[greg janko]

Here's another hand me down from my father. Springfield Armory model 1903 that i'm guessing refinished at some point due to the parkerized finish, I would think it should be blued. The rifle looks good typical scratches dings in the stock. The date on the barrel is 11-18, it was hard to get a good photo. I'm curious to the stamp marks in the stock and there meaning and value. Also is this rifle safe to shoot. Not for sale just looking for current market value. Thanks in advance.

 

[gdmoody]

Beautiful gun! I can't give you a value but yes, it should be safe to shoot, but verify with a gunsmith that knows these old guns. If the serial number had been below 800,000, then it would not have been safe at all.

 

[jim brady]

You have a real dandy there! That is a 1918 manufactured M1903 Springfield with the original barrel. Hope the barrel looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside. Your rifle is classified as a "High Number" and if everything checks out should be perfectly safe to shoot.

A bit of trivia for you: Most all of the M1903s went thru arsenal rebuild at the start of WW2. Most had the original WW1 era finger groove stocks replaced (your's wasn't) because of concerns over the age of the original stocks and most were parkerized over the old original blueing (your rifle was parkerized).

A more correct sling for your rifle would be the standard 1 1/4" wide leather sling. The original WW1 era leather slings had brass grommets while the later WW2 slings sported parkerized steel hardware. Your sling is more appropriate for a later issue M1 Garand or an M-14.

Sorry I don't remember the "arsenal rebuild" codes, but those are the "C-S.A.A." stamps on your stock. The "SA" is the original acceptance stock mark imprinted at Springfield Armory along with the Springfield Armory Master Inspector's initials.

EDIT: S.A.A. was the "San Antonio Arsenal" (the single active brain cell kicked in)

I've been out of the collector market for a long time. You might visit one of the current on-line auction sites and get a good idea of the current value. You may be pleasantly surprised. I used to collect Springfields, but that ended 30 years ago. Keep the metal clean and oiled and enjoy that rifle.

 

[greg janko]

Thank you for those comments. Can you tell me purpose of the cavity in the stock

 

[sharps4590]

For a cleaning kit and oiler.

 

[greg janko]

Any ideas where I could locate and purchase an original sling ? I would think cleaning kit /oil impossible to find

 

[soonerfan66]

A true gun that has been there and done that . Very cool .

 

[TRAP55]

Any ideas where I could locate and purchase an original sling ? I would think cleaning kit /oil impossible to find

Original tool and cleaning parts:

1903 and 1903 A3 - Liberty Tree Collectors

Search results

www.sarcoinc.com

 

[jim brady]

Any ideas where I could locate and purchase an original sling ? I would think cleaning kit /oil impossible to find

Don't waste your money on an original sling - those are old, dried out, brittle and often sold for insane prices. With your rifle having done thru the WW2 refurb the later steel grommet sling would be authentic. You should be able to find a new reproduction one for between $30 and $40. The butt trap gear isn't hard to find.