Help Identifying a Rifle (PICS)

[omgwtfbbq]

Background: My next door neighbor and I are going to range tomorrow and knowing I love older firearms (even if I don't know a huge amount about them) he said he would bring along his father's old 30.06 which he had inherited from my neighbor's grandfather. Tonight he brought the rifle by and it's unlike any rifle I've held myself (not saying much) and I would love to be able to give him some more information about it. judging by the markings, I'm think an ex-military rifle that's been restocked, but what make and model I couldn't say. Any information you folks could lend would be amazing. Thanks.

-Chris

PS: my apologies for my poor quality photography and my ugly couch. haha.

PICS:

The Marking "U.S. Rock Island Arsenal 1903" led me to believe that it might be a restocked surplus Springfield 1903, but I'm not familiar with the mechanics of the model to make a real judgment.

[G-forceJunkie]

Looks like a sportorized 1903.

[omgwtfbbq]

That's what I figured. I know sportization is a pretty big value killer, and I know for a fact that his family has no intention of selling it, but for curiosity sake, I wonder how much it could be worth.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Looks like a sportorized 1903.

Yep. A sporterized M1903 "Springfield" rifle made at Rock Island Arsenal around 1918. They added a rear peep sight, but I don't recognize the brand.

...I know sportization is a pretty big value killer, and I know for a fact that his family has no intention of selling it, but for curiosity sake, I wonder how much it could be worth.

I'll bet they could get $300 to $350 for it.

[NaughtyMonkey]

Poor rifle with some work you could get it back to the way its supposed to look!

[Crusader]

Looks like a good shooter

[mosinnagantm9130]

I'll bet they could get $300 to $350 for it.

I was gonna say $300-$400! GMTA...

I'd bet it's probably a nice target rifle.

[omgwtfbbq]

From my neighbor's account the rifle is rarely used. I gave it a once over and the receiver, magazine, and bolt all seem to be in great shape, with the exception of some light tarnishing on the bolt. The bore is bright and the rifling looks to be in great condition. It needs a good cleaning with bore cleaner, but other than that it's pretty awesome. I can't want to get some trigger time with it tomorrow.

PS: the rear sight seems to be of Redfield make.

[rjf]

Looks like an aftermarket barrel as there is no provision for the military rear sight. Can't see the front sight. Rock Island low serial numbers are 285,507 and lower so you are ok there. The screw in aperture sight disk for the Redfield sight is missing. Other than that I bet it's a tack driver. $300

[bruceflinch]

So did the 1903 come before or after the 03A3?

[fal_762x51]

Yep. It was the predecessor.

[smle-man]

So did the 1903 come before or after the 03A3?

The 1903 came first, evolved into the 1903A1 pre WW2 then the 03A3 in 1942.

[omgwtfbbq]

Looks like an aftermarket barrel as there is no provision for the military rear sight. Can't see the front sight. Rock Island low serial numbers are 285,507 and lower so you are ok there. The screw in aperture sight disk for the Redfield sight is missing. Other than that I bet it's a tack driver. $300

The barrel and front sight are definitely both aftermarket. The front sight is a solid flat blade sight.

With not ability or knowledge at the time to adjust the sight, it took a bit of human adjustment to get it on target but once we did it was drilling the target. If we could have tweek'd it and if I had invested in some sandbags or a shooting rest, we could have done a lot better.

It was still very interesting to shoot something that's basic parts were so old and yet smoothed so smoothly. Excellent workmanship.

[kendog4570]

The barrel appears to be a USGI one, recontoured and polished, blued. Note the longitudinal pin groove at the receiver/barrel junction. This was for driving a pin and fixing the rear sight base at the right spot for sight/thread timing. Usually this pin was located near 2 oclock (when viewed from the rear), so this barrel could have been set back and re-indexed sometime in the past 90 years. Very unlikely that this groove would have been on an aftermarket barrel. Some may have had the pin in the location it is on your rifle, I'm not sure.
1903's, sporterized or not, are great shooters. You have a real nice rifle there.

[bruceflinch]

Yep. It was the predecessor.

The 1903 came first, evolved into the 1903A1 pre WW2 then the 03A3 in 1942.

Thanks!

So when did the M1 or first semi-auto come into WWII? So WWII troops were first issued 03A2/3?

Sorry I love History, but find it hard to read it...