This is a mint condition, museum
quality and all original, early Model 1903 Rifle manufactured by Rock Island
Arsenal in 1912.
The Model 1903 Service Rifle was
officially adopted on June 19, 1903 and it was initially chambered for the
.30-03 round and had an internally-stored rod bayonet, similar to the rod
bayonet design used on the Model 1884 Trapdoor Rifle. When the design was
finalized, the Ordnance Department ordered both national armories, Springfield
Armory and Rock Island Arsenal to begin preparing for production. Springfield
was given an initial production quota of 400 rifles per day and Rock Island a
quota of 125 rifles per day. Both armories began to tool up for Model 1903
production with Springfield Armory considerably ahead of Rock Island. At the
beginning of 1904, Springfield was producing up to 300 rifles per day. By
mid-summer in 1904, Springfield had already produced about 30,000 of the Model
1903 "rod bayonet" rifles and had already equipped the US Military
Academy Corps of Cadets with the new rifle. At the same point, Rock Island had
yet to manufacture a complete Model 1903 Rifle. The delays at Rock Island were
understandable considering that Rock Island had not manufactured any small arms
up to that point. From the end of the Civil War until tasked to produce the
1903 Rifle, Rock Island had been primarily involved in the manufacture of
various infantry and cavalry equipment, including saddles, harnesses, slings,
ammunition pouches, holsters, gun carriages, caissons and eating utensils. The
Arsenal also stored equipment and refurbished small arms but had yet to tackle
small arms production until the call came in 1903.
Initially, Rock Island began
producing parts for the new Model 1903 Rifle on May 4, 1904 but did not
assemble completed rifles. The first completed rifle, Rock Island serial number
1, had its receiver made on November 21, 1904, was completed as a rifle on December
20, 1904, and bears a final inspection cartouche date of 1905. This was not an
issue rifle, however, but was manufactured for the new Rock Island Arsenal
Museum. At the same time as this museum rifle was assembled at Rock Island,
Springfield had already completed assembly on 65,752 Model 1903 Rifles. Shortly
after Rock Island Model 1903 Rifle serial number 1 was completed (Rock Island
did not complete assembly of any issue weapons as far as is known), an off-hand
comment by the president of the United States would radically change the
rifle's design. On January 4, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt was shown the
new Model 1903 Rifle and he commented, “I must say that I think that ramrod
bayonet is about as poor an invention as I ever saw." Nothing more by the
president needed to be said on the subject and the Secretary of War ordered
that production of all rod bayonet related parts cease on January 11, 1905.
In a way, Rock Island's slow start
to 1903 production was fortuitous because all of the rod bayonet rifles
manufactured by Springfield would have to be altered. In addition, the cocking
piece and safety was redesigned, the rear sight was changed to a design similar
to the earlier Krag Model 1901 Rear Sight, the Stock was redesigned to accept a
new upper band that had an integrally mounted bayonet lug, and the handguard
was changed to incorporate a "hump" that would serve to protect the
rear sight. These changes, when made, became what are known as the 1905
Modifications to the 1903 Rifle. The first production Rock Island Model 1903 to
incorporate these changes was serial number 49628. This rifle has a January
1906 dated Rock Island barrel and it was assembled in May 1906 and immediately
taken to the Rock Island Museum. Another change would soon take place, however,
that would set back 1903 production even further.
The U.S. Army at the end of the
19th and beginning of the 20th century was enamored with European firearms and
weapons technology. Of particular interest to Army Ordnance officers was the
new German pointed "spitzer" bullet that had a pointed tip and slightly
boat-tailed base. The Ordnance Department began to conduct tests on a new rifle
cartridge based on this German design and the result was the .30 caliber
cartridge adopted by the Ordnance Department on October 15, 1906. This
cartridge became known as the 1906 .30 Caliber Cartridge or, simply, the
.30-06.
Since the new .30-06 Cartridge was
the new standard rifle cartridge, orders were soon sent to both Springfield and
Rock Island to alter all existing Model 1903 Rifles chambered for the .30-03 to
the new .30-06 round. This was another substantial alteration that involved
re-chambering the barrel to accommodate the .30-06 round, shortening the barrel
0.2", shortening the stock and handguard by 0.2" and developing a new
rear sight leaf that was properly graduated for the new ballistics of the
.30-06 round. This series of changes became what is known as the 1906
Alterations. While Rock Island began implementing the 1906 Alterations to
existing sets of rifle parts and the limited number of rifles produced with the
1905 Modifications, the Ordnance Department still had to determine the correct
ballistics tables for the new .30-06 round, develop, test and then finalize the
new rear sight. The new Rear Sight design with correct .30-06 graduations, was
not provided to Rock Island until November 1907, so it was not until early 1908
that most of the new Rock Island 1906 Alteration Rifles began to be fully
assembled and proofed. Most Rock Island 1903 Rifles above serial number 88,000
are generally considered to be new production rifles with the 1905 and 1906
changes already incorporated and contain no altered parts.
