Just came in! 1903 Springfield 1920 National Match

[Smokeeaterpilot]

StockDoc, rifle came with a sling just left it on for a few pictures. Not a leather fan promptly removed it once I got the shots I wanted. But I definitely agree with you.

[Rick the Librarian]

There was a handguard in use for a relatively short time - it had a straight profile with a fixturing slot. I want to say in this approximate period. I have a feeling that both these and the high hump handguards were being used.

[John Beard]

Rick is correct. The 1920 NM rifles fall in the transition range from high hump to straight profile handguard. Either can be considered correct, and I have seen both. But the correct early straight profile handguard should have a fixturing slot inside.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[Rick the Librarian]

Here's one of the straight profiled HGs with fixturing slot mounted on a 1920 M1903:

IMG_0602 LR.jpgIMG_0603 LR.jpg

[Cosine26]

At the risk of starting a controversy, I shall make the following statement: I have never seen the terms "NM1929 Style" or "M1903A1NM" in any official publication. While I do not have any copies of the pre WWII DCM price lists, I do have a complete set of American Rifleman magazines that dates back to 1927. Many of the issues in the 1920's and 1930' s, have a DCM page where the DCM kept the competitive shooter up to date on the current M1903 configurations and availability . After the DCM page was dropped (sometimes in the late 30's or early 40"s) , the AR occasionally carried notices from the DCM in the Dope Bag section. The rifle is generally described after 1929 as:
"U.S. Rifle Cal. .30 M1903 Style NM (National Match Rifle, star gauged and specially selected, equipped with the type C pistol grip stock")
This is a direct quote from the DCM page in the American Rifleman for March 1936 .
I would suspect that the rifle was never identified as an "A1" since it deviated from the configuration which defined the M1903A1 and conformed with the configuration of the M1903NM as specified at the year of production. Such items as the headless cocking piece, the reversed safety, the selected parts made from different steel than was used on the standard service rifle, and the fact that the sear-cocking piece arrangement was gunsmithed to a different spec than of the standard rifle. I have read in various issues that after the Nationals some of the unsold used NM rifles had their NM parts replaced with standard parts and were sent to army teams for use in training.
The barrel on my NM is dated 12-29, the serial number dates the receiver to 1930 production and it was sold at the 1931 National Matches. I have the SRS letter and a copy of the original sales slip. It carries the serial number and the description is:
"RIFLE, U. S. CAL .30 M1903 National Match Type C" and gives the buyers name. It is dated 8-1-31.
I have seen the quotations form the SRS which read something like:
15xxxxa1NM mm/dd/yy. I do not know that this is an original quote from armory documentation or a quote of a description that the developer of the SRS created.
For the record, the other 1936 definitions were given as
"U.S. Rifle ,Cal. .30, M1903 Style S (Service )"
and
"U.S. Rifle, Cal. .30, M1903A1 (Springfield Service Rifle with type C pistol grip stock)"
I am sure that John Beard has more accurate information than I.
FWIW.

[StockDoc]

You going to shoot it?