2020 September Premier, Volume I

BOTH SIDES PICTURED
320
AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK
SPRINGFIELD 1903 RIFLES BY BROPHY
LOT 397
Extremely Rare Documented Springfield
U.S.M.C. Model 1930 Single Shot International Match Bolt Action Rifle with Springfield Research
Letter - Serial no. 1341963, 30 06 cal., 30 inch bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This U.S.M.C. Model
1930 Single Shot International Match (IM) Rifle was manufactured by Springfield Armory c. 1930.
It is identified by serial number and pictured and discussed on pages 116-118 of “The Springfield
1903 Rifles” by Brophy. Springfield Armory manufactured eleven special heavy barrel match rifles
for the Marine IM Rifle Team. These unique rifles outwardly resembled the Model 1924 IM rifles.
However, the Marine rifles had a special solid base receiver and international match style stock
with no magazine well. In addition, these rifles featured a Garand high speed firing mechanism,
Woody double-set trigger, adjustable cork palm rest and adjustable aluminum hooked buttplate.
The rifles had a 30-inch heavy barrel with Winchester globe front sight on a modified Browning
Automatic rifle mount and is secured by a modified Model 1917 Enfield barrel band. The rifle has a
Lyman 48 receiver sight and telescopic sight blocks mounted on the barrel and receiver. The rifles
had the low-luster blue finish used on Springfield Armory NRA Sporter and heavy barrel target rifles.
The bolts were armory polished. This rifle is identified as one of the eleven U.S.M.C Single Shot IM
rifles in Springfield Army documents that accompany the rifle. In addition, the rifle is complete with a
Springfield Research Service letter that indicates it was sold to Marine Lieutenant W.R. Walsh in 1936
(Walsh was one of the officers responsible for development of the U.S.M.C. Scout-Sniper program during
WWII). The receiver is marked with the serial number along with the usual Springfield Armory markings. The
bolt is not serial numbered, but the bottom of the handle is numbered “6”. The bottom of the receiver is stamped with a steel lot code “NS/J100”. The die mark “NS-42” is stamped in the floor-plate recess (as shown on page 117
of “The Springfield 1903 Rifles”). The Woody trigger guard and sear are numbered “1244367”. The underside of the barrel is stamped with the star-gauge number “61”. The rifle is fitted with telescopic sight block and a Lyman 10X
“Targetspot” telescopic sight with target mounts and a fine wire and dot cross-hair. The top of the bolt handle has been crudely milled to clear the telescopic sight. The stock has been shortened 1-inch and has been restored to the
original length using what appears to be the original wood. The rifle is accompanied by several copies of Springfield Armory documents that discuss the U.S.M.C. IM rifles and identify the rifles by serial number.
CONDITION: Very fine. The barrel, receiver and trigger retain 85% plus of the original blue finish. The sides of the barrel along the top of the stock have a number of small patches of scattered light pitting and age discoloration.
The front sight base and barrel band show moderate finish loss. The Lyman 48 rear sight components do not match, and the sight retains 80% of the blue finish. The Lyman Targetspot telescopic sight has 90% of the blue finish
with clear optics. The scope body has scattered spots of surface discoloration. The Woody trigger and cork palm rest are in excellent condition. Except the period replaced section (can be seen in the book noted above), the stock
remains in very fine condition with a few scattered handling marks. The Springfield Armory M1903 heavy barrel target rifles were made in extremely limited numbers and are all considered rare and very desirable. The eleven solid
base receiver match rifles made by Springfield Armory specifically for the Marine IM Rifle Team are probably the rarest of these rifles. This is a very fine and fully documented example of one of these extremely rare U.S.M.C. singleshot
International Match rifles.
Estimate: 10000 - 20000
LOT 398
U.S. M1903A1 Springfield Bolt Action Rifle with Unertl “USMC-SNIPER”
Telescopic Sight and Micarta Can - Serial no. 1530555, 30-06 cal., 24 inch
round bbl., parkerized finish, walnut stock. This Springfield Model 1903A1 rifle was
manufactured in 1939 and subsequently non-military fitted with a USMC 8 power Unertl sniper scope serial number 1406. The
rifle barrel is marked SA/8-38”. The rifle has the post World War I Marine front sight blade, front sight cover and rear sight aperture.
The rifle is in service configuration with parkerized “NS” bolt and parkerized receiver. The barrel lacks National Match star
gauge mark on the muzzle. The bolt is not serial numbered. The “Style C” pistol grip stock has no proof or inspection
marks and is fitted with a blued, fine checkered buttplate. The rear reinforcing bolt is a slotted replacement. The barrel
and receiver are drilled and tapped and fitted with Unertl scope blocks. The rear block is located approximately 1/4-
inch behind the rear sight base. The WWII handguard has been sanded to accept Unertl target mounts. The handguard
modifications and scope block locations do not conform to the pattern found on genuine U.S.M.C. M1903A1 sniper rifles.
The U.S.M.C. Unertl telescopic sight has the standard commercial blue finish and is roll stamped: “J. UNERTL/USMC-
SNIPER/1406”. The scope has fine wire cross-hairs, screw-on steel lens caps and civilian style recoil spring. The scope has
black anodized Unertl target mounts of the same pattern furnished with U.S.M.C. sniper scopes. The rifle is complete with
the scarce Micarta scope can issued with Unertl sniper scopes and russet leather M1907 sling.
CONDITION: Fine. The rifle has been assembled to USMC configuration. The USMC Unertl telescopic sight and target mounts are in very fine condition and retain 90% plus of the blue and anodized black finish. The scope optics are
very good. The scarce Micarta scope can is in very fine condition and retains 85% plus of the original green painted finish. The rifle has 80% of the arsenal parkerized finish with sharp markings. The sanded stock has been refinished,
and has no visible markings and remains in very good overall condition. This is a good looking assembled example of a nearly impossible to obtain U.S.M.C. M1903A1 sniper rifle with very desirable U.S.M.C. Unertl
sniper scope and Micarta can.
Estimate: 4000 - 7000