1903A3 stock question

[OnTheRoad]

I recently added a 1943 Smith-Corona 1903A3 to the collection - it's a CAI import but the metal is in great condition the bore is good and I don't believe it's been cleaned or fired since import; I'm currently in the process of taking it down and cleaning the cosmoline out of everywhere (I swear, it must have been packed under pressure!). The stock has seen its share of use but no major gouges or serious damage. Going to try to clean the stock up a bit and see how it looks.

So anyhow, I am trying to identify what appears to be a cross cartouche in the stock. Haven't been able to find anything online maybe I'm not looking hard enough or in the right places - but for what it's worth, here's a picture:

As near as I can tell the stock is original, at least the wear and tear is commensurate with a 1943 rifle. Anyone?

(More pics of the rifle to follow once things are cleaned up a bit more.)

 

[vellnueve]

Don't discount the possibility that it was just etched in by the previous user.

I know little to nothing about 1903s, much less 03A3s

 

[OnTheRoad]

The thought crossed my mind - if it is a one-off, it was done in a very clean and uniform manner. Maybe some sort of unit marking? Anyone know what countries got our used 03's when we were done with them, maybe it was marked after we loaned it out.

 

[Pilgrim]

It's not something that the US govt put on. The only thing that it resembles to me is a Swiss flag.

Looks like it was carved rather than stamped like a real cartouche.

When I got my CMP 03a3, the barrel was plugged with cosmo. I shoved a metal rod down the barrel and pushed out a solid cosmo 'rod'. That thing had more cosmo in more places than anything I've ever gotten.

 

[vellnueve]

A lot of countries got our other rifles, but I don't think 03s were used by anyone else. England ordered a bunch in .303, but other than the prototypes I don't think any were ever actually produced.

 

[1903Collector]

What type of stock is it? Straight, scant or full pistol grip? Does it have reinforcing bolts or pins? Many of the SCs had stocks with pins which were more prone to cracking and later versions had the bolts. I remember seeing a photograph in a book, the photo was from the early days of Vietnam (or at least I think so) and the Vietnamese soilders had 03s. I agree with the others that that marking was probably put there by it's previous owner but you never know. Any other markings on the stock? Check the right side of the stock by the magazine cut off, another spot is forward of the magazine and also the tip of the stock. More pics please

 

[Joe G]

To me it looks like it was stamped rather than carved. The top and the bottom are not as deeply imprinted, which makes it seem like a flat stamp was used on the rounded stock.

Sorry I can't help more - I don't know much about Springfields.

 

[OnTheRoad]

Unfortunately not a lot of plainly visible stamps on the stock, a good number of dings though! There is the proof "P" behind the trigger guard, 2 or 3 unreadable on the bottom in front of the mag cover and an inspectors stamp (very light) in a box on the left side just behind the receiver.

It's an "unpinned" stock; you can see where small pins have gone through the stress points and some cracking inside - I don;t know if it was a repair or if the cracking occurred around the pins.

It's a straight 03A3 stock; no pistol grip. Kind of like the third one down in this pic:

I'll try taking some photos this weekend should the time allow.

 

[ranger4-7]

My initial thought was that it represented the Greek national cross. Many of the CMP guns are returns from Greece.