I'm getting closer to getting my collection complete. There are still a few variations of the 1903 sniper I wouldn't mind adding, but it's getting closer.
It's taken me about 10 yrs to put this together. All rifles are real and not clones. A lot I actually pulled the actual documents from the archives to make sure they were real as a lot of the 1903 sniper info in books is wrong.
But first is the 1913 Warner Swasey Sniper. There were two variations of the Warner Swasey sniper. The first being the 1908. This is the later 1913. This rifle is a rare one to find as it's all original. Most of these had the mounts removed and turned back into a regular service rifle as SA ordered them all removed in the late 1920's. I suspect this one was one of the ones you could buy off the old DCM in the mid 20's that I see advertised for sale. It would have also been one of the last Warner Swasey's built in 1918
Serial 932873 barrel date 7/18
![(2) Occupation of Center Sector (Lorraine [SIC]), May 20-July 19, 1918, 32nd Division - YouTub...jpg](https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/attachments/2-occupation-of-center-sector-lorraine-sic-may-20-july-19-1918-32nd-division-youtub-jpg.7082054/ "(2) Occupation of Center Sector (Lorraine [SIC]), May 20-July 19, 1918, 32nd Division - YouTub...jpg")
Next is the one I'm the most passionate about. Because I knew by reading the books something was wrong with the info you see on the WWI Marine A5 sniper rifles from WWI. The info in the books didn't add up, plus there was usually two or three paragraphs on them and that was it. So it actually took me a few years, but I found the docs. Even though everyone thinks of the Mann Niedner Variation as the main WWI Marine sniper. It really wasn't. Not in any great number at least. Adolph Niedner converted 150 in 1917, but was fired as being a potential German Saboteur. Next Winchester received the contract and made their own version which was called the Springfield Marine. Not only did the Marines receive 500 of these in 1917. But the Army actually received 900 in 1918. There is no difference between the ones the Army and Marines received. The Army actually even made this their official sniper in July 1918. Or at least it replaced the Warner Swasey and was a placeholder waiting for the Winchester Model of 1918 sniper that was never completed and cancelled at war's end. This is actually the A5 sniper of WWI that was used the most in WWI and not the Mann Niedner.
Serial 398496 Barrel date 6/09
It's interesting to note there is some connection between 1909 rifles and the WRA snipers. I think because the Marines received 400 NM in 1909 and some of these were the ones used in the conversion into snipers. The first pic below was taken in France in 1917. It is also a pre 1910 rifle by the features. There is also one serial in the Winchester Sniper docs that is within a 1000 digits of my rifle above.
Another WRA built sniper.
Next is one not discussed in books that much either. But is probably why there is a lot of confusion on the Unertl snipers. As these rifles looked like standard rebuilds from all available evidence and they ran almost at the same time as the Unertls. The Marines for sure now seemed to have built 150 Mann Niedner snipers for WWII. These were new builds using parts leftover from rifles torn down for parts inbetween the war. What we call the Mann Niedner conversion, the Marines actually called them the Marine taper block design. These rifles even though long thought of as WWI, really didn't start to make appearances till very late in WWI, or at least didn't make an appearances in great numbers during the war. It is more likely they would have been used as Team rifles in between the wars for training or competition. This rifle was probably initially made into a Free High Pressure rifle for the Marine rifle teams. Which utilized a heavy barrel and Lyman 48 sights. I believe this rifle was shipped to the Marines as a NM in 1928 and built into one of these "Free" rifles, as nicknamed by the Marines. It later would have been broken down for parts as all Free rifles were when the Marines bought their first Model 54 Winchesters. At the start of WWII the Marines had a considerable amount of loose loose drilled and tapped receivers that had been set up for the Mann Niedner blocks. All available evidence shows they pulled these receivers and built sniper rifles for training and the Marine Raiders.
Serial 1257998 barrel date 5/38
Next are both variations of the Unertl Sniper rifles.
Next is probably my personal favorite as this started it all for me. This one is a Marine Special Target rifle built into a Unertl Sniper. This one went to the Marines as a NM in 1935/36, for the Marines to use in the National Matches. Then it was was rebarreled by the Marines with a standard barrel and became a Marine Special Target. The Philly Depot returned all MArine team rifles at the end of each season and the ones where the barrel were worn out, had them replaced with a standard barrel. Once replaced, the rifles still retained other NM features and were sat aside for all Marine Competitions like the Elliot Cup. So this rifle would have been a NM on a Marine team, rebarrled by the Marines after the barrel was shot out, and then was used in Marine competitions against other Marines. Then finally it was converted to a sniper after Jan 1943.
