Two very early Rock Island 1903's rifles

[Rick the Librarian]

Doesn't look polished to me - shiny, maybe.

[Promo]

By polished I was referring to non-blued. That's what the bolt itself looks like, not speaking of the bolt handle?

[RCS]

Rick, On your 16K Rock Island rifle, do you have the early rear sight ladder without the top rib and the slide with the square left side ?

[Rick the Librarian]

Nope, I believe the later one.

[ridgerunner]

You gentlemen have some beautiful rifles, and museum quality displays. Amazing. And on top of everything else, it looks like you live in some beautiful country Fred. Many thanks to you all for sharing your photos.
May you all have a very prosperous, healthy and happy 2015.

[rayg]

May you all have a very prosperous, healthy and happy 2015.

Thank you ridgerunner and may you have the same, ray

[Fred]

Thanks Ridgerunner! I'm glad you like this interesting thread too! Yes, the countryside around the house is nice. I can hardly wait until spring comes back.

[rayg]

One thing I forgot to mention and which is an interesting feature on the earlier 03 I have and that is, not only is it assembled with stored Rod Bayonet and 30-03 parts, but it also makes use of Krag rifle parts in that it has an altered Krag butt plate on it. The Krag plates have smaller dia. doors and the door is stamped with assembly numbers. These altered Krag plates are found on some of the other early 03 parts assembled rifles. This is also mentioned in the "Springfield Model 1903 Service Rifle" by John Beard and C.S. Ferris. Ray

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[Fred]

Ray, if you notice, there is no evidence of any rubbing on the underside of your trap from Krag cleaning Rod sections. This seems to suggest that the butt plate was originally used on your 03 and was never used or salvaged off of a Krag before. Unless the plate was refinished before being mounted on the 03 that is. Pretty neat!
I'm curious as to whether or not the butt plate is the same size as other 1903 butt plates or is just a bit bigger, in between a Krag and a normal 1903 plate. When I reduced the size of the Krag butt plate that I got from John to fit the butt of the original Rod Bayonet stock, it was still too large for a later 1903 stock. When a plate from any of my other 03's was put on the Rod Bayonet stock, the were all too small. This suggests to me that maybe the RB stocks were just a bit larger in the butt than the later 1903's. I wonder...?

[rayg]

Fred, I took the butt plate off of my Model 96 Krag and put it on the above 03. The plate when on my 03 rifle is almost 1/8" longer at the toe/bottom. In regard to your observation of no wear on it or if refinished. It does not display either so it may be either a NOS Krag part taken from surplus stock and altered or was made originally as it is for the RB/03. Ray

[Fred]

Ray, how does your but plate measure against another 03 but plate?

[rayg]

The shortened Krag plate I have fits both of my early 1903's correctly. Ray

[rayg]

Oh my god, disregard everything. It's not a Krag plate. It's a correct 03 plate for the rifle. Not a smaller door. I thought it was a Krag plate because of the assembly stamps on it so never even paid attention to the size. The book says some 03 plates have those assembly numbers, but it's rare though. Ray

[Fred]

Early butt plate I recon. And it hasn't a small door? Interesting!