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WW1 USMC 1903 SPRINGFIELD BOLT ACTION SNIPER RIFLE

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 2,500.00 USD
WW1 USMC 1903 SPRINGFIELD BOLT ACTION SNIPER RIFLE
. Cal. 30-06. S# 651179. Bbl. 24" w/ SA, "flaming bomb" & 4-17 markings. Blade front sight. Ladder rear sight graduated to 2850yds. w/ volley notch. Rifle is equipped w/ a Winchester A5 scope that has an added "USMC" marking, a fine crosshair reticle & poor optics. The mounts & rings appear to be of the correct type but the rear ring lacks the external spring. The rifle falls in the correct serial range for Marine 1903 A5 Sniper rifles but the spacing of the mount is different than known examples. On early examples of this sniper rifle the rear base was mounted on the rear sight base giving a distance of about 6". On later examples that retained the rear sight the distance was about 7 1/5". The distance from the front of the rear base to the rear of the front base is about 6" & this example retains the rear sight. It is possible this rifle is a post service assembled piece. The base rifle appears to be a correct WW2 era USMC rebuild w/ an added gas escape hole on left side of receiver & an electro pencil numbered matching straight handled blued bolt. It is known that the Marine Corps kept a small number of the A5 sniper rifles on hand for training well into WW2 & a smaller number may have been used in combat during that war. Two-bolt walnut stock w/ bottom mounted sling swivels & worn M1907 sling. Top of butt stock has rack number that reads "3 678". UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: leather scope cover. CONDITION: stock set has arsenal rework oil finish w/ scattered dings & handling wear. Metal retains 70% arsenal rework parkerized & blue finishes w/ some light dings on receiver, scattered edge wear, thinning & some oxidation on bottom metal. Good bore w/ some frosting but strong rifling. PROVENANCE: From the estate collection of Thomas J. Mulligan. (23-1210/MJC). CURIO. $1500-2500.