"Thanks, Gary. That’s a ton of help. My dad owned this gun since the late 50s or early 60s when he and his friends would buy guns mail order right to the house. Like “Ye Old Hunter”. Since it’s been in this configuration that long when surplus guns were widely available would that make it more likely to be arsenal redo and not a civilian parts gun?
BTW, what year do you think “1866” was? I have no clue how many made per year at the start."
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Sorry, my "quoter" won't allow me to use the "Quote" feature any more.
The 1950s mail order history could possibly help it. At least we know it wasn't cobbled together within the last 30 years or so, after the ol' '03 began to garner a bit of collectors respect and the "Franken" examples began showing up in shops and on gun show exhibitors' tables.
Collectible firearms' availability has taken a beating within the past quarter of a century or so. The number of nice, or even just decent original examples of Winchesters, Colts, Smith & Wesssons, U. S. and foreign miilitary arms etc. that aren't dogged out or else "put-together" by "Bubba" has really declined. One just doesn't see quantities of good examples of collectible arms at even the large gun shows any more.
Of all the guns I enjoy watching and collecting, the 1903 Springfield has suffered worst. The commonly found examples of 1903 Springfields I've been seeing for the past 10-15 years are hideous to behold, yet the exhibitors and dealers aren't ashamed at all of the exorbitant price tags dangling from the rifles' trigger guards. The rifles are sometimes passed off as "all-original" even when it's a pre-World War I gun with a number of World War II '03A3 parts, perhaps reparkerized to all match. If they are called on it then they revert to saying it's out of an arsenal rebuild program.
Huge numbers of rifles were rebuilt. Huge numbers of rifles were sold off through DCM or provided as "foreign aid." Huge quantities of replacement component parts were produced during World War II.
Over the years the whole mess has trickled back into the country and with parts surplussed out of government storage over the years all entered the market, giving rise to a lot of franken-guns.
Of course it must be realized that Bannerman's was putting 1903 rifles together out of condemned parts and selling them even before World War I and the mail order concerns of the 1950s weren't above doing the same.
It's a hard thing to determine what one has when he's looking at a 1903 Springfield that is obviously rebuilt for the poor ol' rifles don't talk.
I can't recall any of the production figures I've read of. Both Hatcher and Brophy make mention of production figures from various times during the 1903's career. Just found this article online that could narrow down when such an early serial numbered receiver was produced.
Model 1903, Springfield Rifle, Serial Number 1 | Center of Military History Be careful. The article may be referring to Rock Island manufactured guns only. I never read of this figure of 1600 rifles being produced before halting for modifications.
I once had a low-ish 4-digit numbered Springfield (seems like it was in the 40,000 range) with a 1905 barrel date and that "CN 1905" stock cartouch that exhibited all the characteristics of a rod bayonet rifle converted to .30-06 and conventional bayonet.
More data
Springfield Armory Museum - Collection Record,
Says initial production was 225 rifles per day for the Springfield Armory, 125 rifles per day for Rock Island Arsenal.
Warfare History Network >> An American Legend: The 1903 Springfield Rifle
The above link also claims the 1903-A3 was used in the early fighting in the South Pacific. It would have been the older 1903 actually as the 1903-A3 wouldn't have been available in quantity during the early stages of Pacific fighting. Any photos I've ever seen of early fighting in the Pacific show the 1903 rather than the 1903-A3. I like the '03A3 and have searched for a front line photo of it in action for years but only ever see it in the hands of support troops, '03A4 sniper rifle not included.
More on the low-number actions and their failures.
Information On M1903 Receiver Failures
Years ago I undertook to collect '03s and '03A3s. Got a bit over-enthused and had as many as 17 around here, including some decent and uncommonly seen variants. Only four remain.