Checking '03 Springfield serial # to see if it a genuine NRA rifle

[eric123]

Hello

Does anyone have the books to check a serial number to see if a rifle is a real NRA '03? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Eric

[WILCO]

This may help: https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/72/2530/us-rock-island-1903-rifle-nra-sales-marked

[WILCO]

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?27331-1903-NRA-sporter-questions


02-06-2008, 03:49 PM #2




BobO


BobO is offlineSenior Member


Join Date:Dec 1969Posts:151




I have one of these rifles that was listed on the Springfield Research Site. Mine has a Lyman 48 on it. You can go to the CSP website and ask in their 03 forum and will get expert advice on the originality of your rifle.

[WILCO]

02-06-2008, 04:54 PM #3


texraid's Avatar

texraid


texraid is offlineSenior Member


Join Date:Dec 1969Location:N. KentuckyPosts:370


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Quote Originally Posted by BobO View Post

I have one of these rifles that was listed on the Springfield Research Site. Mine has a Lyman 48 on it. You can go to the CSP website and ask in their 03 forum and will get expert advice on the originality of your rifle.
Ditto on that. Herschel and others will give you good accurate feedback. Here's the link.
http://www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/03/03config.pl

If it's an authentic sporter it should be listed in the SRS database and that site was taken down but people over there have that info. I would say the fact it has a star gauged barrel bodes well.

[eric123]

Thank you WILCO for the feedback...I have tried the jouster links, but looks like they are as dead as my first marriage...

[lefty o]

its moved, its jousterII now.

[pietro]

.

www.jouster2.com

FWIW

* The 1903 NRA Sporter bolt has a matching serial number that would have been engraved on the underside of the bolt with an electric pencil and would only be visible when the bolt is rotated to the open position.

(NOTE: The earliest NRA Sporters, made in 1923 and possibly early 1924, did not have their bolts numbered to the receivers. The middle years production, approx 1925 to late 1920's had the bolts numbered on top like the National Match 1903.)

* The barrel profile of the 1903 NRA Sporter is slightly heavier than found on issue 1903 barrels, and lacks the flaming bomb & distinctive sight alignment groove in front of the receiver found on issue 1903 barrels.

* The Star Gauge symbol should be stamped on the muzzle crown also looks original, and an original 1903 NRA Sporter barrel should also have a Star Gauge test number stamped on the bottom of the barrel under the wood line.

(This is unlike a National Match 1903, which had the Star Gauge test number stamped on top of the barrel under the handguard.)

* Barrel dates for original 1903 NRA Sporters typically precede the DCM sale date, in some cases by as much as a couple of years.

* The front edge of the receiver on an 1903 NRA Sporter should have a slightly rounded profile, instead of a sharp machined edge found on service issue 1903 rifles.

(While not definitive, since it can be faked, this is a quick visual check that can be quite useful.)

* A Lyman 48 receiver sight is correct for a 1903 NRA Sporter, but should not have a screwed-in aperture, instead having a flip-down two-position aperture on the front side.


I hope that will help you determine what you have.

.

[WILCO]

Thank you WILCO for the feedback...I have tried the jouster links, but looks like they are as dead as my first marriage...

Hang tough Brother. I know what you mean.

[TAC14]

To the OP,

It's not clear if you are asking about:

-An NRA sporter

OR

- A military configured 03, with the NRA marking on the trigger guard.

[eric123]

Bone stock 1903 with NRA stamped trigger guard...Still has barrel dated in same time frame as serial number...Like this...

https://www.pre98.com/shop/gone-but-not-forgotten/exceptional-n-r-a-marked-7-11-production-1903-springfield-rifle/

[TAC14]

The one on your link is waaaay overpriced. The last minty one I bought (2014) was $1100.

Your's sounds correct. Can't imagine anyone faking one as there is little if any premium for them.

It will NOT have a receiver sight or star gauge bbl. (unless it happened to be a NM rifle, in which case there will be a drawing # stamped on the stock).

All the stamping means is that is was sold thru the NRA, nothing special about them. It is NOT an NRA sporter.

Bone stock 03s are becoming hard to find, enjoy it !

What arsenal ? serial # ? bbl date ?

Nice catch !

[gnoahhh]

Those early NRA Sales rifles were stamped as such to show that the purchaser was legally entitled to own it, nothing more. In those early days of M1903 issuance, it was illegal for citizens to own one- the only exception to the rule was for rifles sold via the DCM through the NRA to members. They weren't cheap (relatively speaking- rather like if the U.S. gov't sold current M4's to the public for $1500 apiece) and not very many were sold like that, making them rather rare today.