Springfield Armory Model 1903 Mark I 1 .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1919 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1095

LSB#: 210702RD16

Make: Springfield Armory

Model: 1903 Mark I

Serial Number: 1079311

Year of Manufacture: 1919 (page 374 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). Barrel Date: March 1919

Caliber: .30-06 Springfield

Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine

Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903. / MARK I / 1079311” and also has a mark that looks like a Siamese symbol. The top of the Springfield barrel is marked “S A / flaming bomb / 3- 19”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The bottom of the bolt handle is marked with a punch dot. The bottom of the bayonet lug is marked “H”. The stock is stamped “K” in the trench cut-off scallop. The right side of the barrel band is marked “U”. The bottom of the forend is stamped “198”. The bottom of the grip has a “circle P” cartouche. The left side of the grip is marked with a faded mark and “RAP”. The left side of the buttstock has a cartouche that looks Siamese.

Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade atop a barrel-mounted base. The rear sight is a “U” notched blade attached to a fully adjustable sight ladder marked from “3-27”. When flipped up separate notches and an aperture on the ladder can be used for sighting.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The two-piece hardwood stock has a straight grip, metal nosecap, stacking loop, 2 sling loops, barrel band, 2 through bolts, and a metal buttplate with a hinged door for storage. There are scatted dings, compressions, and scratches. The deepest marks are on the bottom of the forend in front of the magazine well. The majority of the defects have darkened. The wood is splitting on the right side of the buttstock. The LOP measures 12 3/4 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some scabbing, finsih loss on the edges, and some scuffs. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The four groove bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some light erosion in the grooves. Our gauge gives us an M.E. of about 0.75.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains approximately 85% of its metal finish. The metal has a coat of cosmoline. There are areas of mottled thinning and discoloration, the most noticeable are on the bolt handle and bottom metal. There are some patches of dried grease on the barrel. There are a few little nicks and dings through the finish. Some of the edges have thinning. There are handling marks and there is standard operational wear. The screwheads show light use. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: When the US Army was looking for a rifle design to replace their Krag rifles, they looked at the Spanish Mauser Model 93 they captured during the Spanish-American War. Other than changing the firing pin to a two-piece design and a few other minor alterations, the 1903 was, in fact, a Mauser design, and the U. S. Government ended up paying royalties to Mauser Werke. The rifle was well worth it though. It had a strong and reliable action and served the Army for over thirty years in two world wars. It’s fast .30-06 cartridge, adopted in 1906, continued to be the one cartridge that all others are compared against, whether it is for ballistics or felt recoil. This Springfield Armory Model 1903 was made back in 1919. It has been around long enough to see all of WWII. We don’t know if it saw service during World II, but it was around for it. It has interesting markings on the receiver and left side of the buttstock that look Siamese but we could not find any references to them. This 1903 has some scattered wear but has nice markings and a great bore, it still should be fun to shoot and looks good enough to add to your collection. Please see our photos and good luck!