*EXTREMELY RARE SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1903 CARBINE.

Revised: 9/12/2011

CORRECTION: Estimate should be $10,000-$15,000 as it appears in the printed catalog.

*EXTREMELY RARE SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1903 CARBINE. SN 21. Cal. 30-06. Springfield 1903 in the extremely rare carbine configuration with 20″ tapered rnd bbl with altered Springfield or possibly a Krag sleeved front sight with 03 sight & blade in the dovetail. About 1-3/8″ of bbl at muzzle was machined down to 0.648″ to accommodate the sight sleeve. The base is pinned to the bbl and the entire rear face of the sight & base are hand filed serrated. Muzzle has a star gauge and has the star gauge number “C121” on top under handguard. The number “21” is also stamped on the bottom front of the frame just forward of the stock lug. The handguard retainer sleeve is machined steel with a hand-cut faceted bottom and right front side of the bottom rail, under the wood, is stamped with three evenly spaced small dots. There is no normal Springfield nomenclature over the front receiver ring, only the tiny Springfield eagle stamping. The bbl does not appear to have ever had a normal 1903 rear sight sleeve mounted. It now has an altered Model 48 receiver sight stamped “EXO” with hand-cut elevation marks and the knurled elevation knob is marked with only five numbers from “0” to “4” indicating that this sight has been altered to reflect graduation in inches rather than minute of angle as is on a normal Lyman receiver sight. A similar sight is pictured on p. 84 of The Springfield 1903 Rifles, Brophy. Front sight is equipped with a stamped sheet steel cover. Trigger guard & floorplate are standard milled Model 1903 equipment. Floorplate is hand stamped “BY ORDER OF / COL. T.L. AMES / MAY 1921”. This identical marking is found on carbine SN 2, also pictured on p. 84 of the referenced publication. Bolt & attached parts are standard 1903 equipment with a small “J” stamped on bbl lug and “HIO” or “KIO” stamped on bottom of bolt handle. Trigger is a standard 1903 military equipment. Mounted in a shortened 1-pc walnut stock with grasping groove forestock and two crossbolts that has the “AAJ” cartouche in a rectangle on left side and the “P” proof on bottom of stock. The sling swivel base on bottom of stock has had the wire & hump removed and is now just a flat plate screwed into the recess. A standard sling swivel base & wire have been inletted into the left side of buttstock, again as pictured on p. 84 of the referenced publication. Removing this sling swivel from the stock reveals a fine aged patina on the exposed wood in the milled recess indicating it has been in place a very long time. There are chips in the wood around the front edge of this recess that have very old patina and show moderate wear. The handguard measures 9-1/2″ long and has been altered from either a Springfield or Krag handguard with hand worked chisel marks inside that have a fine old patina. The bbl band which secures the handguard is altered from a 1917 Enfield with grooved circumference and has had a bracket for the sling loop welded to the left side, again as pictured on pp. 83 & 84 of the referenced publication. According to Col. Brophy in the referenced publication only two of these rare carbines were ever assembled at Springfield. SN 2 is known and was sold through this auction company in March 2010. Accompanied by a standard military sling with brass hooks marked “DUNCAN” with the inspector initials “W.K.G.”. PROVENANCE: Bruce Stern Collection. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Metal retains an overall mottled blue/brown patina with touchup blue on bbl & receiver. Bolt body is bright with strong orig blue on the other parts. Stock is sound with a gouge at left heel and usual storage & use marks and retains a hand worn patina. Handguard is sound with matching patina. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. Sling has a lightly crackled surface with a weak spot in bottom section. 4-42161 JR104 (10,000-15,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1051	$10,350.00	Revised: 9/12/2011 CORRECTION: Estimate should be $10,000-$15,000 as it appears in the printed catalog. EXTREMELY RARE SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1903 CARBINE. SN 21. Cal. 30-06. Springfield 1903 in the extremely rare carbine configuration with 20″ tapered rnd bbl with altered Springfield or possibly a Krag sleeved front sight with 03 sight & blade in the dovetail. About 1-3/8″ of bbl at muzzle was machined down to 0.648″ to accommodate the sight sleeve. The base is pinned to the bbl and the entire rear face of the sight & base are hand filed serrated. Muzzle has a star gauge and has the star gauge number “C121” on top under handguard. The number “21” is also stamped on the bottom front of the frame just forward of the stock lug. The handguard retainer sleeve is machined steel with a hand-cut faceted bottom and right front side of the bottom rail, under the wood, is stamped with three evenly spaced small dots. There is no normal Springfield nomenclature over the front receiver ring, only the tiny Springfield eagle stamping. The bbl does not appear to have ever had a normal 1903 rear sight sleeve mounted. It now has an altered Model 48 receiver sight stamped “EXO” with hand-cut elevation marks and the knurled elevation knob is marked with only five numbers from “0” to “4” indicating that this sight has been altered to reflect graduation in inches rather than minute of angle as is on a normal Lyman receiver sight. A similar sight is pictured on p. 84 of The Springfield 1903 Rifles, Brophy. Front sight is equipped with a stamped sheet steel cover. Trigger guard & floorplate are standard milled Model 1903 equipment. Floorplate is hand stamped “BY ORDER OF / COL. T.L. AMES / MAY 1921”. This identical marking is found on carbine SN 2, also pictured on p. 84 of the referenced publication. Bolt & attached parts are standard 1903 equipment with a small “J” stamped on bbl lug and “HIO” or “KIO” stamped on bottom of bolt handle. Trigger is a standard 1903 military equipment. Mounted in a shortened 1-pc walnut stock with grasping groove forestock and two crossbolts that has the “AAJ” cartouche in a rectangle on left side and the “P” proof on bottom of stock. The sling swivel base on bottom of stock has had the wire & hump removed and is now just a flat plate screwed into the recess. A standard sling swivel base & wire have been inletted into the left side of buttstock, again as pictured on p. 84 of the referenced publication. Removing this sling swivel from the stock reveals a fine aged patina on the exposed wood in the milled recess indicating it has been in place a very long time. There are chips in the wood around the front edge of this recess that have very old patina and show moderate wear. The handguard measures 9-1/2″ long and has been altered from either a Springfield or Krag handguard with hand worked chisel marks inside that have a fine old patina. The bbl band which secures the handguard is altered from a 1917 Enfield with grooved circumference and has had a bracket for the sling loop welded to the left side, again as pictured on pp. 83 & 84 of the referenced publication. According to Col. Brophy in the referenced publication only two of these rare carbines were ever assembled at Springfield. SN 2 is known and was sold through this auction company in March 2010. Accompanied by a standard military sling with brass hooks marked “DUNCAN” with the inspector initials “W.K.G.”. PROVENANCE: Bruce Stern Collection. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Metal retains an overall mottled blue/brown patina with touchup blue on bbl & receiver. Bolt body is bright with strong orig blue on the other parts. Stock is sound with a gouge at left heel and usual storage & use marks and retains a hand worn patina. Handguard is sound with matching patina. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. Sling has a lightly crackled surface with a weak spot in bottom section. 4-42161 JR104 (10,000-15,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011 Please Note:* All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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