USMC M1903 Rock Island Arsenal rifle

[Pbaczuk]

Here is a nice USMC M1903 readied for the eventual use in WW2. This one has the “Hatcher hole”, stippled butt plate, barrel, front and rear sights and sight hood as well as the enlargened gas hole on the bolt. This is a high-number RIA rifle of 1918 production.

[conn]

nice, never saw butt plate like one shown

[M1Garandy]

5 hours ago, conn said:

nice, never saw butt plate like one shown

 

In addition to being stippled by the USMC, it appears that this smooth milled buttplate has been repaired with the trapdoor from a milled fine checkered buttplate. 

[Connor1941]

Awesome! Ive never seen a butt-plate like that. Wonder what caused those marks?

 

Best regards,

 

Connor

[collector]

Nice rifle. My father's pre-war training shots show lots of the '03 Marine front sight covers, they're like hen's teeth now.

 

[M1Garandy]

On 2/6/2022 at 12:23 PM, Connor1941 said:

Awesome! Ive never seen a butt-plate like that. Wonder what caused those marks?

 

Best regards,

 

Connor

 

A punch or chisel. When modified by the USMC, they were mostly done by hand. I believe they tried doing it with machines and determined that doing it by hand was quicker.