I'm researching a Springfield Sporter for a magazine article I'm writing and have a few questions you Springfield experts might enlighten me about. From the serial number is there any way one can determine if this was an NRA sporter?
The muzzle of the barrel is star gauged and the top of the barrel is marked a shown (SA over a flaming bomb(?) over 8-23), is there any correlation between the star and the date marks?
The bottom of the barrel has the numbers 187475 with a 80 underneath as shown. Is anyone familiar with these numbers and attach any meaning to them?
Last: the front sight base-band appears to be the original military base, but it has a serrated and dovetailed elevator block and a blade with copper bead (see photo above). Is the elevator block an aftermarket item? Do you know the maker? The blade is marked but I haven't determined them as yet.
Anything anyone else can glean from the pics wold be of great interest to me.
Thanks in advance!
