Talk about luck! A nice 1903 real cheap and a great surprise in the butt trap

[RayG]

Saw this all correct 8-09 barrel dated 1909 Springfield 1903 on an line auction site with a buy it now for $619 and I pulled the pin as it looked decent in the photos. It had a one bolt stock and grooveless handguard. Finish looked original and it had a early rear sight with the allum night sight line. No cartouche but if you have a good imagination you can see a whisper of one but the stock looks to have been boned not sanded. I have another 03 with a boned stock that looks like it. All original about 90% finish with the exception of about 4" of the front of the barrel. It is just a nice old untouched 1909 Springfield except for the boned stock.
As I took the rifle apart to clean it and I found a surprise in the butt trap. Ray

[RayG]

And the surprise. An original wooden parts container. Originally every other rifle was issued with one and the other had the oilier. They all but disappeared and the estimated value of an original parts container alone is about $400-$600 alone'
So $619 for the rifle with the parts container was a pretty good buy, Ray

[VolksJager]

Well done, great rifle with a great find

Jason

[Walkwolf]

Indeed a really good buy, Ray. The rifle is in excellent condition.
Nice bonus too - like buying a parts kit and getting the '03
for free !

( There is no 'Green with Envy' emoticon......... ! )

[COLT 1911A1]

Very nice 1903 Springfield and wonderfull find, Ray...It's the first time i see such an item...
Best regards, Thanos.

[Eric Zentner]

Great find and good price well done.

Eric

[RayG]

Tha parts container is missing the extractor so I added one it fits like a puzzle in the container as the firing pin needs to be turned a bit so the extractor fits flush to fit in the trap hole. Ray

[RayG]

I've been doing a little research on the issue of these wooden parts kits. There's not much out there on them but Brophy's 1903 Springfield book states they were issued in every other rifle and other having the oilier. Then I heard that only the squad leader's rifle contained the parts kit.
I think judging by the scarcity of them that the sqd leader probably was the only one that had one which would be a more pausable explaination for their scarcity because if every other rifle had one they would be much more common. Anyway just my opinion, Ray

[samnev]

Great find, I haven't seen one of those in at least 30 years. Yours looks like it just came out of Springfield Arsenal. Since it's a low numbered Springfield I am sure you know they have questionable receivers. I also have one and have never shot it. But that does not take away from the collector value IMO.

[RayG]

Thanks for the reminder samnev. I have three low number 03's including this one and all appear to have been fired during service but they will remain unfired by me as I don't like to play the odds, and it would be just my luck that one would decide to let go while I was shooting it, Ray