First year production, U.S. Springfield Model 1903 rifle that was manufactured in 1903. The rifle retains the original rod bayonet configuration and is chambered for the .30-03 cartridge. Between November 1903 and January 1905, Springfield Armory manufactured approximately 74,000 Model 1903 rifles in the distinctive rod bayonet configuration. Several hundred Rod Bayonet Model 1903 rifles were issued to the Corps of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and to Regular Army units in Alaska. A few sample rod bayonet rifles were provided to some state governors, small arms and ammunition manufacturers, individuals and companies manufacturing optical sights and foreign military representatives. Before the Rod Bayonet Model 1903 rifles became general issue to the rest of the Army and state militia, President Theodore Roosevelt examined a Rod Bayonet Model 1903 and notified the Chief of Ordnance that "I think that ramrod bayonet about as poor an invention as I ever saw." The Chief of Ordnance stopped production of Rod Bayonet rifles on January 11, 1905, and proceeded to redesign the rifle to accept a 16-inch knife bayonet. The approximately 74,000 Model 1903 Rod Bayonet rifles produced prior to January 11, 1905, including the rifles issued to Regular Army units and the cadets at West Point, were subsequently modified to accept the Model 1905 Bayonet. Some of the rifles supplied to the states were also returned for modification. Experts estimate that fewer than 100 Model 1903 Rod Bayonet rifles escaped modification to the 1905 Configuration; a number of these rifles reside in public museums. Only a few Rod bayonet rifles are in private collections. An original, unmodified, Model 1903 Rod Bayonet rifle is one of the rarest and most difficult to obtain of all U.S. martial arms. This is only the second, original, Rod Bayonet Model 1903 rifle ever offered for sale by the Rock Island Auction Company. The rifle has a blue finish on the barrel, front and rear sight bases, barrel bands, trigger guard and floor plate. The receiver has a dark, oil-quenched, casehardened, finish. The bolt has a polished body with blued handle and fiery niter blue extractor. The bolt sleeve is blued and the safety lock and cocking piece have a dark, casehardened finish. The "ON" side of the cut-off is polished bright. The black walnut stock and handguard have an oil finish. The bolt sleeve has the second version of the safety lock adopted in 1904 and fitted on most Rod Bayonet Model 1903 rifles. In addition to the distinctive 23 1/2 inch rod bayonet, the rifle has the special front sight stud and rear sight base with Model 1902 Krag rear sight with peep plate, special bayonet stud and catch, special upper barrel band with flat-sided stacking swivel, one-piece lower barrel band, smooth buttplate with small, Krag style, trap with assembly number on the inside and smooth, pointed trigger. The follower is the second style with curved front end. The rifle has the early 1901 style trigger guard installed on some Rod Bayonet rifles that allows the rifle to fire when the trigger is pushed forward from behind. The distinctive handguard has an internal spring clip attached by two rivets. The stock lacks the reinforcing bolts found on later production Model 1903 rifles. The top of the receiver is roll-stamped with the four-line legend "U.S./SPRINGFIELD ARMORY, MODEL 1903" above the serial number "119". The markings use the small serifed letters. The markings on the cut-off and safety lock also utilize serifed letters. The barrel, correctly, is not marked or dated. The left side of the stock wrist is stamped with the final inspection mark consisting of the script initials "JSA" over the date "1903" within a rectangle. A "T" sub-inspection mark and an encircled, script "P" proof mark are stamped on the underside of the stock behind the trigger guard. The base pins on the rear sight base and the front sight stud are milled flush with the sight base and are blued. Neither the rear sight base or the front sight stud have ever been removed from the barrel.

Extremely fine. The rifle retains 75% plus of the original finish and shows moderate storage wear. There is light pitting on the front sight, exposed portion of the barrel, upper and lower barrel band, rear sight base, rear sight, top of the receiver and top of the bolt. The wear on the rifle components indicates that the rifle has always been in original rod bayonet configuration. The bolt retains most of the original polish with visible armory polishing marks above and below the safety lug. About half of the niter blue finish remains on the extractor. The markings on the receiver, safety lock and cut-off are crisp. The stock and handguard are both in excellent overall condition and retain nearly all of the original oil finish. The Ordnance final inspection mark and firing proof are extremely sharp. The only component on the rifle that does not strictly conform to Model 1903 Rod Bayonet configuration is the follower which is the second pattern usually associated with post 1905 rifles. However, standard references on the Model 1903 rifle do not indicate the year the second style follower was adopted. The follower has the correct blue finish and shows identical wear as the other components; there is no indication it is not original to this rifle. This is an exceptional example of an original Rod Bayonet Model 1903 Rifle with extremely low serial number. This rifle was almost certainly one of the several dozen rifles issued to states who requested examples of the new service rifle that would eventually be issued to militia and National Guard units and was one of the very few Model 1903 Rod Bayonet Rifles that were not returned to Springfield Armory for modification to the 1905 configuration. Original examples of Model 1903 Rod Bayonet Rifles are rarely offered for sale; this rifle would be undoubtedly THE KEY ADDITION to any collection of U.S. martial arms.