Buying a M1903

[Merc]

[QUOTE=nf1e;566284][/QUOTE

Is this a Greek returned ‘03? Nice barrel.

[lyman]

does it have a B on the magazine floor plate?

pic of the receiver?

serial number etched on the bolt?

[nf1e]

does it have a B on the magazine floor plate?

pic of the receiver?

serial number etched on the bolt?

Yes.
Yes. last 4 digits of serial number.

[lyman]

Yes.
Yes. last 4 digits of serial number.

then it is a Greek Return, but guessing you already knew that

[nf1e]

[Merc]

Does your rifle have an “X” stamped on the stock near the floor plate? Some Greek rifles have them but mine doesn’t.

It would be nice to know what the “B” on the floor plate stands for.

[nf1e]

XXX stamped in the stock just forward of the floorplate.

[Merc]

XXX stamped in the stock just forward of the floorplate.

The stock on my rifle is from an 03A3 and the only stamps it has forward of the floorplate that I see are the four inspector marks that are on all 03A3 stocks. It has the last 4 digits of the serial number stamped on the shoulder stock so the Greeks used it.

[lyman]

the B means the floorplate is pinned,

[Merc]

the B means the floorplate is pinned,

I guess the Greeks didn’t worry much about cleaning the mag box.

Lingering questions:

Any idea what the XXX means?

How many ‘03s were involved in the Greek aid package?

[lyman]

no idea on the XXX, none of the one's I bought have that on them,


somewhere , I recall seeing the numbers on lend lease, may have been on Gunboards in the American arms section,

but not sure

[Merc]

I read a SWAG of between 14,000 and 44,000 M1903s were sent to Greece in 1947. No figures yet on how many the CMP sold. One accounting says prices for shooters in 2001 were about $300 to $575 (+/-), depending on condition and type of stock.

[Merc]

I’d like to hear opinions. Is my 1925 M1903 with a 1944 HS barrel that was a US service rifle leading up to WW2 and possibly fought in WW2 and then went on to fight the Greek Civil War in the late 1940s more or less valuable than your standard everyday ‘03? Would you go out of your way to look for a Greek returned ‘03? Would you convert a Greek returned ‘03 with it’s special markings to a standard ‘03 by replacing the stock, floorplate and bolt and unpinning the floorplate or not?

[togor]

As someone who is about to sell a HN parts gun that shoots decent but has no collectible value, my view is that once you get away from original or early modified guns, Greek history doesn't matter. It's how they look and perform that sets the price. A3s are a little different because they are a WW2 era gun often only minimally used.

[Merc]

As someone who is about to sell a HN parts gun that shoots decent but has no collectible value, my view is that once you get away from original or early modified guns, Greek history doesn't matter. It's how they look and perform that sets the price. A3s are a little different because they are a WW2 era gun often only minimally used.

I would agree that any rifle’s looks and performance should determine it’s value if there’s no provenance. But, as a long time Civil War antique collector, I know if there’s a good story that goes along with the antique, then that will always add value.

The friend who sold me the rifle bought from the CMP in 2001. He had no idea of its history and therefore sold to me as a strangely marked M1903, wearing an 03A3 stock, a new barrel, covered with a hardened preservative that he never tried to clean, never checked things like ME, TE and headspace and never had it to the range. I also had no idea of its history when I bought the rifle but cleaned off all the gunk, checked it out, shot it and then started doing research. I think he would have probably asked more money for it had he known the provenance and I probably would have thought it was cool and paid it. I’m impressed by the rifle’s history and I think it’s one of the more interesting guns that I own.