SRS Check Please?

[ntex2000]

s/n 1330489

Thanks very much!

[Herschel]

No hit on 1330489. The closest are 1330456 and 1330527. Both are National Matches. I would say 1330489 was probably a NM.

[ntex2000]

Thanks!

The receiver for this serial number is reported as being manufactured in 1929, but the build date would be during or after December 1936 according to the star gauged barrel's 12-36 date. Thus, according to my Brophy book it appears that it should also have a CV marked sear, extractor and firing pin rod, since Brophy indicates the CV parts were introduced in 1936. Though I'm not sure if this is an absolute or not for all late 1936 and early 1937 NM rifles.

Other than the coarse checkered NM buttplate, should it also have the reversed safety?

[louis]

It could also have been rebarreled by SA If the original owner sent it back for rebarreling.

[louis]

The reverse safety was an option for left handed people

[Cosine26]

The reverse safety for the M1903 was developed by K.K.V. Case , a well known high power shooter from about 1900 to 1938. Casey was a "stock crawler" and most of his M1903 shooting was done using the "S" stock. I also was a stock crawler, and using the "S" stock often received a bloody nose from the safety lever hitting my nose. Casey developed the reversed safety so that it lay to the right when on "Ready" instead of the left-thus elimination the possibility of it hitting his nose. It was introduced in 1921 and , unlike the headless cocking piece, was permitted throughout the life of the M1903 as an option. The reversed safety would be the bane of existence for the left handed shooter.
FWIW

[Herschel]

Many of the NM 1903 rifles were kept in govt inventory and could have been rebarreled without info getting into documents found by SRS.

[louis]

Cosine you're absolutely correct on the left handed guys not wanting a reverse safety. My error for not remembering correctly about the crawler effect and getting them backwards. I have a NM with reverse safety and headless bolt. Never shoot it.

[Cosine26]

I shot the headless cocking piece for years but never was able to acquire a reversed safety. After I restocked with the "C" stock the safety problem went away. The headless cocking piece was ruled out in the 1936 N Matches.
The headless cocking piece and the reversed safety are very interesting when you consider the very stringent rules for a "service" rifle in the 30's and 40's. At one time in the late 30's ,the question arose whether a M1903 which had been DS$T for the Lyman 48 was eligible in the "service' rifles matches - even if the 48 were not installed. The ruling was yes. The M1903 fitted with the Type "B" stock was not eligible as it was never an item of issue though some service teams used it in the 1928 National Matches. Passing strange indeed!
FWIW