Saw a couple rare 1903 Springfields that might be for sale soon. One in the model m2,made to fire the 22 long rifle cartridge for training. Pretty good condition. Have seen a few before. Next really blew my mind, 1903 with a 20 round detachable magazine, designated the Air Service Rifle. Never knew this one existed. Any you guys have these ? Thanks
I have had and have now a string of Springfield MII's* and M2's. Wonderful devices. Never an Air Service rifle though.
Air Service rifles are quite rare. Make sure it's legit - bunches of them have been faked. Salient features: shortened fore ends and handguards, solid barrel band (not split like on a service rifle, no sling swivel and held on by a wood screw up from the bottom), standard rear sight modified into a simpler sporting style sight, and of course the 25-round detachable magazine. The magazines themselves fetch many hundreds of dollars these days.
M1922, M1, MII, M2, etc. were/are fine accurate rifles. Intended for training and target work. Contemporary to the early Winchester M52 and with a good trigger could hold their own pretty well with premium commercial target rifles. The gov't eventually quit building them when it became apparent that it was was more cost efficient to simply buy commercial .22 bolt guns. That and when the Armory shut down M1903 receiver production in the late 30's spelled the end of Springfields and their variants.
* MII's were M1922M1 .22's that were upgraded to M2 specs at the Armory and gov't depots. They stamped an "I" behind the "M1" on the receiver ring after the work was completed. The chief difference was the bolts and magazines.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 11/15/21.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
Thanks gnoahhh, I will check them out better in a few days. Probably legit I am thinking, same fella I got two Johnson Automatics from a few years ago, plus a Springfield sniper.
You'll find M2's with receivers traceable to early production via their serial numbers but with later barrel dates as like with all M1903's they went through periodic overhauls at depots. The Armory made barrels for them well into WWII, and after the war the extras found their way into the surplus market. Civilians could buy the rifles directly from the Armory through the DCM, if they were members of the NRA. The guns were relatively expensive though, and I don't remember what the price was but think it was comparable to M52 target rifles or a bit more.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
A Springfield 1922 is easy to appreciate, no matter the version. Actions are slicker than snot, triggers are good, and they’re surprisingly accurate for their age.
I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a very early 1922 a while ago. Serial number is under 100. Unfortunately it’s in the wrong stock and is missing the rare as hens tooth magazine.
I thought so.. we had chatted about some such thing a while back. Good luck on acquiring said rifles. A nice 1922 is a joy to shoot. Also color me jealous of the johnsons!
She never made it past the bedroom door, what was she aiming for...? She's gone shootin..
Can't say exactly "rare", but my stone cold "original & minty" Springfield NRA Sporter, Springfield Research Service by SN verified. Obviously not a matter of $$$, as unwilling to trade it for about any other Springfield genre! Term "grail rifle" fitting! As below quik pix!
Well, if it's oddball Springfield show-n-tell now, here's my NRA Sporter, sold out of the Armory in 1929 confirmed by a SRS search. Recently removed from the family of the original owner in Alaska who used it on his regular forays to Kodiak Island for bears. Well used but not abused, as they say, but the bore is a little toasty. Still plops three into 2-3" at 100 but the bore bothers me so I acquired a new barrel from White Oak Armory that's perfectly profiled to the NRA Sporter barrel dimensions (which is the same profile as the M2 barrel - slightly heavier than a M1903 service barrel). The new barrel will go on when I get off my lazy butt, and the old original barrel tagged and saved for posterity should someone wish to make it "right" again.
And then there's the M1903 Style T heavy barrel target rifle. This one re-barreled circa 1937 by renowned barrel maker/custom smith John Dubiel. (Judging by the number on the barrel, one of his last projects because he died in 1937.) SRS confirms the provenance of this one also. A superbly accurate piece.
Well, if it's oddball Springfield show-n-tell now, here's my NRA Sporter, sold out of the Armory in 1929 confirmed by a SRS search. Recently removed from the family of the original owner in Alaska who used it on his regular forays to Kodiak Island for bears. Well used but not abused, as they say, but the bore is a little toasty. Still plops three into 2-3" at 100 but the bore bothers me so I acquired a new barrel from White Oak Armory that's perfectly profiled to the NRA Sporter barrel dimensions (which is the same profile as the M2 barrel - slightly heavier than a M1903 service barrel). The new barrel will go on when I get off my lazy butt, and the old original barrel tagged and saved for posterity should someone wish to make it "right" again.
