*EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE PROTOTYPE/EXPERIMENTAL SEMI-AUTO MILITARY RIFLE BASED LOOSELY ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELD.

*EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE PROTOTYPE/EXPERIMENTAL SEMI-AUTO MILITARY RIFLE BASED LOOSELY ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELD. SN NONE. Cal. Presumed to be 30-06. Extremely unusual prototype rifle with all metal in-the-white. Bbl appears to be from a 1903 Springfield with Ordnance bomb and the date “2-06”. The front nomenclature is covered by the front sight collar or was machined away to accommodate the special front sight. Bbl is 24″, rnd, with tall barleycorn front sight and an unusual 1900 yard ladder rear sight with stepped base marked to 600 yards and the ladder 700-1900 yards. Sight base is about 2-7/8″ long x 7/8″ wide and mounted with two common screws. The slide on the staff is about 1-3/8″ long x 3/8″ wide x 5/16″ thick, serrated on left end with a spring loaded push button on right end which releases the slide to change the elevation and then locks into notches on inside of right arm of the staff. Receiver resembles a heavy Model 1903 that is about 6-7/8″ long with a solid rear bridge that has a radiused lightning groove over the top and left side of receiver has a lightning groove. The cutoff is built into a housing on left side of the rear bridge with a long oval checkered pad which mounts forward and is retained with a screw from the top. Below & behind the cutoff housing is the special mount for the special receiver sight. Receiver is without a gas relief port. Bolt appears to have a Springfield body with square shoulder handle with an unusual shroud which is connected to two steel rods which pass through recesses in the receiver and connect to the gas system inside the forearm. Striker has a knurled rim with a sear extension off the bottom which fits into a groove in the receiver to contact the trigger. The special rear sight is similar to a Lyman receiver sight with long, split slide which has a swinging arm attached to the top with detent notches which locks it into place either out of the way parallel with the axis of the bolt or perpendicular, 90 degrees from the bolt. The slide is adjustable for elevation by means of a checkered spring loaded button on rear edge and adjustable windage by a knurled micrometer style knob on the extended bbl of the cross slide. The sight aperture itself is equally unusual in that in one position it is a peep sight and when rotated 180 degrees becomes a v-notch open sight. Front sight is also most unusual in that it is a solid machined sleeve with integral barleycorn front blade and a yoke off the left side which contains a spring loaded swinging arm that folds out of the way to the right allowing use of the normal rear sight. However when extended out to the left and locked into its detent, exposes a separate barleycorn sight for use with the extended receiver sight. All of the foregoing is simply part of this unusual rifle which has an apparatus attached to the top of the wrist of the stock which is a dbl steel wire frame which attaches to the top tang and extends to the rear into a steel fixture in the comb of the stock which prevents the shooter from extending his head & face into the path of the bolt in semi-auto mode. The rear part of the top tang has a metal thumb rest which prevents the shooter’s thumb from rising into the path of the rearward traveling bolt. It is readily apparent that rifle is gas operated as it displays a rudimentary gas cylinder at the end of the forearm with what appears to be gas ports through a hole in bottom of bayonet lug and a small steel insert just above the middle band which has several small vent holes. The bottom forward portion of the forestock has an inlaid metal fixture with a large, flush mounted screw that is safety wired in place and is, what appears to be, a rudimentary adjustable gas system. The floorplate & trigger guard are custom built with a metal floorplate that is screwed in place onto the trigger plate which has a welded oval trigger guard. The stock is extra wide up to the rear band apparently to clear the operating rods which make the bolt function. The middle stock band is flat machine steel with beveled edges and a permanently mounted sling loop with a corresponding sling loop in the buttstock. Buttplate is slightly convex with a mild convex shape, made of smooth steel mounted by means of two screws. No attempt was made to disassemble this rifle due to the complexity of the mechanisms and lack of knowledge of how it is to be disassembled without damaging any of the parts. Accompanied by two copies of the Springfield Research Newsletter U.S. Martial Arms Collector of April 2006 and August 2007. The 2007 issue shows photographs of this same rifle but offers no additional help in its function. The 2006 issue shows photographs and a writeup regarding another experimental semi-auto rifle. Altogether an exciting and unusual rifle that requires substantial additional research and examination to determine the actual function of the various mechanisms and its place in the development of follow-on semi-auto rifles. CONDITION: Appears to be fine & functional although no testing or detailed examination was possible. Overall retains about all of its orig bright metal finish with a few scattered spots of discoloration. Wood is sound with a few minor handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains a dark hand worn patina. Mechanics appear to be fine, strong bore, dark in the grooves. 4-40038 JR243 (50,000-100,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010

