SRS Check Please

[MA Fox]

SA 823804 barreled receiver barrel date of 2-17 over A

[Ed Byrns]

Not an SRS hit

[MA Fox]

Thanks much for the check.

Mike

[Richard H Brown Jr]

Well, depending on the accuracy of the lookup at www.oldguns.net/sn_php/mildateslookup.php

1918 manufacture, and it's after the cut off of 800K so it's safe to shoot. www.bowersweaposn.com/US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER TANGES.htm says 1918 ran from 761758 to 1055091. estimated from the number produced for they year, a months production was around 81528.

Probably sometime in Jan 1918 is what you're looking at. Note: since parts produced were ahead of actual complete rifles. Feb 1917 dated barrel is possible, as a factory installed barrel.

However, given the Armistice was in early Nov 1918, the federal armories, would have probably started cutting back on production, unless the War Dept. decided to run the current contract for 1903's thru to the end of the year, and then switch to rebuild parts and war stocks of parts.

So Jan-Feb 1918 is a good estimate of when the rifle was accepted and shipped to a Depot.

R Brown

[Smokeeaterpilot]

The "A" on the barrel denotes "second class barrel"

V/R,
Andrew

[rebound]

The "A" on the barrel denotes "second class barrel"

V/R,
Andrew

Not a proven point. The "A" marking on bbl. "A" ment it was a reusable good part recovered from a gun sent in for rebulid. Later on in time it's use, of the "A" marking is not varifiable..

[Smokeeaterpilot]

Not a proven point. The "A" marking on bbl. "A" ment it was a reusable good part recovered from a gun sent in for rebulid. Later on in time it's use, of the "A" marking is not varifiable..

Incorrect statement,

A document From Major H.J. Smith writing to the Chief Inspector of Small Arms in Washington D.C. in 1918 concerning the Avis Barrel Contract, where Major Smith was assigned as an Inspector of Ordnance. The correspondence concerning over what letters to assign Avis to mark their barrels. It was recommended "AV" or "AS" be used. The concern was that if the barrels were marked with "A" alone, it would caused confusion with barrels marked SA with a "A" alone which are "second class."

This document was found at the National Archives, Archives II in College Park, Maryland.

So yes both a proven point and verifiable.

[cplnorton]

I've actually seen the document smokeaterpilot is refering to. It does say the "A" is a second class barrel.

[MA Fox]

The barrel being marked as “second class” would make sense. It has heavy pitting on the top that is covered by the hand guard. It was reparked at some point when it was refitted to this receiver. After cleaning the bore appears like new, I will know more after I get everything together and out to the range. Thanks for all the information.

[Smokeeaterpilot]

The barrel being marked as “second class” would make sense. It has heavy pitting on the top that is covered by the hand guard. It was reparked at some point when it was refitted to this receiver. After cleaning the bore appears like new, I will know more after I get everything together and out to the range. Thanks for all the information.

Unfortunately I do not know what the defintion of "second class" is. That wasn't explained.

[Dan Shapiro]

Speculation - "2nd class" meant serviceable but with cosmetic blemishes.

[Smokeeaterpilot]

Speculation - "2nd class" meant serviceable but with cosmetic blemishes.

Could be, I don't have a clue, someone like JB would probably know for sure.