1903 A4 Sniper. New guy

[Johnny P]

Tried posting this once and it didn't show up. If it does show up pardon the double post.

Markings on pistol grip of rifle shown earlier in thread. Stock is not Keystone.

[cplnorton]

Johnny is your bolt cut out like his then?

[cplnorton]

This is mine. It has more stamps in front of the trigger housing, than you usually see on them. But it's a Keystone stock and 3419099 serial.

[mdarnell19]

Thanks Steve. It seems like I see the "M" on most C stocks. I doubt there is a connection but possibly. On my stock there is no stamp in the cut off (at least that I can see). Also, my stock seems to be a harder Walnut that made it difficult to stamp. Which is why all the inspection/acceptance stamps are light.

[Johnny P]

Johnny is your bolt cut out like his then?

Bolt cut on my rifle.

[cplnorton]

I've always have really like that rifle Johnny. Didn't you get it off a doctor or Dentist who said he got direct from a Arsenal in the 60's or something?

[jgaynor]

I have Darnell's A4 in my database. Unfortunately I captured it before i was logging the posting date so I can only guess as to when i first saw it. Nothing about the rifle seems to have changed in the interim.

As far as the sub inspectors marks are concerned A4's generally seem to have 5 whereas A3's one have 4. Occasionally a rifle will have more (7 or 8). I don't know for a fact but i suspect that some defect was noted, the rifle pulled out of line and sent back dow to be corrected and reinspected at each station.


On the hand-cut bolt notches. This operation may well have been by an operator using power tools. As time went on the smart thing to do would be to have the stock subcontractor do the bolt notch in their facility.

In any case it was and is a very nice example of an A4


Regards,

Jim

[Johnny P]

I've always have really like that rifle Johnny. Didn't you get it off a doctor or Dentist who said he got direct from a Arsenal in the 60's or something?

Yes. Bought it from a dentist that retired from the Navy. Said he bought it out of Benecia, and I think it was in the 70's but don't remember the date for sure. It is the best I have seen.

[Johnny P]

For comparison is a Keystone stock at the top, the 03-A4 in the middle, and a Springfield Armory C stock. The pistol grip of the 03-A4 stock has more sweep than the Keystone, and is most similar to the C stock, but is not as trim in the wrist as the C stock.

[mdarnell19]

I have Darnell's A4 in my database. Unfortunately I captured it before i was logging the posting date so I can only guess as to when i first saw it. Nothing about the rifle seems to have changed in the interim.

As far as the sub inspectors marks are concerned A4's generally seem to have 5 whereas A3's one have 4. Occasionally a rifle will have more (7 or 8). I don't know for a fact but i suspect that some defect was noted, the rifle pulled out of line and sent back dow to be corrected and reinspected at each station.


On the hand-cut bolt notches. This operation may well have been by an operator using power tools. As time went on the smart thing to do would be to have the stock subcontractor do the bolt notch in their facility.

In any case it was and is a very nice example of an A4


Regards,

Jim

Thanks Jim. You saw this rifle when I posted it on Gunboards last year (my user name there is msniper19). I am sure that is when you logged it. And I haven't changed a thing except the scope covers.

[mdarnell19]

Hey mdarnel,

thanks for the reply

Single claw

there's a Sniper Rifles section to this forum

and the 98k Forum has a Sniper and Optics section with two recent postings of Single Claw rifles you might enjoy, and with which yours would combine nicely

Sure I'll post it here in the sniper section. I have posted it on k98kfourm.com before.