low number with a star guage barrel ?

[skinsfan]

i may be overlooking something very obvious here but i was looking at an SA 32 dated star marked barrel on a low 600,000 serial range springfield....knowing what they did about brittle steel why place a match grade barrel on a receiver that may or may not be safe to shoot......i am assuming this was a factory job and not a bubba....for that matter,where natl match rifles treated as part of the build process to avoid problems.....thanks folks

[John Beard]

Official Army Ordnance policy in 1932 was to scrap low number receivers below S/N 800000 on any rifles coming through for overhaul. And ample documentation and circumstantial evidence exists that the policy was carried out. You, therefore, assume incorrectly.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[skinsfan]

thanks,was the USMC policy similar?

[Cosine26]

John,
You are of course correct. SA refused to re-barrel single heat treat receivers; however star gauged barrels were available for sales to individual during the early thirties. It could be possible that someone ordered a M1903 star gauged barrel and had a gunsmith install it. Just a thought.
I shot with Jack Moore who shot at the NATIONAL,s in the twenties and thirties and even into the sixties, and he told me that after the NS rifles came out, they substituted SHT bolts for the NS bolts because they were "slicker".
As a matter of fact Townsend Whelen, in the Dope Bag of the AR, advised an individual to ship a M1922 H/T to Sedgley to have it rebarreled as a 30-06 because SA would not do it. This despite the fact that I understand that many M1922 rifles were built on rejected M1903 receivers.
FWIW

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

thanks,was the USMC policy similar?

No. The Marines wore their LN rifles out fighting various wars. The LN rifles were dangerous - to the health of enemies of the Marines!!

jt

[John Beard]

thanks,was the USMC policy similar?

I concur with Jim "Marine A5 Sniper Rifle" Tarleton. The USMC did not scrap their low number receivers. You, therefore, may have a USMC rifle. But the statistical odds are not very high.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[skinsfan]

thanks all,it's not mine,just one i was eyeballing-scott....price seemed right at $700....sweet untouched two bolt,finger groove stock with a nice strong scripted cartouche...he did mention it had a usmc front sight but it was very dim in his workshop-scott

[John Beard]

Where on the barrel was the star mark located? Please describe.

Thanks!

J.B.

[skinsfan]

hello,if i recall...it sat right about 6 oclock.....sunburst type punchmark-scott

[John Beard]

Thanks. Your description indicates that the barrel is indeed a star-gauged barrel. I assume the barrel was condemned and taken from a 1932 National Match rifle.

Thanks again!

J.B.

[Kragrifle]

Sounds like a bargain for $700.