SRS search Please on 1903 No. 339480

[Fred]

Rifle number 339480. Could anyone please look to see if it shows up anywhere? Or for rifle no. 621364? Thanks,

Fred

[cplnorton]

339189 011542USMC - SAN DIEGO
339193 110238USMC - NTS NEWPORT Seite 215 M1903.txt
339221 022736USMC - PORTSMOUTH NSY
339267RI 100339BOWEN HS
339522 060727COROZAL CZ TO APG
339532RI 050433NY STATE ARS GOVS ISLAND
339542 040925CAMP LEWIS
339548 121524CONN NG
339570RI 031533BENICIA ARS TO MARE ISLAND NSY
339671 062426CORNELL UNIV TO SA

[cplnorton]

621085 061916business mens mil rc (sale)
621169 030431usmc - pearl harbor
621275 110031inquiry from oo
621303 013031usmc - haiti
621357 081538usmc - san diego
621381 053124ft dupont to co b 1st engr
621437 050532usmc
621441 020390usmc field museum quantico
621608 041447saa (turned in by fbi)
621676 10182512th cav
621709 020923west texas ma
621800 020923west texas ma
621821 020923west texas ma
621881 01282712th cav

[Fred]

Thanks cplnorton. One of the two rifles I believe was a USMC rifle. Here are the links to the Rifleman's Score Books used with each being sold on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131034056264?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390690230093?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

[cplnorton]

Both of them were sandwiched right in between a ton of USMC serial numbers. The 621xxx serial one is for sure. I have found rifle books like that in groupings with Marine Uniforms and gear.

[Fred]

Wouldn't it be something to find the book AND the rifle? Stranger things have happened I guess.

[Rick the Librarian]

Yep, they sure have!!

[Fred]

Rick, I hadn't remembered that you'd also acquired the man's "Description And Rules For The Management Of The U.S. Magazine Rifle Model Of 1903 Caliber .30" book. And he recorded in it the very information that is so important to an advanced collector today!
Wasn't this rifle the one that has the muzzle that appeared to have had a tater stuck on the end for a century? That metal cleaned up remarkably. In the picture, is that the original case that the rifle was discovered being stored in? Wow. Talk about a complete set.
Did you ever notice that in the same picture, the rear barrel band has slipped up onto the band spring?
You've got a Unique set of items there that I'm Extremely envious over!

[Fred]

Rick, you had told in a long ago post where you'd found that rifle. Would you please post that again? I remember seeing a photo of the old target range house that the 1st owner, John Gillie, had been familiar with. Please tell us again the fascinating story about that rifle including how you came upon it and saved it.

[Rick the Librarian]

It happened about six years ago. I had a guy contact me about a rifle he had found as a result of buying the contents of a storage unit (apparently the owner of the stuff had either defaulted or had passed away). It had the corrosion you mention plus it had an Indian head carved on the buttstock. I made an offer of about $950 for the rifle (thinking the Indian head and the corrosion had "ruined" the rifle) and he accepted.

The book with the man's name in it proved to be the key - after some research, it was determined that the original owner was John Gillie, the Operations Manager for the Anaconda Mines in Butte, Montana. I found a picture of John Gillie (in the group shot above) with his signature that matched the one in the book perfectly. I was able to contact his stepson's family and get quite a bit of information, as well as the Montana Historical Society. He turned out to have quite a history and was a true pioneer. It turned out that he liked to practice woodcarving - thus the Indian head on the stock. He also enjoyed guns and shooting. Supposedly, he also had an 1899 Krag carbine, which was donated to a museum in Montana, but the rifle disappeared.

I published the results in a magazine article in the November, 2008 issue of The Gun Report.

I was able to remove most of the rust, but there is quite a bit of pitting remaining on the muzzle and crown of the barrel. Other than that (and,of course, the Indian head) the rifle is original, except for a later checked buttplate. The bore is badly pitted, as well.

Some pictures of the muzzle and barrel "before" cleaning:







...and "after":





And, of course, the Indian head:

[Fred]

Wow, the damage to the muzzle must've occurred in the storage unit.

[Rick the Librarian]

My guess is that 1) the rifle was put away "wet" after firing corrosive ammunition, and 2) The rifle was stored in a sleeve (which I've still got) with the muzzle of the rifle sitting on the ground and some dampness seeped it's way up. Fortunately, all but the muzzle (and bore) cleaned up very well.

[Fred]

That entire package of items is Fantastic Rick!

[m1903rifle]

Rick,
Is your rifle a conversion from a Rod Bayonet? That is, does your stock exhibit the alterations at the muzzle end to accept the M1905 bayonet ( front ) band?

[Rick the Librarian]

No, it shows no evidence that the stock was either a converted RB stock or 1905 30-03 stock. Here's a picture of the forestock tip:



The rifle appears to have started out as a 1903/05 and having had a later "no bolt" stock added. The interior of the stock has the part routed out for a "solid" FRSB, even though the FRSB is the earlier one with "straps".