1903 USMC

[smokeeaterpilot]

Well got lucky on a Facebook transaction of all places.


I bought it as a shooter then as it was enroute someone tipped me off it was a SRS hit to the USMC and that changed everything


Showed up immediately as an SRS hit to San Diego USMC 1942.


Finally got the documentation and it's a hit to a Marine infantry unit. 8th Marines 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division right before "disembarkment" as it mentioned in the paperwork. I'm assuming before due to the date right before they left for the PTO and eventually the Canal.


Needs a couple parts to complete it, someone put a M1917 bayonet lug on it and the lower band is garbarge. But I'm not in a hurry I got it for the serial number.


SRS Database finally paid off.

 

[Maninblue1861]

Nice. Of the nearly 200 wwii arms I've owned, only 4 were documented usmc, andwere the m1941 sniper model 1903's.

Great score

 

[jpm]

Wow, fantastic find there Andrew, congrats!! Now take some more pics so we can see more of that beauty.

 

[smokeeaterpilot]

Nice. Of the nearly 200 wwii arms I've owned, only 4 were documented usmc, andwere the m1941 sniper model 1903's.

Great score

Beautiful rifle. I tend to stay away from snipers since they're so heavily faked and I know very little about them to make that kinda financial investment.

But that's the extent on my knowledge on them.

- - - Updated - - -

John,

This one needs a few parts to make it "correct' the upper band is off a M1917 LOL.

Once I'm done with it I'll send some close ups. Right now she's not pretty and needs some TLC. But I bought it for the SN.

 

[martin08]

Your model 1903 collection is adding up!

 

[smokeeaterpilot]

Your model 1903 collection is adding up!

Thanks working on it, this is my first "papered gun" probably my favorite condition aside because of the ability to get its history.

 

[76Too]

Unreal...great find, sir! Semper Fidelis! That rifle has seem more action than I probably ever will!

 

[Parker Duofold]

What is an SRS hit. PTO?

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Springfield Research Service (SRS) Data Available at ArmsCollectors.com:

One of the most significant features of ArmsCollectors.com is the superb, but not well known Springfield Research Service (SRS) serial number database. Mr. Frank Mallory has been researching in the National Archives and other authoritative primary sources for over 25 years, finding thousands of documented references to specific U.S. Military firearms. Serious collectors who subscribe to his quarterly U.S. Martial Arms Collector or own the printed or electronic version of serial number data are familiar with this resource. A few scoundrels even market Mallory's research information as if they had done it (most notably Civil War and Trapdoor data). Well, now, any collector with Internet access can check to see if any of his U.S. Military arms have a verifiable history. There are over sixty different categories of arms, some with only a single number, some with over 100,000 numbers. You can check your number, and will also see the 10 closest numbers to it on either side. For the numbers available, you will see the model, date and usage. Some fascinating details in these old records, so we hope you enjoy having access to them.

For a small fee (one of the lowest for any sort of "factory letter" type service we know of) Mr. Mallory will provide a letter stating the known facts, and the source of the information, and often a copy of the original documents. If the gun is linked to a specific individual, he can often provide copies of service record information as well, at a small additional fee. Unfortunately, records do not exist on every serial number, so only a small percentage of guns can be documented. However, this information is of great interest to collectors, and in our opinion, adds greatly to the enjoyment and value of any arm which can be documented. We strongly encourage you to make the investment in a SRS letter.

I have letters from Mr. Mallory showing the original sale date and purchaser of guns sold though the DCM program or at the National Matches. Others document use with a certain unit on a certain date. My favorite is one that documents a trapdoor rifle to a Illinois volunteer in the Philippine Insurrection, who saw action in a bitter fight, but this guy was less than a model soldier, and was court martialed over an unrelated incident

Unfortunately, records do NOT exist for all numbers, and please do not ask about numbers that are not listed, Mr. Mallory does not make stuff up in his spare time. He has to dig through mountains of old documents which may, or may not, have weapons serial numbers listed. As he uncovers more, we will add them to the on line database.

 

[smokeeaterpilot]

Springfield Research Service (SRS) Data Available at ArmsCollectors.com:

One of the most significant features of ArmsCollectors.com is the superb, but not well known Springfield Research Service (SRS) serial number database. Mr. Frank Mallory has been researching in the National Archives and other authoritative primary sources for over 25 years, finding thousands of documented references to specific U.S. Military firearms. Serious collectors who subscribe to his quarterly U.S. Martial Arms Collector or own the printed or electronic version of serial number data are familiar with this resource. A few scoundrels even market Mallory's research information as if they had done it (most notably Civil War and Trapdoor data). Well, now, any collector with Internet access can check to see if any of his U.S. Military arms have a verifiable history. There are over sixty different categories of arms, some with only a single number, some with over 100,000 numbers. You can check your number, and will also see the 10 closest numbers to it on either side. For the numbers available, you will see the model, date and usage. Some fascinating details in these old records, so we hope you enjoy having access to them.

For a small fee (one of the lowest for any sort of "factory letter" type service we know of) Mr. Mallory will provide a letter stating the known facts, and the source of the information, and often a copy of the original documents. If the gun is linked to a specific individual, he can often provide copies of service record information as well, at a small additional fee. Unfortunately, records do not exist on every serial number, so only a small percentage of guns can be documented. However, this information is of great interest to collectors, and in our opinion, adds greatly to the enjoyment and value of any arm which can be documented. We strongly encourage you to make the investment in a SRS letter.

I have letters from Mr. Mallory showing the original sale date and purchaser of guns sold though the DCM program or at the National Matches. Others document use with a certain unit on a certain date. My favorite is one that documents a trapdoor rifle to a Illinois volunteer in the Philippine Insurrection, who saw action in a bitter fight, but this guy was less than a model soldier, and was court martialed over an unrelated incident

Unfortunately, records do NOT exist for all numbers, and please do not ask about numbers that are not listed, Mr. Mallory does not make stuff up in his spare time. He has to dig through mountains of old documents which may, or may not, have weapons serial numbers listed. As he uncovers more, we will add them to the on line database.

Michael,

I don't know if you realize this but Mr. Frank Mallory passed away I believe about 15 years ago, in the early 2000's. I do not know if his colleague Charlie Pate (I believe that is his name) who started the research and the SRS with him is still involved. The main guy running the organization is Wayne Gagner and has been for a number of years. He's getting well past retirement age. So I have no idea how much longer he will be doing it and who will be the next to "carry the torch" of the SRS.

Also, I do not know this for a fact but several people I have spoken with said that you do not get a copy of the document always. Sometimes they only have Frank's notes of what the document contained not necessarily a copy of the document itself. But I'm not 100% on that.