This particular Rock Island 1903
is serial number 220881, which was manufactured in mid- to late-1912. Rock Island manufactured less than 20,000
rifles that year. The Receiver is in fine condition, retaining the majority of
its dark, oil-hardened finish throughout with minor storage wear on the sharp
edges and wear over the chamber. The
Rock Island and nomenclature stamping is the correct serif letters and the
serial number is the correct, larger type, all of which are still crisply
stamped. The bolt stop mechanism is present and retains the majority of its
blued finish. The Magazine Cutoff is the correct, early type with serif
"ON" and "OFF" stamps. The “ON” side is correctly polished
to the white and the “OFF” side still exhibits the majority of the original case-hardened
finish. The Trigger is the correct second type with the ridged and serrated
Trigger face. The Trigger retains 98% of its blued finish with a wear line at
the Trigger Guard line. The Sear is the correct unmarked type without the weep
hole that retains 98% of the blued finish. The Sear Pin retains the majority of
its blued finish on both exposed sides.
The original Rock Island Barrel is
in mint, virtually unfired condition and retains 99% plus of its original blued
finish. The top, front of the Barrel, just to the rear of the Front Sight, is
crisply stamped with "R.I.A./[Ordnance Bomb]/10-12." The bottom,
front of the Barrel, just behind the Front Sight Base, is stamped with serif
heat lot number "K5/P" over a Rockwell Hardness Test punch mark The bore has a mirror finish along it its
length. The original crown is present.
The barrel measures at around “0” at the muzzle so this rifle was rarely
if ever fired after proof testing.
The original Front Sight Base
retains 95% of its blued finish with wear on the sides from the cover. The bottom of the Front Sight Base has a
serif "B" assembly stamp. The Front Sight retains 98% of its original
blued finish. The Front Sight Post also
retains the majority of its original blued finish. The original single slot, flat head Front
Sight Screw is present and the slot is unmarred. The front sight is correctly staked to the
front sight base at the front. The front
sight is protected by an original and correctly unmarked Front Sight Protector. The protector retains 90% of its original
blued finish with wear pronounced on the top, rounded portion.
The Lower Barrel Band is the
correct milled type with serif "U" stamp used by Rock Island on the
right side. The Lower Band retains 98% of its blued finish that has retained
its original blue color with storage wear on the edges. The Upper Sling Swivel
is the milled, split shank type and it retains 98% of its blued finish. The
Lower Band Screw has the single slot with rounded head and it retains 98% of
its blued finish with an unmarred slot. The Band Spring, inletted into the
right side of the Stock just forward of the Lower Band retains 95% of its blued
finish.
The Upper Barrel Band is the
correct milled type without the "H" hardness stamp on the bottom of
the bayonet lug, which was not introduced until just prior to WWI. The Upper
Band retains the majority of its original blued finish that is fading to a plum
patina in places from storage wear. The Upper Band Screw is an unmarred, single
slot, round head type that has almost all of the original blued finish present.
The Stacking Swivel is the correct milled type that retains 95% of the original
blued finish. The Lower Sling Swivel Assembly is the correct milled and
unmarked type that retains 98% of its blued finish with unmarred single-slot
screws, which also retain virtually all of their original blued finish.
The Bolt is a mint condition,
correct and early Rock Island straight-handle type with the small gas escape
hole. The Bolt retains approximately 98% of its original blued finish, with
minimal wear on the bolt body and handle. The bottom of the root handle has a
small hardness punch mark. The Extractor Collar is the correct milled type and
retains 98% of its blued finish. The Bolt Stop Detents are present on the left
lug. The front of the lug has the
correct heat lot number stamp “C13,” which is correct for Rock Island 1903s
made for the short period between November 1912 and June 1913.
The Extractor is the correct early
type with the gas escape hole. The Extractor retains 98% of its blued finish
with wear noted only on the forward most portion where it secures on bolt
closing.
The Cocking Piece is the correct
and early type with four rows of fine knurling on the head and three smooth milled
circumferential rings as the head gauges down to the neck of the Cocking Piece.
The Cocking Piece retains the vast majority of its original color case hardened
finish. The cocking piece extension retains 95% of its original blue
finish.
The Bolt Sleeve is the correct
three-position type that retains 98% of its original blue. The Bolt Sleeve
detent button is present and remains in the white. The Safety is the correct
early type with serif "READY" and "SAFE" stampings and
without the hole in the top. The Safety retains 100% of its slightly faded case-hardened
finish throughout. The Firing Pin Spring remains in the white and has 34 coils
with no corrosion present and sharply tapered ends. The Firing Pin Sleeve is correctly
unmarked and retains 95% of its blued finish. The Firing Pin is also correctly
unmarked and retains 95% of its blued finish with wear noted on the forward
portion of one side and along the base.
