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This hasn't received any reply on another forum so I figure I'll give it a shot here too.
Any ideas where Century Arms would have brought in M1903 Springfields from in the past? I thought I was looking at several greasy Greek returns as they were covered in a similar grease until I noticed the CAI import marks on the barrels.
Thanks.
I think in the mid eighties I saw ads for 03 s in Shotgun News..
In 1985 I purchased a 1903 from Century. It had a sewer pipe, counter-bored barrel, as well as a grease soaked scant stock. I paid $94.00 for it, and another 100 for a better stock and a new barrel. At the time of purchase, I asked where it was imported from. The answer was "Don't know". Regards, Clark
Thanks Clark. The bores on these were clean and a couple were counterbored about 2". The stocks were as you described. Probably from the same lot I'd imagine.
Navy Arms (Service Armament Company) in Jersey had some really horrible 03's a number of years back. Bores shot out; stocks black from soaking in oil had to be some time after 1978 when i moved here. I don't know why but I think they may have come from China.
Century brought in a pile of Mausers out of China around 1992(?), co-mingled were some '03's. They were mostly fair/poor condition and all needed new barrels. I bought a fair Mk1 '03 from that import. Century has brought in nice stuff over the years.
There were a number of 03/03A3 rifles that came in from China in the mid to late 1980's. Many of these were really rough, and some had stocks that were actually soaked in urine - must have been leaning against the wall for years in some out of the way Mongolian schitt-hole storage shed or something, and Kwan just relieved himself on the rifles instead of going outsidein the inclement weather to piss....hell, inside or out, one side of the wall is as good as the other.
This was at the same time that those 19111A1 pistols from China converted to the 7.62 Tokarev pistol round were imported, and the Mausers that Calif. Steve mentioned above.
Were any of these Chinese rifles marked in any way (other than the import mark)? A couple if these looked to have had something like the number 11 in a small circle stamped into the receiver under all the grease.
Back in the good ole days I purchased 3 '03's and one M1917 with import marks. Condition as described. The only one that had any markings indicative of origin was one (I can't remember which one) which had Arabic writing on the butt.
New old stock barrels, new old stock stocks and they now reside in my safe. All good shooters. That new JA barrels and new old stock stocks were available shows that this was quite awhile ago.
Those Broom handle Mauser's that came from China 15 or so years ago had hardly any rifling left and I think the Chinese used Emery paper to clean the bores. Ray