And then there's the M1903 Style T heavy barrel target rifle. This one re-barreled circa 1937 by renowned barrel maker/custom smith John Dubiel. (Judging by the number on the barrel, one of his last projects because he died in 1937.) SRS confirms the provenance of this one also. A superbly accurate piece.
Gary I have one some what like that same stock and rear sight the serial 1,365,×××. There is a gap between the barrel and front band leaving me to believe it isn't the original barrel. Where would a guy get the right barrel for it.?
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
PM me the full serial number and I'll look it up for you tonight if you like. As for where to get a properly contoured barrel, I don't know of a supplier who stocks them. Mine came from White Oak in a swap with a guy who bought it from them a couple years ago. I understand that White Oak Armaments focuses on AR-15 stuff but the owner's private passion is pre-war sporters- Springfields and the like. He had the guys in his barrel shop make him a couple special barrels for Springfields and the one I have was from that operation. You might call him and ask if he could oblige you. I know they use Bartlein and Krieger blanks for their top end work, so I can only hope that was the case when my barrel was made. (I'm told that he also had an M2 Springfield barrel he made that was chambered for the .22 Hornet that was surplus to his needs. I've procrastinated for so long about inquiring about it that it's probably gone by now.)
(I had an M2 Springfield once that was converted to .22 K-Hornet. After all, the guys at the Springfield Armory who did the development work on the .22 Hornet used an M1 or M2 Springfield as a test bed. The action was strong enough to hold it but for some darned reason I couldn't keep firing pins in it. 20 shots or so and I was making a new firing pin. After a couple cycles -and yes I used proper steel and heat treat- I sent it down the road to somebody else who was willing to try to tame it. He peddled it fairly quickly too.)
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
The Springfield Armory NRA Sporter was one an unrealized 'grail' gun until after I got it in hand & began researching! Mine of 1924 vintage, minty and also SRS verified. It came to me for a song from a big fancy-dancy upscale sporting goods/apparel shop some decades ago! They had no idea what they had... I did!
There are also far more "copies" of these than originals! Springfield contributing as later selling components such as stocks and some fittings. Pix retrieved from my files, below Now, from recent posting... Play it again Sam, as below!
Yeah, more NRA Sporters, 03A1 USMC snipers, and 03A4 snipers exist now than there were 75 years ago. Caveat emptor!
When going to look at an NRA Sporter, take a pair of calipers with you and measure its barrel diameter. If it's the same as a Service rifle barrel it's a faked rifle. The Sporter barrel had a slightly larger OD and isn't an off-the-shelf item anywhere, and then there's the problem of the date stamp for a guy trying to custom fake one.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
For me, easiest NRA Sporter 'spotter originality quotient'; "butt-plate". (See my pix above.) "Unique" to a few SA types, yet other models' differences not to be confused with the Sporter. Next approximately matching barrel date to receiver serialization production dates ascertainable. As, 'approximate match'. Third, Barrel. As removed from stock, no 1903 service model "indexing slot" accommodating aft barrel sight unutilized in Sporter utilized. The barrel diameter also 'definite indicator', but tending toward nuanced, requiring 'specs' & measuring device. Adding here too, a false "originality" flag. NOT ALL NRA Sporters with bolts "serialized". Earliest production without, as only in 1924, bolt serialization to have commenced! Bolt "coding nomenclature", possible indicator though never conclusive.
My own WAG, of the less than five thousand of these Springfield Armory NRA Sporters produced in total, less than 05% as original and of those likely less than 01% truly "excellent" or better, with original finish, condition. These rifles were made to be "used" as upgraded utilitarian and ruggedness to which the '03 Springfield heir! Also, perhaps even more than such as contemporary commercial rifles from such as Winchester & Remington, heir to being "adapted" over decades of use! Aka; "improved", "brought up to date", customized". Their lower cost than commercial competitors, also affording 'greater 'personalization'. Such as the "usual suspect" customizations... Recoil pad and scope provision "drilling & tapping"; the common across the board, "mods"! Factoid: Over approximately the same time period of NRA Sporter production amounting totally to less than five thousand rifles, Winchester produced about a million Model 94 rifles! The point as illustration of the "uncommon" existence of these rifles at all!
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