Hole does not make a rifle a USMC piece. The lack of one also does not make a rifle NOT a USMC piece. The rifle in this discussion has a Hatcher Hole. The 1.5 serial number is late and the receivers were manufactured with Hatcher Holes in that time frame.

FWIW,

Emri

[Johnny in Texas]

buy it for the scope

[jgaynor]

Are online auction sites usually full of 'suspect' rifles?

Well really rare, high-end items like original USMC sniper tend to move from one advanced collector to another. For an item to show up on an internet auction or at a gun show means you really have to do your homework if you are thinking of buying. Remember the number of these probably never exceeded more than about 1000. Of those how many were used up in the South Pacific and Korea?

[Crashyoung]

That is what I was thinking, but I guess some people have more money than common sense.

[Kragrifle]

Ah, but remember always that sins of omission are worse than sins of comission!