03 Springfield, 1905 mods, still in 30-03

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tark

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Discovered another treasure in the Rock Island Arsenal Museum that I didn't know we had. Tag #6767 is a production RIA 1903 Springfield with the 1905 modifications. It is not an earlier rifle that was converted, it came off the production line as is. It was the very first rifle off of the line with the new mods. It was never fired and was taken to the Museum the day it was assembled. It is unfired and was never issued.

And it is still in the original 30-03. This makes it one of the rarest firearms on earth and without any question one of the two highest conditioned 03s on the planet, the other one being RIA # 1. (we have that one as well. ) You can't get any newer than a gun that was never fired, not even proof tested.
 

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Let's wire it up and turn it into a lamp!
I LOVE THAT !!!!! Redleg, you get the prize!!! I'll pull the gun off the weapons wall and ship it to you. Be sure to share pics with us when you are done. I think a hot pink lamp shade would look good, and maybe some frilly lace around the boarders.
Why is the striker cocked?
Every weapon in the museum has been rendered inoperable in one way or another. Usually this is done by the simplest and easiest way possible, by removing either springs or firing pins. 03#1 and tag #6767 are missing the firing pin springs. They look like they are cocked, but they really aren't. All missing parts are stored in the back room, which contains 10,000 artifacts. Everything that is not a gun is in that room. I have never posted pics of some of the artifacts there because they will never be in display, but what we have in that room could induce serious sensory overload leading to loss of consciousness. Ill give you all this teaser:

Pommel holsters for a Walker Colt
 

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I LOVE THAT !!!!! Redleg, you get the prize!!! I'll pull the gun off the weapons wall and ship it to you. Be sure to share pics with us when you are done. I think a hot pink lamp shade would look good, and maybe some frilly lace around the boarders.

Every weapon in the museum has been rendered inoperable in one way or another. Usually this is done by the simplest and easiest way possible, by removing either springs or firing pins. 03#1 and tag #6767 are missing the firing pin springs. They look like they are cocked, but they really aren't. All missing parts are stored in the back room, which contains 10,000 artifacts. Everything that is not a gun is in that room. I have never posted pics of some of the artifacts there because they will never be in display, but what we have in that room could induce serious sensory overload leading to loss of consciousness. Ill give you all this teaser:

Pommel holsters for a Walker Colt
Tell you what, I'll even steal one of my girlfriend's stockings and put it on it and label it FRAGILE, let 'em think it's from Italy.
 
Thanks for posting this tark. The John Browning Museum at Rock Island Arsenal is one of the coolest museums I've ever been able to visit. Great piece of history! First went there about 1972 if I recall, and just about everything was wide open, including a whole lot of Colt Army issue single actions on display up high on a wall, with lot's of rust formed on them. I cried! Last time I was there about 15 years ago, everything was in glass cases for security purposes I presume. The JB Museum in Ogden Utah used to be wide open too, but was all encased last time I was there, due to some theft I was told by the nice lady at the place.
 
Thanks for posting this tark. The John Browning Museum at Rock Island Arsenal is one of the coolest museums I've ever been able to visit. Great piece of history! First went there about 1972 if I recall, and just about everything was wide open, including a whole lot of Colt Army issue single actions on display up high on a wall, with lot's of rust formed on them. I cried! Last time I was there about 15 years ago, everything was in glass cases for security purposes I presume. The JB Museum in Ogden Utah used to be wide open too, but was all encased last time I was there, due to some theft I was told by the nice lady at the place.
Your quite welcome, gunsmither. The Museum has changed a lot in the last 40 years. It wasn't air conditioned for many years, now things are kept at 68 degrees and 20% humidity year round. Rust is no longer a problem . We used to be the "John Browning Memorial Museum" and we had many of Mr. Browning's early prototypes. These were on loan from the Browning Family. They were re-claimed when the Browning Museum was built in Ogden Utah some years ago. When I visited the museum in my youth everything was in glass display cases that were out on the floor. You couldn't touch the guns but you could stick your nose within a few inches of them, and get a good close up look.

Then everything was put behind a glass wall and you cant get any closer than ten feet or so. I assume this was done for security purposes. The weapons wall has its own separate alarm system and if it goes off the entire Island is locked down in a New York second. None of the guns are functional, anyway, they're all missing springs/ or firing pins or whatever. Army regulations.

The first pic is the west wall, the other one, about half of the south wall . In the last pic I am holding Major General John Buford's cavalry saber. You may remember him as the man who held off Lee's army for one day, on July 1st 1863, near some town named Gettysburg.
 

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Thanks a bunch tark. That's how I remember it the last time I was there. Back in '72(?), there were no glass enclosures that I can recall along the main walls; was wide open most places.
Loved the outdoor display of howitzers, tanks, etc; last time I was there. The shot up Sherman sure made me cringe! What a neat place to work!

Been to Gettysburg; one of the saddest places I've ever been. Cried like a baby thinking of all the poor guys who got chewed up there. Very sad.
 
tark

Very, very, extraordinary cool with that '03 Springfield with the '05 modifications!

Thanks for the back room teaser peek too!
 
Your quite welcome, gunsmither. The Museum has changed a lot in the last 40 years. It wasn't air conditioned for many years, now things are kept at 68 degrees and 20% humidity year round. Rust is no longer a problem . We used to be the "John Browning Memorial Museum" and we had many of Mr. Browning's early prototypes. These were on loan from the Browning Family. They were re-claimed when the Browning Museum was built in Ogden Utah some years ago. When I visited the museum in my youth everything was in glass display cases that were out on the floor. You couldn't touch the guns but you could stick your nose within a few inches of them, and get a good close up look.

Then everything was put behind a glass wall and you cant get any closer than ten feet or so. I assume this was done for security purposes. The weapons wall has its own separate alarm system and if it goes off the entire Island is locked down in a New York second. None of the guns are functional, anyway, they're all missing springs/ or firing pins or whatever. Army regulations.

The first pic is the west wall, the other one, about half of the south wall . In the last pic I am holding Major General John Buford's cavalry saber. You may remember him as the man who held off Lee's army for one day, on July 1st 1863, near some town named Gettysburg.

This is what I picture @Offfhand ’s gun room(s) look like
 
Gunny

Take it away, take it away! It hurts my eyes to look at it!

That's even uglier than the equally dreadful looking British Thorneycroft bolt action rifle!
 
Gunny, that thing looks like the afterbirth of a bastard rat :barf:.....but I bet a collector would pay very big bucks for it....assuming it still exists.... hopefully not....there's enough ugliness in the world already.

But thanks for posting it anyway. It is a good example of what a sick, twisted, demented mind can come up with.
 
Hope that's not a low numbered receiver. I cringe at the thought of that one possibly blowing up in my face ( literally in my face )
 
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