Oops...

[Mister Ridge]

I have a bad habbit of throwing out Hail Mary bids at auction sites, including RIA. Usually this is fine as my bids are way below the estimated selling price and I'm often outbid almost immediately. Sometimes it will take a few days before I'm outbid and it may rarely take until the auction itself, where I get massively outbid. Which is why I didn't withdraw my bid on the rifle I won last Sunday. I bid 40 percent under the low estimate and...nailed it dead on. Oops. Well, at least it's pretty.

Interesting front sight but makes the ladder useless. (Blade is too big)

Not sure what that is.

Interesting barrel markings.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

You can't go wrong with that gem!

Congrats!

You always regret the stuff you didn't buy more than the stuff you did!

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[pmclaine]

You can change out the front sight stud easy enough.

Nicely done match rifle but due it not being original they don’t get much interest.

Shame I bet some dude used that when he went to the matches as part of the company team where he worked.

 

[RTH1800]

I know no facts about that rifle. I will offer some speculation.
The front swivel apparatus is to keep hand from being pinched.
A stainless Winchester barrel is rare, special and a sign of the overall quality of the rifle.
Front sight, no idea.
Overall it’s is a very classy set up. I think you are underrating it. I think a complete strip down could reveal builder or owners name. Neidner, Hoffman or G&H would not surprise me. Look for names, logos etc.
I also suspect original owner was a known shooter. Way too much class in that rifle to simply dismiss it as old or odd. Quite a find and worth learning about.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[RTH1800]

Those add on items are not cheap nor “one off”
types. Look in a pre war Stogers catalog. King gunsight or other names might show up.

 

[camocorvette]

It's beautiful whatever it is. Be exciting to learn more about its history if possible.

 

[pmclaine]

The stock is a Sporter and a neat item.

Does it have two stock bolts - 30-06 - or none -M22

 

[pmclaine]

I see two stock bolts

 

[RTH1800]

Not suggesting this is one of them but Springfield did experiment with some Winchester barrels on match rifles.

 

[five 0]

Is the bolt marked NS? There were a lot of National Match rifles in the 1.29 serial number range. Worth finding someone with SRS info to see if it was a National Match rifle.

 

[Mister Ridge]

Is the bolt marked NS? There were a lot of National Match rifles in the 1.29 serial number range. Worth finding someone with SRS info to see if it was a National Match rifle.

Yes, the bolt is marked NS.

 

[pmclaine]

Take a picture of the bolt raceway. Please.

Dude on CMP has a sticky thread to run numbers through his SRS books.

 

[Charlie112]

I have a bad habbit of throwing out Hail Mary bids at auction sites, including RIA. Usually this is fine as my bids are way below the estimated selling price and I'm often outbid almost immediately. Sometimes it will take a few days before I'm outbid and it may rarely take until the auction itself, where I get massively outbid. Which is why I didn't withdraw my bid on the rifle I won last Sunday. I bid 40 percent under the low estimate and...nailed it dead on. Oops. Well, at least it's pretty.
View attachment 8150318
View attachment 8150319

Interesting front sight but makes the ladder useless. (Blade is too big)

View attachment 8150320

Not sure what that is.

View attachment 8150321

Interesting barrel markings.

View attachment 8150322

Nice Rifle.. Very Nice!!!️

 

[Mister Ridge]

Take a picture of the bolt raceway. Please.

Dude on CMP has a sticky thread to run numbers through his SRS books.

Like this?

Also, didn't noticw that before.

 

[pmclaine]

Bolt rails look polished….that’s a good sign.

No full SN under the bolt body?

 

[Mister Ridge]

Bolt rails look polished….that’s a good sign.

No full SN under the bolt body?

Nope.

 

[Mister Ridge]

Did a tear down today. Didn't find much.

Kind of looks like an M or a W stamped here. Not sure. Could be wrong.

Stamped in the handguard

Stamped in the cutout.

Not many metal stampings

Two other things. Barrel appears to be four groove and a couple of zeros are stamped under the buttplate. (No cutout for a cleaning kit.)

 

[pmclaine]

During the 30s in order to keep the craftsman employed and skilled Springfield Armoury for a time went into direct competition with commercial enterprises making “sporter” rifles.

That heavy buttplate is one of those “sporter” styles.

Commercial gun makers were pussed our tax money was being used to compete against them.

