1920 National Match

[Fred]

Interesting. Was it the 1920 National Match rifle that Springfield made 3000 of John?

[Fred]

OK, I looked it up and yes, 3000 National Match 03's were made for the 1920 competitions.

[Rick the Librarian]

I can count the number of known RIA 1919 NM rifles on the fingers of one hand, and have several fingers left over. If you go searching for one, I suggest that you first make friends with the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve System.

J.B.

So, what happened with the 2000 made, they went back into the "system"?

[Cosine26]

Wasn't it at the 1921 Nationals that the NM M1903's were first sold to the public? If so, would not the 1920 NM M1903's be returned for rebuild or return to service configuration?
I also note that all of the rifles pictured have the fine checkering on the butt plate rather than the coarse checkering. Was this normal?
Just wondering.

[Promo]

Since mine is in nearly the same range ...

SERIAL - 1,181,463
MANUFACTURER - Springfield Armory
BARREL- SA over 3-20
BOLT- polished J6 coded bolt; polished bolt rails
STOCK- marked with block DAL in rectangle, circled P; S in magazine cutoff
BUTT PLATE- fine checkered
TRIGGER- serrated
CUT-OFF- letters without serifs
REAR SIGHT- dished windage and elevation screws; leaf without 2850 yd notch

[John Beard]

So, what happened with the 2000 made, they went back into the "system"?

I've seen one that was overhauled at Springfield Armory, apparently as a 1920 National Match rifle. I assume that most of them went back into "the system," since there was little to distinguish them from service rifles.

[John Beard]

Wasn't it at the 1921 Nationals that the NM M1903's were first sold to the public? If so, would not the 1920 NM M1903's be returned for rebuild or return to service configuration?
I also note that all of the rifles pictured have the fine checkering on the butt plate rather than the coarse checkering. Was this normal?
Just wondering.

Yes, the 1921 NM rifles were the first ones sold to the public. The 1920 NM rifles were returned, overhauled, and re-issued for the 1921 National Matches.

All 1919-21 NM rifles had fine-checkered buttplates.

J.B.

[Fred]

John, does my 1920 National Match appear to have Not been overhauled for the 1921 National Matches?

[John Beard]

John, does my 1920 National Match appear to have Not been overhauled for the 1921 National Matches?

Fred,

Your rifle appears correct and original. I see no evidence that it was overhauled for the 1921 National Matches.

J.B.

[Fred]

I thought so. Thanks John.

[Rick the Librarian]

Only 3 or 4 RIA NM out of all those rifles. I know survival rate of NM rifles is fairly low, but that seems to be a LOT more so than others.

[Fred]

Maybe there was an almost complete round up and turn in of the Rock Island's? I think that they, like the 1919 Springfield Armory's, weren't sold to civilians and most were overhauled. That might make it tougher for many to survive in untouched condition. In that scenario, only a few might be expected to survive in original as issued condition? What say you John?

[Fred]

Even though there were only from 1,000 to 749 more of the 1920 National Match rifles made, it would seem that more of them survived than did the RIA National Match rifle's. I say that because I've seen several 1920 rifles that've shown up online in auctions, sales, collections etc, but never a 1919 RIA.

[Rick the Librarian]

Same with the Springfield 1919NM ... I wonder if the RIAs disappearing was the result of Army politics?

[John Beard]

Only 3 or 4 RIA NM out of all those rifles. I know survival rate of NM rifles is fairly low, but that seems to be a LOT more so than others.

I don't suggest that the RIA 1919 NM rifles were destroyed. I assume that they were just used up, overhauled, and converted into service rifles. And once refinished, the rifles lost all evidence of National Match issuance. The rifles were not marked in any way. The barrels had no star gauge marking. And none were sold through the DCM. I anticipate that the only ones which escaped were those sold to military officers in 1919. And that wasn't very many, especially when Springfield Armory was offering competing rifles at the same time and price.

J.B.