1903 Springfield
- Thread starter egbert
- Start date
Jim Watson
New member
That will be interesting.
A first run 1903 would have been in .30-03 caliber with rod bayonet and Krag type sight.
President Teddy Roosevelt thought the rod bayonet was flimsy and required it be changed to a conventional knife bayonet in 1905. Sights were updated, too.
Then in 1906 we adopted the spitzer bullet we saw the French and Germans using. This called for a new .30-06 chamber and new sight graduations.
So lucky number 777 might be one of the few unaltered rod bayonet rifles.
It might have been brought up to 1905 standard. Not many of these failed to get the 1906 upgrade and they are very scarce.
It might have been brought up to 1906 standard with or without the 1905 work.
That is the likeliest configuration, work done 1907-1910.
An unaltered 1903 or a 1905 version would be an extreme rarity, worth a lot of money. I don't know how much of a premium the low number would bring if it were a 1906 update.
A first run 1903 would have been in .30-03 caliber with rod bayonet and Krag type sight.
President Teddy Roosevelt thought the rod bayonet was flimsy and required it be changed to a conventional knife bayonet in 1905. Sights were updated, too.
Then in 1906 we adopted the spitzer bullet we saw the French and Germans using. This called for a new .30-06 chamber and new sight graduations.
So lucky number 777 might be one of the few unaltered rod bayonet rifles.
It might have been brought up to 1905 standard. Not many of these failed to get the 1906 upgrade and they are very scarce.
It might have been brought up to 1906 standard with or without the 1905 work.
That is the likeliest configuration, work done 1907-1910.
An unaltered 1903 or a 1905 version would be an extreme rarity, worth a lot of money. I don't know how much of a premium the low number would bring if it were a 1906 update.
I don't know if its true, or not, but I've always enjoyed the story about how TR proved his point about the rod bayonet. According to the story when shown the rod bayonet he disapproved, but was met with some resistance from the officers showing him, who thought the rod bayonet was plenty good enough.
Roosevelt then borrowed a rifle with a blade bayonet and engaged in sparring with an opponent with the rod bayonet, and cut the rod bayonet off his opponent's rifle. Case closed.
highpower3006
New member
That's a pretty early receiver. I have a orphan receiver in the 43,000 range and a complete rifle made in early 1906. The '06 rifle was been rebuilt after WWI, and still has it's original high wood stock and a 1-19 dated Avis barrel.
I would hazard a guess that the OP's rifle likely has been rebuilt at least once and if it has, it is going to be worth roughly what any other rebuilt '03 in similar condition would be worth. But if it is still original as manufactured, it is going to be worth a pretty penny.
I would hazard a guess that the OP's rifle likely has been rebuilt at least once and if it has, it is going to be worth roughly what any other rebuilt '03 in similar condition would be worth. But if it is still original as manufactured, it is going to be worth a pretty penny.