The Fixed Rear Sight Base is the
correct solid type with lightening cuts on the top portion and it retains 98%
of its blued finish on both top and bottom. The pins securing the Rear Sight
Base to the Barrel on the bottom are flush with the sides of the Base itself. The Rear Sight is the correct second variation
of the Model 1905 Rear Sight manufactured by Rock Island. The Windage Knob is
the correct large diameter type with the knurled outer edge that retains 98% of
its blued finish. The small windage knob was used at Rock Island until 1910
when the larger .575" diameter knob was introduced. The Elevation Leaf is
the correct Rock Island manufactured leaf, graduated for the .30-06 cartridge,
that has the polished face with straight leg "7" numerals, indicating
Rock Island production. The top of the Elevation Leaf has the volley notch and
the top rear of the Leaf has the half-round rib to prevent the slide from
falling off. The rear of the leaf has a
serif “M” stamp. The Cap Slide is the
correct type with the rounded left end and it retains 98% of its blued finish.
The Binding Knob is the correct early type with knurled outer edge and it
retains 98% of its blued finish. The Drift Slide is the correct second type
with horizontal line that runs through the aperture and it retains 100% of its
blued finish. The rear of the slide is marked “5” indicating it has a .05”
diameter peep. The Rear Sight Base and
Leaf Spring both retain 98% of their blued finish.
The Trigger Guard is the correct
milled, second type that incorporated the shortened trigger slot and it retains
98% of its blued finish. The exterior finish still retains its blue color as
does the interior, protected surfaces. The Floor Plate has the correct Rock
Island gradually sloping bevel to the front nose portion of the plate where it
joins the Trigger Guard Plate. The floor
plate also retains 98% of its original blue finish on both sides with only
minor plum patina appearing on the exposed surface. Both of the Trigger Guard Screws are single
slot, rounded head types that retain 95% of their blued finish and only one
slot is slightly marred. The Follower is the correct milled type and retains 95%
of its blued finish with wear noted on the top of the Follower. The Follower
Spring is the correct unmarked type with the pronounced, rounded bends and it
retains 98% of its blued finish.
The Stock is a very rare and original
Rock Island single-bolt, finger groove stock that was never modified after this
rifle was manufactured. The rear trap compartment of the Stock has the spare
parts container recess, which was introduced at Rock Island in 1910, the year after
this rifle was manufactured. The front
nose of the stock has the correct Rock Island serif "S" stamp, still
crisply stamped and clearly visible. The left side of the stock has the
correct, clip cornered, boxed and still crisply stamped Rock Island cartouche
marked with script letters, "CN/1912," indicating final inspection by
Rock Island inspector Conrad Nelson in 1912. The bottom of the wrist, just to
the rear of the Trigger Guard, is a serif "X" sub-inspection stamp
and the Rock Island circle, script "P" firing proof stamp. The
interior milled out section of the Stock has serif "N" adjacent to
the receiver lug recess. In the trigger
recess is a crisp, serif “C” stamp.
The Stock is in beautiful, mint
condition with very minor dings and minor scratches but it has the beautiful,
original dark oiled patina one expects to see on original and unaltered stocks
from this period. There are no cracks
noted in this stock. The Butt Plate on this stock is the correct milled, small
checkered type, which was used at Rock Island until 1912, when this rifle was
manufactured. The butt plate, to include the trap door and tang, exhibit 98% of
the original blue finish. The Trapdoor interior exhibits 98% of its original
darker blued finish. Both Butt Plate Screws, the tang screw with a rounded head
and the bottom screw with a flat head both retain considerable original blued
finish and are not marred.
The Handguard on this Rifle is the
original and mint condition Rock Island handguard and has the high hump with
short sight clearance cut. Both spring clips are present and both retain the
vast majority of their original blued finish. The rearmost portion of the sight
protective hump ends at the top in a near vertical position, which is
characteristic of Rock Island handguards. The bottom of the Handguard also has
the characteristic fixture slot, which was omitted around WWI. The
semi-circular windage knob clearance cut is also present on the right, rear of
the Handguard. The finish on the
handguard and the stock match perfectly.
This rifle also comes with an
original and mint condition Oiler. The
oiler retains 98% of its original nickel-plated brass finish. The original leather absorber is present. The original leather washer on the oil
applicator end is still present. The oil
applicator tip is unmarred. The original
weight and line is present and the weight still retains virtually all of its
original blued finish.
This rifle also comes with an
original leather Model 1907 Sling in fine condition. The sling is unmarked. Both original brass hooks are present and
both remain tightly riveted to their respective sling sections. Both original sewn leather keepers are also
present.
This is a very rare and seldom
seen Rock Island Arsenal Model 1903 that was a new production (not using
altered parts) rifle with all of the 1905 and 1906 changes incorporated when it
was manufactured in 1912 that incorporated the new changes appearing in the
previous production year at Rock Island. While Rock Island production numbers
by year are not precise because of the numerous halts in production caused by
the changes in 1905 and 1906 and because of poor steel used in barrels during
this period, a rough estimate of the number of Rock Island 1903s like this
rifle that were newly manufactured with 1910 and 1911 changes numbers just over 20,000 rifles. Given that most of these 20,000 rifles manufactured
in 1912 were eventually modified just before or after WWI or even as late as
just prior to WWII, a surviving example from this period of Rock Island's 1903
production is a very rare survivor and almost never seen.
This Rock Island Model 1903 is a
truly museum quality example and functions perfectly. This rifle would be almost impossible to upgrade.