Unsure if they had a checkering request department but may have. Yours could have been checkered after.

That is a Springfield stock.

Two stock bolts makes it original to a 30-06 rifle.

Best way to get a history is an SRS check.

 

[Stevo86]

What an awesome buy, beautiful rifle… and that Winchester stamped barrel has to be rare. Nice find!

 

[kuparj]

What an awesome buy, beautiful rifle… and that Winchester stamped barrel has to be rare. Nice find!

No hits on the SRS data base. The stock is a 1903 Springfield National Match Special Stock. Is there a circle "P" on the pistol grip? Springfield Arsenal manufactured NMS are rare. But you could purchase just the stock from Springfield.

JMK

 

[Mister Ridge]

@cplnorton

 

[cplnorton]

I sent you a PM Mister Ridge

 

[simpletoms]

Yeah, that’s a sweet rifle for sure. You didn’t go wrong, and don’t change a thing!

 

[cplnorton]

I have a contact in the govt that can run DCM sales rifles. They have access to all the serials sold, so there is a lot more this way than thru the SRS.

They did not find a record of this one. Which means it was not sold by the DCM as in someone ordered a NM or whatever.

So it had to be acquired in some other way. The rifle definitely was someone's match rifle. I have only ever seen two of those WRA barrels. One I used to own. All have been in match rifle configuration.

The parts are sort of a mix of eras too. It looks like one assembled from parts, or it has been rebuilt a few times.

I live by Camp Perry and have seen a lot of rifles like this walk in the shows from guys that used to compete there. I think this was built by someone in the commercial market but proving who would likely be impossible.

I have to admit I really like this rifle. I collect team rifles, and this is something I would definitely put in my safe.

 

[Mister Ridge]

I have a contact in the govt that can run DCM sales rifles. They have access to all the serials sold, so there is a lot more this way than thru the SRS.

They did not find a record of this one. Which means it was not sold by the DCM as in someone ordered a NM or whatever.

So it had to be acquired in some other way. The rifle definitely was someone's match rifle. I have only ever seen two of those WRA barrels. One I used to own. All have been in match rifle configuration.

The parts are sort of a mix of eras too. It looks like one assembled from parts, or it has been rebuilt a few times.

I live by Camp Perry and have seen a lot of rifles like this walk in the shows from guys that used to compete there. I think this was built by someone in the commercial market but proving who would likely be impossible.

I have to admit I really like this rifle. I collect team rifles, and this is something I would definitely put in my safe.

I appreciate you inquiring on my behalf and it's interesting to hear that there are more barrels out there. Could you tell me how and when the barrels were available? How would a builder back then have aquired a barrel and done the finish work?

 

[cplnorton]

I've tried to figure this out too. I had one with an identical marked barrel. When I got it maybe 10 yrs or so ago I asked all the experts at the time and they all had no clue the WRA barrels even existed. Most told me they thought it was a Model 54 or 70 barrel fitted to the 03 action. I checked it against the schematics for those barrels and it wasn't.

I finally found mentions of them in the shooting magazines of the day. WRA didn't make many, and you could send a receiver to WRA and they would fit it.

I also found mentions of WRA providing barrels to shooting teams, or selling them for the commercial market for competition use.

So I think with this it was likely it was either a receiver was sent to WRA and WRA mounted that barrel. Or WRA provided a barrel to someone, and they built this rifle.

Whichever it was, that barrel is extremely rare.

 

[sandwarrior]

First, This is [edit] a 1903. It is NOT a U.S. Model of 1917. Totally legit it would have a Winchester barrel. It has obviously been modified (sights) from original for competition.

Interesting factoid, the 1917 was the basis for the models 51 (You and I will never see one) 54 and 70. Not the 1903 Springfield. (unnecessary to conversation)

Absolutely gorgeous rifle BTW.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I have a contact in the govt that can run DCM sales rifles. They have access to all the serials sold, so there is a lot more this way than thru the SRS.

Can you get any info on this M1 Garand?

Serial #283898

 

[Mister Ridge]

First, This is not a 1903. It is a U.S. Model of 1917. Totally legit it would have a Winchester barrel. It has obviously been modified (bolt/bolt handle and sights) from original for competition.

Interesting factoid, the 1917 was the basis for the models 51 (You and I will never see one) 54 and 70. Not the 1903 Springfield.

Absolutely gorgeous rifle BTW.

