1903 Springfield Value

[Kraschenbirn]

Was in a small gunshop a few miles down the road and they had a really nice 1903 Springfield in the rack. Mfg'd 1929 (SN: 1,301,XXX) and rearsenaled in early 1942 (including new barrel) at Augusta Armory. Bore is a little dark (dirty?) but rifling is strong with nice, sharp lands. Externally, it's 80%-90%: no visible indications of corrosion, normal finish wear on sharp edges, a few smooth dents in the wood, rear sight completely intact and functional. There are several similar on listed on GB with $1200+ minimum bids and I'm pretty sure I can get this one for considerably less. Anyone give me a clue on what it might be worth?

Bill

[TCLouis]

What was the price on the tag at the LGS?

[Kraschenbirn]

What was the price on the tag at the LGS?

$850 but I've dealt with this shop a time or two and I'm figuring more like $750 OTD...cash money, no trade.

[akajun]

High number Springfield in not great shape with a dark bore, $750 would be my limit. Even with a dark bore it may still be a shooter

[Kraschenbirn]

High number Springfield in not great shape with a dark bore, $750 would be my limit. Even with a dark bore it may still be a shooter

I'd rate this one somewhat better than "not in great shape"...more like NRA 'Good' or, maybe, 'Good +'. So far as I can tell, stock has NOT been refinished since rearsenal - no cracks or visible repairs, correct cartouches/stamps, no buggered hardware, 90% bluing with no visible corrosion. Didn't have a bore light or get a chance to run a patch down the barrel so 'dark' bore may be just fouling. Will probably drop back on Monday (with a cleaning rod and LED bore light in hand) to see if there's any kind of deal to be made.

Bill

[Dutchman]

One of the biggest mistakes when dealing with 1903 Springfields is the fact that since the 1950s, at least, they've been available in quantity from DCM as well as new parts to include barrels and stocks.

How can you ascertain with any certainty this rifle in question wasn't "re-arseneled" in 1972 by some fellow who bought the rifle with shot out barrel at a gunshow for $50?

Unless you can document chain of ownership you can't. A document from DCM in the form of a sales paper listing by s/n would be a good start but still not 100%.

This rifle didn't just come out of U.S. military storage. Where has it been since 1945? Fake armory stamps have been around for decades. And just because the barrel is dated 1942 doesn't mean it was installed on a receiver in that year.

Dutch

[Dutchman]

Several oddities about this 03 that passed through my hands about 8 yrs ago. Came out of a closet here in the small town I live and the owner asked me to sell it for him.

Wasn't a bad rifle. Wasn't a great rifle. First off it had a Parkerized finish. Second was the electropenciled s/n on the bolt body. Third was the Sedgley aluminum buttplate. Clearly non-USGI on 2 out of 3 issues that caught my eye. The bolt handle bothered me, too. It should've had the later bolt with the slightly swept back handle. Since I couldn't ascertain if it was an early or late bolt body (early bolts were suspect as to strength) I discounted the price $60 for the price of a new bolt body. Sold it for $500.

http://media.fotki.com/1_p,wqgfdrkfbgftbgdxwfqbfsgtwfb,vi/tdfdkrdfbxtddttggkw/2/28344/4859183/sp06-vi.jpg

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http://media.fotki.com/1_p,wqgfdrbfwgfrwdgxwfqbfsgtwfb,vi/gswssqrqtxsdrktfkrf/2/28344/4859183/sp17-vi.jpg

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[Kraschenbirn]

Thanks, Dutchman...

Just the kind of inputs I was hoping for. This wouldn't be my first 1903 but it's been quite a few years since, in a moment of weakness, I let my old Boy Scout rifle team coach talk me out of the one I had when I first began shooting high-power. No available documentation on gun's history - it's one of several guns consigned from the estate of an individual known to the seller. Frank isn't making any specific claims other than information provided by the executor but, as I stated earlier, I've dealt with this shop before and they've always treated me right. Just FYI, bolt handle, butt plate and all-milled stock hardware appear to be correct with correct black finish on metal. Now that I've done a bit of research and spoken with a knowledgeable collector (last time I was in his gun room, he had eleven 1903s on hand), I'm going back tomorrow for a closer, more critical look.

Thanks, again.

Bill

[Shiloh]

Was in a small gunshop a few miles down the road and they had a really nice 1903 Springfield in the rack. Mfg'd 1929 (SN: 1,301,XXX) and rearsenaled in early 1942 (including new barrel) at Augusta Armory. Bore is a little dark (dirty?) but rifling is strong with nice, sharp lands. Externally, it's 80%-90%: no visible indications of corrosion, normal finish wear on sharp edges, a few smooth dents in the wood, rear sight completely intact and functional. There are several similar on listed on GB with $1200+ minimum bids and I'm pretty sure I can get this one for considerably less. Anyone give me a clue on what it might be worth?

Bill

Will he let you clean the bore??

Shiloh

[Kraschenbirn]

Will he let you clean the bore??

Shiloh

Yesterday, I returned to the shop with cleaning rod, patches, and bore-light in hand. Pulled the bolt, ran a lightly oiled patch through the bore, and found what I didn't want to find: the crud I had initially taken for heavy fouling was actually corrosion! Appears to me that, sometime in the past, the gun had been fired with corrosive ammo then put away 'dirty'. Really sad case; externally the gun is really fine condition but barrel is total trash.

Handed the gun back over the counter and asked for a bottom-line price on the gun as a 'non-functional'...thinking 're-barrel job'...and was told that the tagged $850 was based on the 'blue-book value' as a 'collectable'. At that point, picked up my stuff, said 'Have a nice day.' and motored on down the road.

Bill

[Adam Helmer]

Bill,

That is what happens now and then. My local shops know me and allow me to run a solvent patch down the bores of rifles I may buy. I have my 5-piece .30 caliber GI rod, solvent, oil and patches along with my bore light in my kit when I go shopping.

Adam