Possible USMC Early RIA rebuild?

[cplnorton]

I picked this up thinking it might be a possible USMC rebuild. But I was curious your guys thoughts on it.

It's an early RIA serial 118695. It has a 7-18 SA barrel. The stock has a BJ stamping in the cutoff and a AA rebuild cartouche and circle P that look to be about sanded off. The handguard is a high hump. The bolt is a WWII SA and is marked HO on the top of the bolt handle. It is drilled for the hatcher hole and has a stippled buttplate.

Looking at it I think it was probably rebarreled right after WWI so that makes me think it was probably used in WWI. Then it was either rebuild again to it's current configuration sometime in WWII.

I ran the serial on SRS and didn't have a hit. I'm sort of curious if the serial shows up in MarineA5's research. So Jim if you don't mind could you run it against your records?

I sort of thought it might be a Marine rebuild with the hatcher hole and the stippled buttplate. Also the fact that it's an early serial number and the Army I doubt would have rebuilt it as most I believe were either scrapped or given to the Marines.

What do you guys think? Marine or not?

[Fred]

Interesting rifle. It has what I believe is a Remington sleeve, safety and striker rod or cocking piece. The rear sight slide tightening knob is an updated replacement too. WWI 1918 type serrated trigger. I'm certainly not any kind of an expert, but it sure looks like it could've been a USMC rifle to me, whatever that's worth. Interesting barrel and receiver combination. I don't think the hand guard is a true High Profile type.

[rayg]

Agree w/Fred, the lower profile hand guard was used in the 30's, Ray