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Rock Island Arenal 1903

fumasterk
Would like to know how much a Rockisland Arenal model 1903 is worth? It is in great condition. Under front sight markings are RIA 12-18. Do not know what the 12-18 is for.
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3 comments

Date Votes
  • drsck
    Greetings and congratulations on you '03. The 12-18 means that the barrel was made in December (12th month) of 1918. Now for the hard part. Most '03 rifles were sent back through the arsenal at some point during their lifespan. The fact that yours still has a World War I barrel, dating from the month after the conflict ended, suggests that it may have escaped that fate. If that is the case, then it may have significant value as a collector's piece. By that I mean that it may be worth more than the $600 (more or less) that a common version would bring. In order to determine that, however, we need to have more information. Do all the parts appear to match? Does wear and use seem uniform over the entire piece? The serial number is another consideration in that the rifles within a specific serial range had problems with the heat treating of the receiver and are not considered, by some, safe to shoot. So, once again, congratulations on haveing a great '03, but with some more information we can tell just how great it is. Best of luck -- Steve
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  • fumasterk
    Thanks for the info. All the parts match the gun and it is in really good shape for it's age. The wear on it is same all around.
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  • nmyers
    Still not enough specific information to mean anything to us. Do you know someone who can lend you a digital camera?

    Neal
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