Mk 1 questions

[Fred]

I believe that slot was meant as an aid in production of the hand guards at Springfield Armory when they needed to hold it in place while the machines shaped it. Not sure but I think that's right. Your cocking Piece was made during WWII by Remington. It can be easily replaced.

[11mm]

I believe that slot was meant as an aid in production of the hand guards at Springfield Armory when they needed to hold it in place while the machines shaped it. Not sure but I think that's right. Your cocking Piece was made during WWII by Remington. It can be easily replaced.

Right you are Fred, and I replaced the cocking piece. By the way, with either the Remington cocking piece or the replaced correct Springfield cocking piece, this rifle has a very light trigger. I wonder if that has to do with the Mk1 sear. The rifle shows great promise at 100 meters with 200 grain cast lead bullets.

[Fred]

John, I've noticed that most of the rifles I've handled that were put together during WWI have extremely light triggers. Beats me why. I think that they'd be dangerous in a combat situation, but would be really great for target shooting.

[Richard H Brown Jr]

Fred:

re. Light Triggers. Uh back before 1914 or so, you had SHOOTER's in the army, and time spent on marksmanship and weapons maint.

[Fred]

That makes sense to me Richard. I figured that the practice of fine tuning a trigger release wasn't by accident. My Rod Bayonet 03 (1904) is the same way. Beautiful release. My old Mark I made in early 1919 required a lot more to release. It's almost as if there was a certain person or persons who were adjusting the early rifles quite well for Shooters who knew how to employ such light triggers and then when those workers were eventually replaced by others, the new workers had an entirely different idea of what a trigger release should be. Perhaps complaints from men who were prone to just jerk the trigger in the heat of combat had some influence on it all.

[gunner312]

I have a MK1 that I'd really like to bring back to it's original condition, It is missing the M1 parts for the trigger and etc. If anyone has the parts that would be willing to sell them, email me at gunner312@q.com with the particulars. Mine has a standard trigger and etc in it from the re-build period. I really like shooting this rifle.

Semper Fidelis,

gunner312
(Jim Wright)

[Griff Murphey]

Rick; don't forget the 37th Ohio. My Father-in-law was a 31 year old draftee who was called up after Pearl Harbor and joined the Division at Indiantown Gap. They went to NZ, Suva, Fiji, and he served on Guadalcanal in the 112th Medical Battalion. He remembered using the 03 and Garand, but as a Corporal, Medic, he carried the carbine.