Dollar Bill
Member
I posted this over in the FalFiles but I thought I would share the story with you guys.
I think all of us dream of going into an old house and finding a stashed away gun or having a relative who hands one over saying it has been around for years and they don't want it anymore. The story is even better if it is a gem.
A guy I work with said his mother in law found 2 old rifles in her garage her deceased husband had stashed away. From his description one is an '03 Springfield in original configuration. I know, it sounds too good to be true and something that always happens to the other guy and not to me but that is the story. He says he has the rifle in his truck but it was raining here at the time so I couldn't go out to look at it right away. The other rifle is a Sears single shot .22, probably made by Stevens arms and not much of a find but I was excited about the '03.
The rain slacked up a bit so we went out to the guy's truck and it is what he said it is....a 1903 marked: U.S./ Rock Island Arsenal/Model 1903 with a serial # of 392xxx. The stock is in excellent condition...this one did not go into battle. On the right side of the stock, near the bolt handle is the cartouche of C-S.A.A. enclosed in a rectangle. On the underside of the pistol grip stock is a "P" enclosed in a square. It is a semi pistol grip stock and not a full pistol grip. The metal appears good with some shallow, orange rust areas which should clean up. The bore is very dark and dirty complete with a spider web near the muzzle. I don't know if it will clean up or not. On the barrel, behind the front sight are the markings: S A/ flaming bomb ordnance mark/ 12-30.
It appears from a little research this rifle was made after 1922, has a nickel steel receiver, the barrel made in December, 1930 and may have been rebuilt at the San Antonio Armory according to the stock cartouche.
I thought it was a good enough story to share. I wish I could find something that nice, or have it given to me. Oh, BTW, he told me today he cleaned the bore and the bore is brite and shiny.
Lucky guy!
I think all of us dream of going into an old house and finding a stashed away gun or having a relative who hands one over saying it has been around for years and they don't want it anymore. The story is even better if it is a gem.
A guy I work with said his mother in law found 2 old rifles in her garage her deceased husband had stashed away. From his description one is an '03 Springfield in original configuration. I know, it sounds too good to be true and something that always happens to the other guy and not to me but that is the story. He says he has the rifle in his truck but it was raining here at the time so I couldn't go out to look at it right away. The other rifle is a Sears single shot .22, probably made by Stevens arms and not much of a find but I was excited about the '03.
The rain slacked up a bit so we went out to the guy's truck and it is what he said it is....a 1903 marked: U.S./ Rock Island Arsenal/Model 1903 with a serial # of 392xxx. The stock is in excellent condition...this one did not go into battle. On the right side of the stock, near the bolt handle is the cartouche of C-S.A.A. enclosed in a rectangle. On the underside of the pistol grip stock is a "P" enclosed in a square. It is a semi pistol grip stock and not a full pistol grip. The metal appears good with some shallow, orange rust areas which should clean up. The bore is very dark and dirty complete with a spider web near the muzzle. I don't know if it will clean up or not. On the barrel, behind the front sight are the markings: S A/ flaming bomb ordnance mark/ 12-30.
It appears from a little research this rifle was made after 1922, has a nickel steel receiver, the barrel made in December, 1930 and may have been rebuilt at the San Antonio Armory according to the stock cartouche.
I thought it was a good enough story to share. I wish I could find something that nice, or have it given to me. Oh, BTW, he told me today he cleaned the bore and the bore is brite and shiny.
Lucky guy!