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Exceptional and Significant World War I Sniper Rifle
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SPRINGFIELD 1903 RIFLES WITH MATCHING SERIAL NUMBERED WARNER & SWASEY SCOPE MOUNTS ARE ALMOST NEVER ENCOUNTERED
LOT 3511
Exceptionally Rare and Outstanding U.S. Springfield Model 1903 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle with Matching Warner & Swasey Sniper Scope Mount - Serial no. 632259, 30-06 cal., 24 inch bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This original unaltered Model 1903 Springfield rifle was manufactured in 1916 and fitted with a Model 1913 Warner & Swasey Musket Sight (telescopic sight) marked with the rifle serial number. The U.S. Army purchased 5,730 Model 1913 W&S Musket Sights between 1913 and 1918. Most Model 1913 Warner & Swasey sights were mounted on Springfield M1903 rifles in the 620,000- 673,000 serial number range “Springfield Research Service Serial Numbers of U.S. Martial Arms, 1st Ed.” p. 56. Any Model 1903 Springfield rifles with their original Warner & Swasey sights matching serial numbered to the rifle are exceptionally rare, as almost all were disassembled after World War I and were converted back into standard Model 1903 rifles. This rifle is a pre-World War I Springfield M1903 with blued barrel, rear sight base, barrel bands, trigger guard, floor plate, and bolt. The receiver is casehardened with a black, oil-quenched finish. The cut-off lever and safety lock have a water-quenched casehardened finish with vivid case colors. The “ON” side of the cut-off and
the face of the rear sight are polished bright. The rear sight has the 2,750 yard center volley notch and windage and elevation knobs with dished faces. The trigger is grooved with a cross-hatched tip. The buttplate has fine checkering. The left side of the receiver is fitted with the original Warner & Swasey mounting bracket secured by three screws. The bracket screws are flush with the inside
of the receiver and are staked in place. The oil-finished, black walnut, “S” type, stock has grasping grooves and a single reinforcing bolt. The left side of the stock is arsenal inleted to clear the feet on the scope bracket, (base).
The “high hump” handguard has a sight clearance cut
and two spring clips. The receiver is roll-stamped: “U.S./ SPRINGFIELD/ARMORY/MODEL 1903” in four lines above the serial number “632259”. The barrel is roll-stamped behind the front sight with “SA/ordnance shell and flame/4-16”. An “H” is stamped on the underside of the bayonet lug. The steel lot code “I 8” is stamped on the underside of the bolt safety lug. The left side of the stock is stamped with a boxed “DAL” cartouche which was the final Ordnance inspection mark and the underside grip area of the stock behind the trigger guard is stamped with an encircled, script “P” proof mark . A “D” sub-inspection mark is stamped in the cut-off recess of the stock. The early production Warner & Swasey telescopic sight is in the proper serial number range for this rifle and has a black enamel finish and the windage and elevation knobs have a black, oil-quenched, casehardened finish. The
sight is complete with the original rubber eyepiece. A black painted, wind-correction/range-correction scale is attached to the top of the telescopic sight by four screws. The left side of the telescopic sight body is roll-stamped: “TELESCOPIC MUSKET SIGHT/MODEL of 1913 No. 2533/ THE WARNER & SWASEY CO.” above the two-line address and patent dates. The inside of the telescopic sight mount dovetail is stamped: “FOR RIFLE NO. 632259”. The marking has been stamped with a fixture and the letters and numbers are neatly aligned and have uniform depth.