Grandfather Welk (1889-1960) was USMC from 1918-1948. He was also known as a fisherman and a hunter. This rifle is among several he left to my Mother when he passed away, and it is anticipated that I will inherit it at some point in the future. The rifle is SA 1033377 which is almost certainly from USMC. The stock has been noted as being much nicer than the average sporter of the time.

I am interested in identifying the stock maker and time period if possible. I am borrowing a copy of Michael Petrov's "Gunsmiths of the 20th Century" (not here yet) and been studying this quite fascinating period on-line. The rifle is in Oregon, I am in Kansas so cannot inspect easily. Some other info on the rifle below. We have not had the rifle out of the stock so do not know if there are any maker markings

- Not known or thought to be a NM rifle
- No sign of a "*" on the crown
- No "Hatcher Hole" suggesting acquisition prior to late 1930's.

Pictures by Dad, some below (and some not so good) - lots more and higher res at Grandpa's '03 Sporter

I welcome thoughts, insight, comments and observations!

Mike McDonald
Leavenworth, KS

Mike McD
Regardless of any other information you receive, it is a wonderful thing to have such a fine rifle( with the records) from your grandfather. Save it for your grandson or granddaughter.
Mike

Hi Mike M,

Welcome and thanks for sharing this rifle and it’s history.

I don’t see any features of this rifle that makes me think of a particular maker. It looks to have been sporterized in the pre war style but I would guess post war. Is the grip cap plastic? Hard to tell from the photos.

That’s one person’s thoughts. There’s a lot of knowledge here and someone else may chime in.

I agree with Mike that it’s great to have a piece of family history with the story to go with it. I recommend documenting the history and story to pass along with the rifle.

-Tom

Thanks to all. Here is pic of underside. Keeping the rifle and history together is a goal of 65yo me. Figure I'm good for next 20+ years, God Willing. Not sure about the next generation within our family though. I have made a pretty detailed biography of grandpa and grandma, both Marines in WWI through ancestry. If interested, I can send a copy. I appreciate the wealth of knowledge here and know I am starting about 50 years too late to reach a definitive answer.

I finished reading "Custom Gunmakers of the 20th Century". WOW. While I have not internalized the information, it was so interesting to read the details and imagine the work Mr. Petrov went through gathering this material and putting his information to paper! I'm hoping to have more insight as I (from time to time) look at rifles online and in shops and shows. I look forward to visiting my Dad next year and taking a closer look at the rifle.

the rear site is unusual...not your typical lyman 48...could it be a redfield?

Redfield 102-S (Springfield) I think it is.,, they go back to at least the mid 30's.
A non micro adj sight.
Loosen the elevation knob and slide the bar up and down,,then relock the slide in position.
Windage peep has 2 opposing screws holding it in position. Loosen and slide the bar L&R as needed,,then relock in position with the screws.

Their micro adj sight was the #90 and #100.
The difference betw these 2 was the #100 you could QD the elevation slide by depressing a slide lock button.
On the #90 there was no QD release for the elevation slide. You had to back the Elevation adj screw all the way out with the slide to remove it.


As far as the rifle,,The right side of the stock looks like it was shaved down a bit from it's orig configuration and the ejection port cut-out enlarged a little. The wood looks somewhat rougher in that area of the stock than the rest. Maybe it was damaged at some point, even scared from charing/being too close to a fire or heat source. Then the surface damage filed or otherwise removed down to solid wood.
What ever,,it seems like an awfully nice Springfield sporter and the family connection makes it all that much more a treasure.

Thanks All -I have been so wrapped up in the stock I forgot about looking at the sight - Thanks!

For the following - it helps that I found a good copy of Shooters Bible 1941 two days ago to take a few pics from.

Yes - totally appears a Redfield 120-S sight. First two catalog pics are of the 120-S, the next two of the Redfield 90/100

What does the left side of the stock look like? Often the cheek piece (or lack of one) can be a clue as to who the stock maker was. Quality/style of inletting can also be an indicator.

If the stock was made by a top tier stocker (doubtful IMO), such a mis-shapen clearance cut on the RH side of the stock below the receiver rail wouldn't have been tolerated. Aftermarket Bubba alteration perhaps?

Thanks - I have wondered about some of the awkwardness on the right side of the rifle too.

All my pics here -Grandfathers M1903 Sporter

Left side shown below - best I have until I get back to see Dad hopefully in Spring 2022

The stock has very good lines, but the checkering and detailing are not up to the quality we would expect from a "known" smith. I'll go out on a long limb and say it is a semi-inlet finished by an above average hobbyist or lesser known gunsmith. Nice rifle and certainly worh hanging onto.

John

Thanks - I knew nothing about this subject before starting this journey a few months ago, and was leaning that way after reading Mr. Petrov's book last week. I will get MoInFo and more detailed pics and post here, likely next year.