WWII Springfield 1903 CMP Paperwork .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1932 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1200
LSB#: 220115DS015
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 1412970
Year of Manufacture: 1932 (page 374 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition)
Barrel Date: 1905
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903 / 1412970”. The top of the barrel is marked “S A / flaming bomb / 05 / A” and the bottom is marked “P” three times and “T”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The bolt handle is marked with numbers that do not correlate to the serial number in electric pencil. The barrel band is marked “U”. The bayonet lug is marked “H”. The bottom metal is marked “B”. The bottom of the bolt handle is marked with a partial stamp and with a punch mark. The bottom of the grip is marked with a faded “circled P” proof. The right side of the butt is marked with the last 4 digits of the serial number.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade atop a raised 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, nosecap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 reinforcing pins and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The buttplate shows scrapes, scratches, and thinning. The wood shows numerous scrapes, scratches and compression marks. Several have damaged small portions of the surface wood. These marks have been oiled. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The grooves are gray. The rifling is well defined, less pronounced at the muzzle. There is light erosion in the bore. It is more prominent in the grooves and at the muzzle. The bore shows an M.E. of 3.2.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish as refinished. The metal shows scrapes and small scratches. The most prominent are on the front of the barrel & front sight. The barrel shows several small spots of thinning. The right side of the receiver and the bolt show operational wear. The screw heads show heavy use but are refinished. The receiver markings are deep. The barrel markings are well defined. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition as refinished.
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: The rifle comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and a shipping invoice from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) as well as an owner’s manual.The certificate and invoice are each marked with the rifle’s serial number and a “2002” date. They show varying degrees of creasing. These items are in about Very Good Plus to Fine condition.
The rifle has a green canvas sling attached. It shows light soiling and light discoloration on the canvas as well as scrapes on the metal. It is in Very Good Plus to Fine condition.
Our Assessment: When the US Army was looking for a rifle design to replace the 1898 Krag rifle, they looked directly at the Spanish Model 1893 Mauser. This was due to the fact that the performance of the Model 1893 Mauser was far superior than that of the 1898 Krag during the Spanish-American War. The Model 1903 is basically a redesigned Mauser clone. A U.S. Patent Court eventually found that the U.S. Army had violated Mauser’s patents and required the U.S. Army to pay the German Mauser manufacturers patent royalties. Payments were stopped once WWI started. The 1903 has a strong reliable action that served the Army for over thirty years in two world wars.
This Springfield Armory 1903 was made back in 1932 so it was around for all of WWII. We don’t know its service history but it was most likely put to good use on or near a battlefield. In 2002 it was purchased through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and shipping invoice from the CMP. The rifle was refinished after the CMP purchase. This service rifle is 90 years old and still has deep markings on the receiver. It will add to your Military collection. Good luck.