A closer yet look at the "anatomy" of my LN RIA

[Rick the Librarian]

OK, I PROMISE my LAST post on my new LN RIA!! I WILL get a life, I promise!!

VERY carefully disassembled my 16,093 RIA this morning and shot a number of pictures, which I thought I would share.

1) USMC front sight protector. As you can se from the picture below, there is quite a bit of "room in the sight picture. No markings on the FSP at all (a small Z or 2 on the bottom of the front sight base)





2) Former 30-03 stock: Picture shows the plug for the upper band screw hole used when the stock was mounted on a M1903 in 30-03 caliber.



3) Handguard - the interior had a fixturing slot, which I was told RIA rifles did not have. However, Ferris' book said they DID have fixturing slot until WWI.



4) trigger "slot" was the earlier "long" one with was modified with a pin when early M1903s went off when they were slammed on the ground.



5) Early fixed rear sight base and barrel markings - as I expected, the rifle has an early "lightened" fixed rear sight base, which was replaced by a "solid" base a year or so later. Between the "straps" I saw the barrel steel lot code, C5 with a "P" (proof) stamp below that. The mark just above looks almost like a British "broad arrow" but I think it is a poorly-stamped sub-inspection "K".



6) Trigger/sear group: The trigger was the earlier "thin" trigger. The "weep" hole in the forward part of the sear was a bit of a surprise. Supposedly, these weren't used until just before WWII. But I have a sear just like it on my 1908 Springfield.




(See below for a few more pictures)

[Rick the Librarian]

7) Stock interior: Upon removing the stock from the action, I could see the stock had been made for the earlier "strapped" FRSB (see picture above). There was an F stamped in it and MAYBE an S a little forward of that.





8) Bolt: Bolt is polished on body - NO markings except for a small, tiny E on the underside of the bolt handle, which I'm positive is a subinspection stamp. Very early RIA and SA bolts had no stampings, so this fits.





A closeup of the tiny "E" on the bottom of the bolt handle. It appears to be double-struck or maybe on top of a "P".

[seagoatami]

keep it up rick

7) Stock interior: Upon removing the stock from the action, I could see the stock had been made for the earlier "strapped" FRSB (see picture above). There was an F stamped in it and MAYBE an S a little forward of that.





8) Bolt: Bolt is polished on body - NO markings except for a small, tiny E on the underside of the bolt handle, which I'm positive is a subinspection stamp. Very early RIA and SA bolts had no stampings, so this fits.





A closeup of the tiny "E" on the bottom of the bolt handle. It appears to be double-struck or maybe on top of a "P".

keep doing it rick, Im getting more from your exam of your 03. than I ever did from mine, One things for sure your getting your money's worth from
that rifle lol, than I ever did from any of mine. This is what collecting is all about. Bye the way, do you have any other guns? Would be nice to hear about them also

[Rick the Librarian]

Bye the way, do you have any other guns? Would be nice to hear about them also

Yes, I have a few ... so many I would get the permanent lifetime achievement award from the Terminal Insomnia Sufferers Association for providing a 100% cure!!

Thanks for the kind words. I do get some mileage from my new rifles!!

[Emri]

4) trigger "slot" was the earlier "long" one with was modified with a pin when early M1903s went off when they were slammed on the ground

You leave the bottle of bore cleaner open ? The problem was not slamming the butt on the ground, but having the rifle fire if the trigger is pushed foward. :>)

[Allen Humphrey]

Rick, I don't think any of us are going to get tired of looking at that rifle. Keep posting.

[Rick the Librarian]

That was off the top of my head, I thought I read that it was caused by the other means. I'll check my sources - you're probably right.

[Emri]

That was off the top of my head, I thought I read that it was caused by the other means. I'll check my sources - you're probably right.

As stated above, NICE RIFLE !! Can we get into a correspondance mode and you offer it to me in a couple years ?? One of the rifles I would like to have is an early RIA. Don't have one yet.

Think about which direction the trigger would travel if "slammed" on the butt, or pushed foward. Look where the pin is.

Have a nice weekend,

Emri

[Rick the Librarian]

Not this time, Emri! This one goes to the "Only from my cold, dead hands" section of my gun collection!

[sgm11z]

I have already had a PM with Rick on this but, as a pretty serious collector of 1903 rifles and the owner of several RIA's (always hard to find) I will state this this is one of the finer looking early RIA's I have seen and is nicer than some that are displayed in museums!

Good find, Rick, and now on to your next treasure!

[Don W]

Rick, Examine the rear face of the root of the bolt handle for a small "s". That is the only mark on the bolt of my old s/n 1767. Check Ferris' book on RIAs and JB's bolt code chart for early RIAs.


DW

[Rick the Librarian]

Here you go, Don. A couple of closeups of the area on the bolt you asked about. I made one "contrasty" to show off anything there. It looks to me like there is something there, but, like a number of early M1903s I've seen, some of the finish was "peeling", at that point. There made indeed may be a mark there, but I can't identify it.

I went over Nick's RIA book and John's bolt charts. The very early RIAs and SAs had basically unmarked bolts. There is a small E stamped on the underside of the bolt handle, but I would venture that is a sub-inspection mark, not a steel lot code.

[JohnMOhio]

Thanks for the tour Rick. Always a good lesson on 03's from you and Mr. Beard. I try not to miss any of your photos, very good.

John

[jimmyzwei]

Rick,

As always thanks for sharing, just makes me want to learn more and enhance the collection

[rayg]

Good find, Rick, and now on to your next treasure!

That's the trouble there's always another. It's a sickness. LoL. Ray