Gunbroker ad: 1903-A4 fake or real?

[beardenbc]

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=139313624

Something smells fishy to me. I get the feeling this is a replica. The reciever is stamped 03-A3. It looks waaaaaaay too new. Even if it was sealed in an airtight time capsule it shouldn't look like that.

What do you think? Fake or real?

[wjkuleck]

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=139313624

Something smells fishy to me. I get the feeling this is a replica. The reciever is stamped 03-A3. It looks waaaaaaay too new. Even if it was sealed in an airtight time capsule it shouldn't look like that.

What do you think? Fake or real?
Real. The stamp is correct, and correctly moved from under the scope mount, which is where it would be on an 03A3.

Regards,

Walt
PS If this is a CMP rifle, it will state "03A4" on the paperwork, I'm certain.

[ncroamer65]

That's beyond me I'll just look. :) :lol: :lol: :lol:

[beardenbc]

Real. The stamp is correct, and correctly moved from under the scope mount, which is where it would be on an 03A3.

Regards,

Walt
PS If this is a CMP rifle, it will state "03A4" on the paperwork, I'm certain.

Well if it's legit, then man, I would love to have it. At that price I'd be afraid to shoot it though.

[esq_stu]

Well if it's legit, then man, I would love to have it. At that price I'd be afraid to shoot it though.No way I'd shoot it. I'd keep it in a safe and clean it once a year.

[HighDesertWolf]

appears legitimate to me. its still built on a A3 action so why wouldn't it be stamped A3?? also considering the A4's were built on hand picked A3 rifles. and A4 means alteration number 4 and alteration number 4 is the sniper configuration. I personally would be more suspicious of a rifle marked 03-A4.. just my 2 cents

[HighDesertWolf]

No way I'd shoot it. I'd keep it in a safe and clean it once a year.


id shoot it too!! I have a 3-43 Smith Corona 03-A3 I shoot it all the time. Ive even taken it deer hunting and have killed many deer with it.

[Darreld Walton]

BUT, sitting in a Keystone stock, which was a replacement, and with what looks like an unused Park job, it's NOT an 'original' rifle. Even an 'original' A4 would have been manufactured and shipped with a Parkerized barrel and receiver, but the remainder of the parts were 'blued'. Every part on this rifle is Parked, first indication of parts replacement or rebuild. Add to the equation that neither the DCM nor the CMP sold these with 'glass of any kind on them, AND that a first block rifle, if completely original, would have the Weaver 330 on it and not the M84, and it'd be in Parked 7/8 Redfield rings. The original purchaser probably got lucky when he drew this one, as it looks like it came out of a fresh rebuild to go directly into storage.
If the seller is using condition to put this particular rifle in that stratospheric price range, he's STILL got it overpriced by about $10K!
As to markings, Remington did NOT mark them A4. Once in awhile, you hear of one that's been overstamped with X's, and remarked (by hand) with A4, but those were most likely done by unit armorers trying to make the rifle's nomenclature match the TO&E. I've never, ever heard of an A1 marked as an A1, but most of the A2's were overstamped per regs when they were actually used in one of the sub-caliber devices.