Serial 1459600 Barrel 4/38 Unertl Scope serial 1775
It's taken me about 10 yrs to put this together. All rifles are real and not clones. A lot I actually pulled the actual documents from the archives to make sure they were real as a lot of the 1903 sniper info in books is wrong.
But first is the 1913 Warner Swasey Sniper. There were two variations of the Warner Swasey sniper. The first being the 1908. This is the later 1913. This rifle is a rare one to find as it's all original. Most of these had the mounts removed and turned back into a regular service rifle as SA ordered them all removed in the late 1920's. I suspect this one was one of the ones you could buy off the old DCM in the mid 20's that I see advertised for sale. It would have also been one of the last Warner Swasey's built in 1918
Serial 932873 barrel date 7/18
Next is the one I'm the most passionate about. Because I knew by reading the books something was wrong with the info you see on the WWI Marine A5 sniper rifles from WWI. The info in the books didn't add up, plus there was usually two or three paragraphs on them and that was it. So it actually took me a few years, but I found the docs. Even though everyone thinks of the Mann Niedner Variation as the main WWI Marine sniper. It really wasn't. Not in any great number at least. Adolph Niedner converted 150 in 1917, but was fired as being a potential German Saboteur. Next Winchester received the contract and made their own version which was called the Springfield Marine. Not only did the Marines receive 500 of these in 1917. But the Army actually received 900 in 1918. There is no difference between the ones the Army and Marines received. The Army actually even made this their official sniper in July 1918. Or at least it replaced the Warner Swasey and was a placeholder waiting for the Winchester Model of 1918 sniper that was never completed and cancelled at war's end. This is actually the A5 sniper of WWI that was used the most in WWI and not the Mann Niedner.
Serial 398496 Barrel date 6/09
It's interesting to note there is some connection between 1909 rifles and the WRA snipers. I think because the Marines received 400 NM in 1909 and some of these were the ones used in the conversion into snipers. The first pic below was taken in France in 1917. It is also a pre 1910 rifle by the features. There is also one serial in the Winchester Sniper docs that is within a 1000 digits of my rifle above.
Another WRA built sniper.
Next is one not discussed in books that much either. But is probably why there is a lot of confusion on the Unertl snipers. As these rifles looked like standard rebuilds from all available evidence and they ran almost at the same time as the Unertls. The Marines for sure now seemed to have built 150 Mann Niedner snipers for WWII. These were new builds using parts leftover from rifles torn down for parts inbetween the war. What we call the Mann Niedner conversion, the Marines actually called them the Marine taper block design. These rifles even though long thought of as WWI, really didn't start to make appearances till very late in WWI, or at least didn't make an appearances in great numbers during the war. It is more likely they would have been used as Team rifles in between the wars for training or competition. This rifle was probably initially made into a Free High Pressure rifle for the Marine rifle teams. Which utilized a heavy barrel and Lyman 48 sights. I believe this rifle was shipped to the Marines as a NM in 1928 and built into one of these "Free" rifles, as nicknamed by the Marines. It later would have been broken down for parts as all Free rifles were when the Marines bought their first Model 54 Winchesters. At the start of WWII the Marines had a considerable amount of loose loose drilled and tapped receivers that had been set up for the Mann Niedner blocks. All available evidence shows they pulled these receivers and built sniper rifles for training and the Marine Raiders.
Serial 1257998 barrel date 5/38
Next are both variations of the Unertl Sniper rifles.
Next is probably my personal favorite as this started it all for me. This one is a Marine Special Target rifle built into a Unertl Sniper. This one went to the Marines as a NM in 1935/36, for the Marines to use in the National Matches. Then it was was rebarreled by the Marines with a standard barrel and became a Marine Special Target. The Philly Depot returned all MArine team rifles at the end of each season and the ones where the barrel were worn out, had them replaced with a standard barrel. Once replaced, the rifles still retained other NM features and were sat aside for all Marine Competitions like the Elliot Cup. So this rifle would have been a NM on a Marine team, rebarrled by the Marines after the barrel was shot out, and then was used in Marine competitions against other Marines. Then finally it was converted to a sniper after Jan 1943.
Serial 1459600 Barrel 4/38 Unertl Scope serial 1775
