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!

SDH:

1254780 does not fit into a block of NRA Sporters, and the front of the receiver does not appear to be rounded, so I don't think it's a factory Sporter.

The star gauge and the barrel date have no particular correlation, all star gauged barrels were star gauge marked after a certain date, which escapes me right now........your star gauge mark should look like a "turtle"., a circle with six lines radiating out at 6 o'clock on the muzzle.

The front sight elevator block is original 03 Springfield, the blade is an aftermarket replacement.

I have absolutely no clue what the 187475 over 80 means, it wasn't put there by Springfield Armory, at least I've never seen that before.

Are there some star gauge markings about 1/3 of the way up the barrel from the receiver? They would consist of a letter and 2 or 3 numbers, like an A over 123, those would be the star gauge numbers on the star gauge sheet that came with the barrel. There also should be a proof P around there somewhere. Star gauge letters and numbers were on the bottom of Sporter barrels, and the top of National Match barrels.

One caveat, most people don't know, but replacement NRA Sporter barrels didn't have the star on the muzzle, at least not on the ones I have seen. They do have the star gauge numbers on them.

HTH

1254780 fits into a small group of National Match 1903s consisting of 1254770, 778, 789, 791, and 801. Your photo appears to show the right receiver rail polished, are both rails polished? Yours may, might, could be an undocumented NM?

Do you have the stock and bolt?

An original NM barrel (or any service grade 1903 barrel)should show the two slots where the rear sight collar was pinned on. I'm not seeing this on your barrel, it would have to be turned down to remove evidence of the two pins. This was commonly done, even Griffin and Howe would do this! If it was turned down, the portion mating with the receiver would be smaller in diameter that an original barrel. If it's not turned down, it should be a Sporter barrel. Sporter barrels have a slightly different contour than service grade barrels.

One last thought, Springfield Armory 1923 serial numbers ranged from 1252387 to 1261486. 1254780 should be fairly early in 1923, the barrel dated 8-23 seems a little late to me. It might not be original to the receiver?

HTH

Steve, the elevator block is original military,they came from the armory/ arsenal serrated. Notice the band is also serrated.The sight blade is aftermarket, you said its marked and I would guess " Sheard from Tacoma WA?. Here's a pic of military sight block with an aftermarket Lyman sight blade. (Bead has been broken off).



I have no clue as to what the numbers are on the barrel bottom.???

The barrel date does seem a bit later than receiver date, however I read someware ( Hatchers book??) that Barrel date an receiver # didn't always correspond. Meaning that some receivers had later dated barrels put to them. Possibly the case with these special star gauge barrels, in some cases?

Many thanks to relics 6561 and Newton Dan. You have confirmed what I knew, added to my knowledge and I thank you both. I have the bolt and will check the rail polishing… I've been studying Book of the Springfield by Brophy. The barrel has the star mark on the muzzle and no other star numbers.
By the way, the barreled action is in a sporter stock identified by Monte Mandarino as being the work of Seymour Griffin. The stock has a name penciled in the barrel channel and a date of 6/20/27. I'll be photographing the rest of the rifle soon and will try and post a pic or two here.
SDH

Steve, If possible can we see some of Seymores inletting while you have the camera out!!!?

Second that!

Steve,

As we previously discussed, I was not able to find this particular rifle in the G&H archives but upon reviewing the records again I found this. The serial number is just one number higher than the subject rifle. (See the middle entry)

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The entry is in Von Lengerke & Detmold Inventory Book No.3, page 70, in a list of Miscellaneous Items. The entry indicates that #1254781 was received at VL&D on August 17, (1923) from "Griffin & Howe". Caliber 30/06 with stock dimensions of 3 1/8 in. drop@heel, 1 7/8 in. drop@comb, and 13 3/4 in. LOP. The entry does not indicate "Springfield" although it almost certainly is. It also does not indicate "Custom" or "Sporter" although it could have been. It is unusual that the stock dimensions are entered for a rifle but it did occur. Are these dimensions more likely to suggest a custom stock than a military stock? Is it possible that rifles with consecutive serial numbers were received when a lot of multiple guns was purchased? At least this adds some support to Monte Mandarino's suggestion that the stock was the work of Seymour Griffin.

Bob, I'll check the stock dimensions later today, Thanks!

The inletting is very clean work with a few chisel marks at the trigger and a few other places.

Pics of inletting.



Neither action rail appear to be especially polished, at least not as well as I would polish them.

Stock dimensions measure: LOP:13 1/4" DAC:3/4" DAH: 1 5/8"(measured from bore line)Even if the first measurement in the book was 3/8",they do not match the Inventory records.

It sure is a curiosity that the serial number in the book is just one digit off?!? The barrel date being August 1923 would be the same month as the Inventory and that would be highly unlikely.
I'm certainly open to other information but I don't think this is the rifle in the Inventory.

Do notice in the top picture the checkering runs right into the inletting, a stylistic feature of Seymour Griffin's.

Steve:

Polished receiver rails would be in the white, as opposed to blued. The polishing could be considered to be somewhat coarse, as opposed to a mirror finish.

National Match, Sporter, and Heavy Barrel Target Rifle bolts were polished in a very distinctive fashion, once you have seen a few, you will recognize them. Think of coarsely polishing the bolt lengthwise, then finely polishing the bolt in a circular fashion. The areas around the locking lugs and safety lug will show small areas of lengthwise coarse polishing, while the rest is finely polished. This is one of the best ways to identify an NM or Sporter bolt.

Then, at some point that escapes me at the moment, SA started electro penciling the serial number on the bolt.

By the way, the bolt should (most likely) have WL3 (in a triangular fashion) on the root of the bolt handle.

HTH

Thanks for your help guys. I've finished and submitted the story and it will be in the May/June issue of Sports Afield.
I've leaned a lot!