Introduction and a bit of history

[maj75]

I was introduced to shooting by my grandfather. He was a competitive shooter who was on the Indiana state team in the 1930-40s. He shot at Camp Perry matches and I have his shooting medals. He shot 38 special, Colt 1911 and Springfield '03.

I had seen his '03 NM rifle many times and it was the first big bore rifle I ever fired. He handed down many guns to me including the .45 and a Winchester model 1987 pump shotgun. I assumed I'd get the '03 someday. Instead, he donated it to Culver Military Academy as he was a lifetime resident of Culver, Indiana. I contacted Culver asking if I coUld buy back the gun, but they blew me off. I suspect that whoever took the gun in might have slipped it into a personal collection;)

Yesterday, I purchased a Springfield 1903 (late 1918 mfg) that reminded me of my grandfather's rifle so much, I had to get it. I'm hoping for some help in figuring out what it is. I will try to post pictures, but I can describe as follows:

The stock is a C, Type 8. Unfortunately, it has been checked. The only mark remaining on the stock is a "K" under the magazine cutoff. The stock is inlet for the swept back bolt and the Lyman 48S rear sight. The buttplate is checked with no trap door. The fixtures appear factory blue. The hand guard is the high version. I'm going to try to fix the stock issue, I'm looking for suggestions.

The receiver is the original blued finish and 95%. The bolt is polished and has a Dot and "R" on the underside. The trigger is polished and light and crisp. The trigger guard and trapdoor are blued, not stamped. The barrel is stamped with a star gauge symbol at the muzzle and has "SA", the flaming bomb, and 4-42. The barrel is Parkerized with 95% finish. The bore is mint.

I know is isn't an original NM, but it looks so much like my grandfather's rifle that I don't care.

Thoughts on this find? I will try to post up some pictures...

[maj75]

My attempt at pictures:

[maj75]

More pictures until I get the hand of this:

[maj75]

A few more for good measure:

[maj75]

Better picture of star mark on barrel:

[chuckindenver]

someone recrowned and added the star mark, not a G.I. NM marking.

[Fred]

The hand guard is not a High Hump type. Nice shooter though I'll bet!

[maj75]

Any ideas on the dot "R" bolt or "K" under the cutoff switch? I have not seen then in any reference.

I didn't think it was a factory NM gun. I wonder if there is any way to figure out who built it in the 50-60s. What would be the reason for putting a star gauge mark on the crowned barrel?

The gun seems to have some yellowish material between the receiver and the stock, just visible at the front corners of the receiver. I am thinking it is bedding of some sort. I didn't want to pull it apart, but I guess I will pull the buttplate, and stock to see if I can find any identifying marks.

[Rick the Librarian]

K = Keystone, maker of replacement Type C and Scant stocks during WWII.

R = Remington Arms - also WWII.

[musketshooter]

There were no star gaged match barrels made in 1942. You have a shooter that someone made up to look like a NM rifle. It could be used in the "match rifle" category of NRA high power matches, but not the service rifle matches.

[pmclaine]

Bet it shoots nice someone put some effort into it.

Id leave as is its part of its history in its present state but......its not my rifle and its your property to do with as you wish.

Shoot it first though you may not want to mess with the magic if it shoots well.

Enjoy the memories it brings you.

[Randy A]

Just out of curiosity did you remove the hand guard and check for a star gauge number? I've seen late SA barrels with the goofy crown like that before and I know it's a late date for star gauging, but I'm curious about this one.

[Rick the Librarian]

If there is a star gauge number on a 1942 barrel, it is also a fake. NO star gauge barrels were manufactured in 1942 - PERIOD. Keep in mine there will be a steel lot code number, which appears on nearly every M1903 barrel, which is totally different. In my early days of collecting M1903s, I came across an early 1917 rifle with a correct barrel with a star gauge "star" - obviously, a fake.

[PeteDavis]

But perhaps done by a smith with no ill intentions. The rifle overall looks like it would perform well as intended. The other alterations and serial take it out of the running as a NM anyway. I like it, remember these rifles in the many thousands were altered heavily by the civilian public, each represents a different kind of history which was putting the M1903 to work on the home front in peaceful times. Shoot, enjoy, covet and shoot again I say.

PD

[maj75]

Thanks for the comments.

I'm having an issue with the original rear sight. The windage knob turns a few turns but doesn't move the sight itself. From what I've read, I have to be able to get the windage of the sight to move to take it apart.

I've turned the windage knob as hard as I can, by hand. I don't want to use anything that may mar the knob. Any ideas are appreciated!

I don't need the factory sight with the Lyman, but I hate the idea of something on the rifle that's not working properly.

[maj75]

Just out of curiosity did you remove the hand guard and check for a star gauge number? I've seen late SA barrels with the goofy crown like that before and I know it's a late date for star gauging, but I'm curious about this one.


I'm going to take it apart next week and see what trigger and other assemblies are hiding under the stock. I will update with any additional markings I find.

[maj75]

Since this is a parts gun, and the stock is a later C stock, any harm in trying to sand off the checked areas of the stock? I realize this will thin the fore end of the stock, but the first C stocks were thinner than the WWII versions IIRC. The checking is not the best, so I would rather get rid of it. The rifle would look better without it IMHO.

[Griff Murphey]

Yes to Pete's comments. I saw many guns like this as a high school kid getting into big bore in the mid 60's. People just wanted to shoot better with what they had. Lyman even made a globe peep front sight for the M-1.

[Kurt]

The Keystone stocks are indeed fat and you do have room to thin them up to an SA C stock profile. Where you will need to take a close look at is the area behind the lower band. If you have enough there to take out the checkering without making the band prouder you can probably do it. I expect you'll have to thin up the hand guard as well. The wrist area shouldn't be a problem. Notice the stock cross bolts and how much they are recessed, you will have to thin the stock the full length, not just where the checkering is. Again, plenty of room to thin there.

Good luck and nice looking gun.

Kurt