This is an exceptional example of an all original, unaltered 1903 Springfield bolt action service rifle that was produced in 1917. The 1903 Springfield service rifles produced in "1917" are probably one of the hardest and rarest 1903 service rifle to acquire, as almost all of them were issued directly to units being sent to Europe at the start of WWI. All of these rifles saw extremely heavy use over there and were subsequently rebuilt at least once after WWI and usually a second or third time for WWII and or Korea. So to find one in original, unaltered condition is extremely difficult today. This rifle has the original oil quenched casehardened receiver with the prewar rust blued finish on all the remaining metal parts and components. The receiver has the Springfield Armory markings of; "U.S./SPRINGFIELD ARMORY/ MODEL 1903" over the serial number 685,934 and the barrel is correctly marked with the US Ordnance Flaming shell and "SA/7-17/A" for the month and year of manufacture, that matches the receiver production. The bolt is the correct casehardened version that has a "I II" heat lot marking on the underside of the safety lug. It has the correct rust blued milled barrel bands, trigger guard, floor plate, fine checkered blued buttplate and cocking assembly with case hardened cutoff and safety lever. The early pattern rear sight is graduated to 2700 yards with the correct 2800 yards notch on top with the face of the ladder correctly in the white from the Armory. The windage and elevation knobs are also the correct early dished models as used on 1917 production rifles. It is fitted with an original, unaltered WWI pattern "S" style, straight grip walnut stock with the double recoil bolt (as adopted in mid 1917) with the original finger grooves on each side of the forend. It also has the original high hump prewar/WWI style handguard. The stock is correctly proofed on the left side with an exceptionally crisp boxed "W.E.S" cartouche along with a single circled "P" firing proof on the under side in the pistol grip area. It is complete with a blued sheet metal front sight cover. Writer has seen very few World War I, 1917 dated specimens such as this excellent example. These rifles saw rough usage and those that survived, were arsenal refurbished. This particular example somehow miraculously escaped issue only to survive in this exceptional original condition.