Need Springfield 1903 Mark I info

[cryptomon]

Hello All,

I am looking for information on my 1903 Springfield Mark I. I know it was made in 1919. It is all original except for the rear sight elevator. I would like to get a correct replacement for this part but I am not sure what to buy. I have looked at the diagrams on gun parts and they identify the elevator as part 49A and 49B for a 1903A1 Springfield rifle. Does anyone know if this is the correct part for a Mark I? I tried to search with the Mark I specificaiton but have had no luck. Any other links to buy these parts would be greatly appriciated. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the 1903A1 and the Mark I is the Pedersen cut out in the receiver but I am really not sure so I thought I would ask here. Thanks.

 

[Jim K]

The Mark I Springfield was the standard M1903 with the changes needed to accommodate the WWI vintage "Pedersen device", a semi-auto subcaliber adapter that replaced the standard rifle bolt. The Mark I is otherwise identical to the standard M1903 and the sight parts you mention will be the same.* The M1903A1 should not be confused with the Mark I; the M1903A1 is just the M1903 with a pistol grip stock; the other parts are the same.

*WWII vintage parts may be Parkerized rather than blued. If ordering, request that the blued parts be sent if possible.

Jim

 

[Joe in fla]

The info that you're looking for is probably contained in the book 'The Springfield 1903 Rifles' by William Brophy. You can order a copy or you may be able to get it via an inter-library loan. I expect that's also in The 'Collectable '03', (U.S. Military Arms Field Guides) by JC Harrision but I haven't seen that book so I'm not certain.

Personally, I like the way that the Harrison books are organized, he examines each part one at a time and shows all of the variations of those parts and tries to detail where and when each part was used. However there are some mistakes in his books, which in my mind is understandable since we still don't have a perfect knowledge of all the details of the parts usable in some manufacturer's rifles. Some people are rather harsh in their criticism of his books because of the errors but I still think that they are the easiest to use and the most complete that are available. Ruth and others also publish books on various military guns but they only talk about a few guns that are known to be original-as-built and they don't even attempt to cover all models and all variations the way that Harrison does.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Joe,

I guess you don't want to take my word for it.

Jim

 

[1KPerDay]

I've got a Mark I if you want me to look at anything for you.

 

[Gromky]

deleted

 

[buttrap]

Don't think I would call a 1903A1 just a 1903 with a pistol grip stock. In general that may be true but they do tend to use some differant parts not to mention most are national match or DCM match rifles.

 

[Jim K]

OK, buttrap, I am always anxious to learn. Just what parts (other than the stock) differ between the M1903 and the M1903A1. (Not the M1903A3, which is quite a bit different.)

Jim

 

[buttrap]

Jim the sights, trigger and butt plates. The A1 versions are hand fitted NM or DCM target guns. They also had star marked barrels after 1929.

 

[Jim Watson]

I am sure there are 1903A1 NM rifles - I have seen them - but there are also 1903A1 service rifles with the full pistol grip stock. It is a great improvement over the old short staight stock that seems more intended as a bayonet handle than a shooter.

 

[Jim K]

Buttrap, you are correctly describing a National Match rifle, not a service M1903A1.

The story is complex and I am not sure I have it all straight. But basically, the M1903A1 was adopted in 1928. The only difference between it and a normal 1903 was the new pistol grip "C" stock. But the bean counters made a proviso that no M1903A1 service rifles could be assembled until all the existing "S" stocks (straight grip) were used up. Since there were thousands of "S" stocks in store, and a small peacetime demand, it appears that NO M1903A1s were ever assembled for Army issue.

But in the depression, Springfield was hard up for enough money to keep the lights on. They decided that since the rule said "service rifle", it didn't apply to rifles being bought with hard cash, whether by some other service (the USCG bought some) or by civilian NRA members. They wanted, and got, the latest rifle, the M1903A1, and the M1903A1 was the basis for the National Match rifles being built and sold in the 1930's.

So how did WWII Springfields end up with pistol grip stocks? Well, first, those clumsy stocks are a far cry from the real "C" stock, as anyone who has handled both can testify. But the Army, when contracting for new rifles in the immediate pre-war period, naturally specified the latest version, the M1903A1, with a pistol grip stock, but then backed off when the contractors were unable to supply those stocks without a lot of waste in cutting the blanks. So some Remington M1903's got pistol grip stocks, some got "scant" stocks, and most got straight stocks. M1903A3's got straight stocks.

Jim