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
	1052	$40,250.00	EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE PROTOTYPE/EXPERIMENTAL SEMI-AUTO MILITARY RIFLE BASED LOOSELY ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELD. SN NONE. Cal. Presumed to be 30-06. Extremely unusual prototype rifle with all metal in-the-white. Bbl appears to be from a 1903 Springfield with Ordnance bomb and the date “2-06”. The front nomenclature is covered by the front sight collar or was machined away to accommodate the special front sight. Bbl is 24″, rnd, with tall barleycorn front sight and an unusual 1900 yard ladder rear sight with stepped base marked to 600 yards and the ladder 700-1900 yards. Sight base is about 2-7/8″ long x 7/8″ wide and mounted with two common screws. The slide on the staff is about 1-3/8″ long x 3/8″ wide x 5/16″ thick, serrated on left end with a spring loaded push button on right end which releases the slide to change the elevation and then locks into notches on inside of right arm of the staff. Receiver resembles a heavy Model 1903 that is about 6-7/8″ long with a solid rear bridge that has a radiused lightning groove over the top and left side of receiver has a lightning groove. The cutoff is built into a housing on left side of the rear bridge with a long oval checkered pad which mounts forward and is retained with a screw from the top. Below & behind the cutoff housing is the special mount for the special receiver sight. Receiver is without a gas relief port. Bolt appears to have a Springfield body with square shoulder handle with an unusual shroud which is connected to two steel rods which pass through recesses in the receiver and connect to the gas system inside the forearm. Striker has a knurled rim with a sear extension off the bottom which fits into a groove in the receiver to contact the trigger. The special rear sight is similar to a Lyman receiver sight with long, split slide which has a swinging arm attached to the top with detent notches which locks it into place either out of the way parallel with the axis of the bolt or perpendicular, 90 degrees from the bolt. The slide is adjustable for elevation by means of a checkered spring loaded button on rear edge and adjustable windage by a knurled micrometer style knob on the extended bbl of the cross slide. The sight aperture itself is equally unusual in that in one position it is a peep sight and when rotated 180 degrees becomes a v-notch open sight. Front sight is also most unusual in that it is a solid machined sleeve with integral barleycorn front blade and a yoke off the left side which contains a spring loaded swinging arm that folds out of the way to the right allowing use of the normal rear sight. However when extended out to the left and locked into its detent, exposes a separate barleycorn sight for use with the extended receiver sight. All of the foregoing is simply part of this unusual rifle which has an apparatus attached to the top of the wrist of the stock which is a dbl steel wire frame which attaches to the top tang and extends to the rear into a steel fixture in the comb of the stock which prevents the shooter from extending his head & face into the path of the bolt in semi-auto mode. The rear part of the top tang has a metal thumb rest which prevents the shooter’s thumb from rising into the path of the rearward traveling bolt. It is readily apparent that rifle is gas operated as it displays a rudimentary gas cylinder at the end of the forearm with what appears to be gas ports through a hole in bottom of bayonet lug and a small steel insert just above the middle band which has several small vent holes. The bottom forward portion of the forestock has an inlaid metal fixture with a large, flush mounted screw that is safety wired in place and is, what appears to be, a rudimentary adjustable gas system. The floorplate & trigger guard are custom built with a metal floorplate that is screwed in place onto the trigger plate which has a welded oval trigger guard. The stock is extra wide up to the rear band apparently to clear the operating rods which make the bolt function. The middle stock band is flat machine steel with beveled edges and a permanently mounted sling loop with a corresponding sling loop in the buttstock. Buttplate is slightly convex with a mild convex shape, made of smooth steel mounted by means of two screws. No attempt was made to disassemble this rifle due to the complexity of the mechanisms and lack of knowledge of how it is to be disassembled without damaging any of the parts. Accompanied by two copies of the Springfield Research Newsletter U.S. Martial Arms Collector* of April 2006 and August 2007. The 2007 issue shows photographs of this same rifle but offers no additional help in its function. The 2006 issue shows photographs and a writeup regarding another experimental semi-auto rifle. Altogether an exciting and unusual rifle that requires substantial additional research and examination to determine the actual function of the various mechanisms and its place in the development of follow-on semi-auto rifles. CONDITION: Appears to be fine & functional although no testing or detailed examination was possible. Overall retains about all of its orig bright metal finish with a few scattered spots of discoloration. Wood is sound with a few minor handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains a dark hand worn patina. Mechanics appear to be fine, strong bore, dark in the grooves. 4-40038 JR243 (50,000-100,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010 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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