In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

1903

toad8877toad8877 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
edited February 2009 in Ask the Experts
i have a springfield 1903 dated 1905 with all of the arsenal updates in the 1906-1910 period but why does the front of the wood under the barrel marked with RI and not an S? did they use each others stocks for the stock updates as i have seen some other 03 dated 1911 have each others parts on them as well. thanks
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,892 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Guns don't usually get sent to an arsenal for "update"; they are sent in because they are not needed, or are worn or damaged to the point that they can't be repaired at a lower level of ordnance. The arsenal employees' job is to make the rifle "serviceable"; that is, it should work as well as a new one. Certain parts may be mandatory, important updates, while others may just be an improved version that will be installed when the other versions run out.

    Replacement parts were recycled from other guns, sometimes they were new from the original manufacturer, sometimes from a contractor. It didn't matter to the arsenal, they used whatever was in the parts bin.

    Neal
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • toad8877toad8877 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    this 03 has 4 inspector marks on the stock which are all springfield, and according to the "book" for that time period before wwi these were just sitting in the arsenal, then some modifacations came around and some if not all of the arsenal rifles were pulled and updated, triggers, front clips, sights, buttplates, stocks, and front upper wood which was changed twice. now i can understand if we were at war and used anything we could get our hands on the update but we were in peace time and should have been able to take the time to match everything, as there was no rush, or was there? kind of like the colt 1911 that most any more are all changed out with everyone elses parts.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BlairweescotBlairweescot Member Posts: 2,014 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nobody cared about 'matching everything' peacetime or not. Nobody was going to say "hey, you can't use this wood, it doesn't bear the correct inspector's stamps" or "this rifle fails inspection, regulations forbid any RI stamps on a rifle that has gone through Springfield"

    Sometime in the rifle's life, that wood was broken and replaced. They used whatever wood meet the requirements for serviceability that the Army was using at that time. If in 1924 the wood broke, there was no-one who was going to search through the stockpiles of spare wood to get the perfect match for the rifle. They used the first one they laid hands on
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • toad8877toad8877 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    great, thanks, was kind of what i was leaning towards, had a so called expert on 03's look at it and he said it was all original but then i found the RI stanp and had to find out why. thanks again
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by toad8877
    great, thanks, was kind of what i was leaning towards, had a so called expert on 03's look at it and he said it was all original but then i found the RI stanp and had to find out why. thanks again


    Original Military Issue! Don't dismiss the person who said [item in blue above]. Many a soldier would have/could have carried the rifle with your exact markings. My read on "non-originality" pertains to aftermarket parts sold in China, etc. Best, Joe
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In some Army inspections, barreled actions may go in one pile, bolts in another pile, trigger guard assemblies in another and wood in another pile. This kind of batch inspection is likely to occur at some time in the service life of a military small arm.
    Each pile may be inspected for serviceability followed by assembly of guns from parts at random and a final inspection. test firing may or may not happen.
    There is no requirement for replaceable parts to go back on the same gun. The beauty of U.S. military small arms is in 100% interchangeability of parts not comprising an inseparable assembly.
    That's why our parts are not serial numbered.
    For a military small arm to go through its' service life carrying the parts it left the factory with is an unreasonable expectation.
    Additionally, in production when parts shortages arose, other subcontractors are called upon to fill shortages.
    Today collectors try to match parts not knowing what goes on after issue.
    The above Springfield may have gone through WW1 and suffered damage to the original wood but that can't be assumed.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.