Springfield Armory Model 1903 National Match (NM) rifle with rare "Style B" pistol grip stock and Lyman 48 micrometer rear sight. The rifle is accompanied by a Springfield Research Service (SRS) letter and copy of the DCM sales record dated "1-5-32". The sales record describes the rifle as: "Rifle, CAL..30 M-1903 National Match" and states that is was sold to M.J. Lyons of San Quentin, California. Model 1903 NM serial number 1282755 with "B" stock and Lyman 48 rear sight was part of the LTC William S. Brophy Collection and is pictured on page 202 of "THE SPRINGFIELD 1903 RIFLE". That rifle was documented by the SRS as a M1903 NM rifle sold to Henry S. Cole of San Quentin, California, on the same date as this rifle, "1-5-32". Although the sales records for both rifles list them as "NM" rather than "NMB" they fall within a block of rifles identified as "NMB" in the DCM sales records. Both this rifle and Serial No. 1282755 were inaccurately listed on the sales record as National Match at the time of sale. Springfield Armory manufactured a total of 145 M1903 NMB rifles between 1924 and 1929. NMB rifles are rare. The rifle has a gray green parkerized finish. The bolt is bright and has the distinctive Springfield Armory polishing marks above the safety lug. The lower barrel band is blued and the rear sight face is polished bright. The rifle has the coarse checkered buttplate adopted in the late 1920s. The bolt has the headless cocking piece and reversed safety fitted on NM rifles manufactured thru 1929. The rear sight has concave windage and elevation knobs and the rear sight leaf has the 2750 yard volley notch fitted M1903 service rifles thru 1919. The trigger is grooved. The bolt runway and rails are not polished. The barrel is a replacement dated "SA/11-32" and lacks the muzzle star-gauge mark and star-gauge number on the barrel. The bolt is original to the rifle and has the correct "WL/3" steel lot code on the handle and is electro-penciled with the rifle serial number "1282758". The receiver has the standard Springfield markings. The safety lever and magazine cut-off have the correct block letter markings. The stock is slightly stamped with an encircled, block, "P" proofmark on the inside of the pistol grip and correctly is not stamped with the Ordnance final inspection mark on the left side of the wrist. All of the Lyman rear sight components are stamped with the matching assembly number "L79". The rifle is complete with an issue NM front sight cover, a P.J. O'Hare rear sight cover and a M1907 russet leather sling. This appears to be a genuine M1903 NMB rifle that had the rear sight base and barrel replaced as a unit.

Very fine. The rifle retains 95% of the original parkerized finish. The barrel and receiver markings are sharp. The cocking piece and Lyman rear sight have about 75% of the military blue finish intact. The stock and handguard have been lightly sanded and re-oiled but remain in very good condition. This is a good example of a very scarce and desirable M1903 NMB rifle. The nearly identical SRS records to the Brophy M1903 NMB rifle (sold by RIA Auction Co., in December 2014) establish that both rifles were NMB rifles that were incorrectly listed as "NM" in the DCM sales records. This is a very good example of a M1903 variation that is missing from all but the most advanced M1903 collections.