U.S.Springfield 1903 Bolt Action Rifle fitted with 1913 Warner & Swasey Musket Sight. (f 250)

A Very Rare Good WW1 U.S. Service 1903 Springfield Rifle in Sniper set up.

 Of standard U.S. Springfield specification in .30-06 caliber but fitted with the Warner & Swasey M1913 Musket Scope.  Serial number 1004918.   43.1/4″ overall length.  Barrel length 24″.  Mauser bolt action with internal 5 shot magazine.  Twin cross-bolt stock with finger grooves and humped handguard in American walnut.  Note, with the scope in position the rifle may still be loaded by stripper clip.  Without the sight fitted ( & with – difficulty ) the open sights can still be used.

The receiver is marked “U.S./SPRINGFIELD/ARMOURY/MODEL 1903./1004918”  with a single gas escape hole on the RHS.  Blued Springfield bolt with early swept-back handle and flag safety to rear.  The flag safety and ejector spring are in an early blued finish which is wearing.  The action has been refinished to a green/grey parkerised finish.  The rear sights are blued on a parkerised base with lightening cuts and graduated to 2700.  Adjustment is by “dished” windage and elevation knurled knobs on the side of the unit. On careful inspection it can be seen that the stock has been machined inside, against the action wall to provide clearance for the scope bases’ feet.

The main mount for the scope is fitted to the LHS of the action body.  It is held in position by three screws and allows the scope to be taken on and of with relative ease and in theory on replacing the optics there should be no need to re-zero.  The adjustment bracket under the scope has a sprung plunger which drops into position when the scope is far enough up the rail.  For as much thought that went into the development of this scope it is a very cumbersome and difficult instrument to use as it puts the shooters head into an awkward position and pulls the cheek away from the stock.

The instrument itself works with prisms inside the brass casing and is fully adjustable externally.  There is a simple cross hair  and the magnification on this model is of 5.2 times. Many of these items were issued but very few survive today. This one has reasonable original optics. It has a reproduction rubber eye-shade fitted which is pierced with holes to alleviate the suction problems encountered in the early days.  Externally it still has all its range information and correction plates fitted.

This is an extremely rare thing to find and although not a fantastic success during the conflict it filled a need for the army at the time.  They were sold off or scrapped after the war.

The scope comes with its leather carrying case, minus the carrying strap but, with the typical US webbing attachment for their belts. It also has a 1913 Model spanner which is storred in a leather flap on the front of the case.  The case is correctly marked on the rear with the Diamond D trade mark and “A.B.D.” underneath.  the top flap of the case has the word “SAREGANT” stamped into the leather.  The case as a whole is in very good condition, though the two fastening straps are broken.   The rifles barrel is parkerised and marked as follows behind the front sight ramp; “S.A./flaming bomb/1-20″.  The trigger guard and floor plate are also parkerised.  Some of the components on the rifle such as the trigger guard, barrel and barrel bands show traces of storage grease.  Blued serrated trigger.

The slim straight-gripped stock is in excellent condition and matches the humped handguard.  Over the years reapplied finishes have built a pleasing patina on the surface of the stock.  Underneath the stock, behind the trigger guard, the wrist is marked with three circled “P” final proof marks.  This means this rifle has been overhauled on more than one occassion and then returned to service, or storage.  The stock has plain steel butt-plate with a trap for cleaning equipment and is fitted with two sling swivels and a stacking swivel.  Plain blade fore-sight.  The forend cap has the bayonet lugg under.

The cartouche on the side of the wrist is that of  “S A. DAL” which translates as follows; “SA” means Springfield Armoury and “DAL” was an inspector who is recorded as only being at Springfield from 1917 to 1918.  Couple this with the single “S” sub-inspectors mark which is clearly visible in the magazine cut-off recess in the stock on the LHS, and this is definitely a Springfield manufactured stock which was made during the first world war.  It is possible that the rifle may not have been completed by the end of the conflict and was then later fitted with a 1920 barrel ( as mentioned above) or the barrel was replaced after heavy use or some kind of catastrophe which befell it in service, – like Flanders mud!

The action cycles perfectly, the safety functions positively. Good bore with clear rifling.  The magazine cut-off and bolt removal catch work well.  There is plenty of rifling left and if the next owner looks after it, this old girl is going to carry on giving good service  for many years to come.

As to its value? Humm?  Fitted with this rare and unusual scope!  If anybody is interested they are welcome to phone me and try to tempt it out of my grubby paws.

Stock code: f 250

£ 8950.

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