Hello, a brand new forum member here. Happy to be aboard!
A close friend and training partner of mine lost his father two weeks ago at the age of 88. He was a local magistrate for over 30 years and was a lifelong firearms enthusiast. This past weekend, I helped my friend inventory his late father's firearms in anticipation of selling them for his mother. As a thank you for my help, my buddy gave me first dibs on the guns available and I bought this Springfield 1903 sporterized rifle. The action and barrel are in their original military configuration except for the addition of a barrel band and stud replacing the original military barrel band and the addition of a vintage Lyman 48 aperture sight. The original military stock has been replaced with a custom stock having very refined hand-checkering on the forend and pistol grip. It had a 60+-year-old recoil pad installed that was basically "petrified" and had become brittle and literally hard as a rock. I removed it and will be installing a new all black Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad on it in the near future.
This rifle was manufactured at the Springfield Armory in 1930 and its original SA barrel is dated 2-29. I'm happy to own it!
I posted about my rifle on another forum just yesterday and I was told by several forum members that it is very likely a DCM/NRA Sporter which, to be frank, I didn't know existed.
Evidence was given that my rifle (Serial # 1343992) is a DCM Sporter in that, although my rifle's serial number was reported not to be a "hit" in the SRS records, the rifle immediately preceding mine (1343991) is listed as a DCM Sporter: 1343991 SPT 071730 DCM RIFLE SALES 1922-42. It was further stated that my rifle serial number is one of a block of serial numbers that is a virtual sea of DCM Sporters. Further indications that it is a DCM Sporter is that the barrel has star gauge markings, the barrel shank bears no traces of ever having had a rear sight base installed on it, the top front edge of the receiver has been mildly radiused, it does have the correct Lyman 48C aperture sight with the hinged, fold up peep as used on DCM Sporters and, finally, though not serial numbered, it does have a polished NM-like bolt.
What I am looking for is some opinions on whether my rifle is or is not, in fact, a DCM Sporter.
Thank you very much for any assistance provided!