 

[Stevo86]

First, This is not a 1903. It is a U.S. Model of 1917. Totally legit it would have a Winchester barrel. It has obviously been modified (bolt/bolt handle and sights) from original for competition.

Interesting factoid, the 1917 was the basis for the models 51 (You and I will never see one) 54 and 70. Not the 1903 Springfield.

Absolutely gorgeous rifle BTW.

Im listening…. I can tell a lot of it has been modified but I didn’t even consider it being a m1917

Read sight block would’ve had to be milled off, safety would’ve been changed. There’s a lot of stuff that would had to been done.

 

[Mr. Z]

Can you get any info on this M1 Garand?

Serial #283898

Hound dog.

 

[cplnorton]

It helps sometimes to put things side by side. I do this a lot when I'm trying to figure stuff out as it's hard to see unless you put it side by side.

A M1917 receiver has a lot of different features than this. Mister Ridge didn't post a pic of the receiver but it would also be marked Springfield Armory Model 1903 on the top.

 

[cplnorton]

Can you get any info on this M1 Garand?

Serial #283898

Unless the rifle was a DCM sales rifle from about the 60's or before there would not be anything on it with what I have access too.

The only Garands I've seen in there are the few NM's that were sold in the 60's.

 

[j-huskey]

First, This is not a 1903. It is a U.S. Model of 1917. Totally legit it would have a Winchester barrel. It has obviously been modified (bolt/bolt handle and sights) from original for competition.

Interesting factoid, the 1917 was the basis for the models 51 (You and I will never see one) 54 and 70. Not the 1903 Springfield.

Absolutely gorgeous rifle BTW.

Sandy,
It's an 03, not a m1917.

Best to you.

 

[sandwarrior]

Sandy,
It's an 03, not a m1917.

Best to you.

It's a 1903 action. Sorry. The cutout/boss on the right side. That's what threw me. I was thinking 1903's were solid. The recoil lug does look like a 1917, though. And, of course 1903's have a third recoil lug on the bolt and 1917's don't. I have mostly corrected my previous post. Again, Sorry for my misunderstanding. I have examples of both and had to go look at them.

 

[j-huskey]

It's a 1903 action. Sorry. The cutout/boss on the right side. That's what threw me. I was thinking 1903's were solid. The recoil lug does look like a 1917, though. And, of course 1903's have a third recoil lug on the bolt and 1917's don't. I have mostly corrected my previous post. Again, Sorry for my misunderstanding. I have examples of both and had to go look at them.

Tuff gettin old....
And forgettin stuff...
Just sayin...

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Sweet. They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[Mister Ridge]

I've tried to figure this out too. I had one with an identical marked barrel. When I got it maybe 10 yrs or so ago I asked all the experts at the time and they all had no clue the WRA barrels even existed. Most told me they thought it was a Model 54 or 70 barrel fitted to the 03 action. I checked it against the schematics for those barrels and it wasn't.

I finally found mentions of them in the shooting magazines of the day. WRA didn't make many, and you could send a receiver to WRA and they would fit it.

I also found mentions of WRA providing barrels to shooting teams, or selling them for the commercial market for competition use.

So I think with this it was likely it was either a receiver was sent to WRA and WRA mounted that barrel. Or WRA provided a barrel to someone, and they built this rifle.

Whichever it was, that barrel is extremely rare.

One final question, what time frame were the barrels offered? Pre-WW2 I'm guessing?

On a side note, out of the three I rifles I bid on, I somewhat wish I'd won one of the other two. On one hand, this rifle is going to be a safe queen but I'm not sure I'd be willing to part with it now because I'd probably regret it. On the other hand, at least one of the other two probably would have had the same panache and either would have seen more use out of me. Que sera sera.

 

[micmacman]

well done , i do the same thing with bids too , never been that lucky though , gotten a couple collector mags that way but nothing on that scale

 

[cplnorton]

One final question, what time frame were the barrels offered? Pre-WW2 I'm guessing?

On a side note, out of the three I rifles I bid on, I somewhat wish I'd won one of the other two. On one hand, this rifle is going to be a safe queen but I'm not sure I'd be willing to part with it now because I'd probably regret it. On the other hand, at least one of the other two probably would have had the same panache and either would have seen more use out of me. Que sera sera.

Yes sir,

The 1920's and 1930's is when I have seen mentions of them. Basically, pre the model 54 mostly.