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THANKS.......
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Some Unertl scopes were used by the US military, & certain models can be worth up to $2,000. However, without a detailed description or photos, we have no idea what type scope & mount you were looking at.
The rifle is obviously not a Remington, as their WW2 production of 1903 rifles began in the 3,000,000 range. And, because of a wood shortage, they never produced any 1903A1 rifles; however, they did install C stocks on many 1903A4 rifles.
It sounds like the rifle is a "Bubba special". The SN indicates that the receiver is an early Springfield Armory or Rock Island Arsenal product. A receiver with SN under 800,000 is considered unsafe to shoot due to improper hardening. So, the value of the rifle would be close to zero.
Neal
EDIT: I didn't mean to imply that "Bubba" is an unskilled lunk working in his basement; some folks who assemble USMC sniper clones are quite skilled. We would hope that they identify them as copies. As the original rifles that were assembled from Springfield Armory rifles are extremely scarce (& most are known to collectors), the majority of those that I see offered for sale are unattributed reproductions; i.e., fakes. SA & RIA made 1903's during WW1, Remington made them during WW2. (Smith Corona made 1903A3's during WW2). WW1 rifles are works of art, with blue steel, forged & milled, parts; by WW2, many parts were stampings, & were often parkerized. It would be interesting for us to know the asking price of the rifle you looked at.0 -
The only thing I can think of is that you may have missed a number and it is actually a 7-digit number. Remington made 1903A3 rifles in the 4,200,000 serial number range. 0 -
"Any alleged low number improperly heat treated receivers should have been destroyed in the Rockwell Test for hardness before they were ever assembled into rifles"
True. But you will never run across a receiver that passed the test, as the test itself (a form of shear-value testing) must destroy the receiver in the process of testing it. Impasse.
The 'low number' receivers were re-issued due to what's called the 'numerical probability factor', whereby a catastrophic failure probability of occurence was small enough to warrant not scrapping the entire lot of low numbered guns. The re-issuance time [of the guns in question] was the panic build-up time of early WWII, when troops were desperately in need of armament.
The prior posts of caution vis-a-vis 'low numbers' allude to the fact that the probability still exists. We've brought it to your attention. That, to us, is most important.
If truth be known, I've heard of folks saying that they've shot their low-numbered receivered guns with no problem, etc, and I regard firearms with a questionable safety record only as safe as the last shot fired, not the next shot fired. Best, Joe
EDIT-good idea. Keep replies to a minimum. Here's my reply to your bent bolt posting, placed out of sequence in my original post.
"Curved bolt handle is a plus. Glad it was changed. The straight bolt handle (as viewed from the top) falls into the 'unsafe' category. Your rifle was shipped from Springfield with a straight bolt-handle. But I digress..
Reads like a USMC corps/division level rebuilt rifle into sniper configuration..using [Remington, because Springfield was out of the '03 business by then] parts. Could have been Barstow, or the Marine Barracks at Hawaii, or Pendelton (actually any USMC armory/rebuild facility).
If you say it's a good looker, did you notice the cartouche stampings on the stock? It will tell the history of the build.
And if the scope is stamped USMC, and is 8X (USMC contracted for 8X Unertl's during the war-stamping found back by the eyepiece) the entire rig, in today's economy should sell for greater than about $3,000..assuming it being an arsenal, wartime build..and I still don't know that, as I'm viewing the rifle through your eyes".
Best, Joe
EDIT II
"Yes it has a curved bolt handle and it could be a rebuilt USMC or Army built rifle into sniper configuration perhaps"
Well, kinda-sorta. The rifle is probably an aftermarket rework to resemble the USMC sniper variant. Army didn't didn't contract to buy any Unertl's. They used the M-84, and the Lyman Alaskan series in their TO&E. If legit, the one you eyeballed would have been 8X, and the scope would have been stamped USMC. Best again, Joe0 -
The receiver was made in 1910 and the 2-groove barrel was a WWII Remington inovation. As you said, the barrel is dated 1944. Since it has been rebarreled (and certainly NOT by Remington), who knows what else has been re-done to it and when. The swept-back bolt handle means that the bolt has been replaced. While it may be a "nice" rifle, it is by no means origional in any respect. It's a put-together gun. 0 -
I see no actual reason to delete this. There Is nothing offensive and lots of good information. What is the purpose for deleting this thread? 0
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