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My only 1903 is one made in mid 1918. It's about 99 years old with a barrel date of 7-18. John Beard once told me its assembly was possibly in August of that year. The rifle appears as if it was handled and used a little, but it sure wasn't used in the trenches in Europe and I doubt if it ever went to the field to any extent outside of a rifle range. All of the original edges and finishes are still there.
When I first obtained the rifle, the front guard screw was frozen until a drop of penetrating fluid (Lighter Fluid) and the correct use of a properly contoured 03 takedown blade finaly freed it for apparrany the first time since it was assembled at Springfield Armory in mid 1918. Upon lifting the barreled receiver from the stock, I found some thin wood shavings flattened out between the bottom of the receiver and the stock. The shavings were from this stock and they apparently hadn't been blown or brushed free after the stock was inletted. This rifle appears to have never been dipped in cosmolene preparatory for shipment. It was clean and fresh as the day it was assembled.
Nothing on this rifle seems to have ever been changed, upgraded or replaced. It's a wonderful example of what was being produced at Springfield Armory during WW I.
The bore is absolutely mint.
Some here have seen this rifle before, but I wanted to post some photos that I took today.
When I first obtained the rifle, the front guard screw was frozen until a drop of penetrating fluid (Lighter Fluid) and the correct use of a properly contoured 03 takedown blade finaly freed it for apparrany the first time since it was assembled at Springfield Armory in mid 1918. Upon lifting the barreled receiver from the stock, I found some thin wood shavings flattened out between the bottom of the receiver and the stock. The shavings were from this stock and they apparently hadn't been blown or brushed free after the stock was inletted. This rifle appears to have never been dipped in cosmolene preparatory for shipment. It was clean and fresh as the day it was assembled.
Nothing on this rifle seems to have ever been changed, upgraded or replaced. It's a wonderful example of what was being produced at Springfield Armory during WW I.
The bore is absolutely mint.
Some here have seen this rifle before, but I wanted to post some photos that I took today.
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