The Good Old Days

[Merc]

As I understand (with no documentation other than American Rifleman magazine articles) The M1917 had been declared prior to WWII and was being sold at practically give way prices after WWI. It was partially resurrected from the dead during WWII and a fairly large stock existed. My State Guard Company was issue “new” M1917’s in 1943. The M1903 was declared obsolete in 1945 and sold at fairly low prices. The 03A3 was still an item of issue in early 1946. By June 46 the 03A3 became substitute standard, as there was a plethora of M1’s and no war was imminent (little did we know) so the 03A3 was offered for sale. As late as 1957 replacement 03A3 barrels (2 or 4 groove) listed for $26 while 4 groove SA M1903 barrels, were $5.30 with both sight bases. In the late 1960’s the 03A3 was sold as “unclassified” for ~$14.00. The one I received was a SC 03A3 with a 4 groove barrel and looked new. 03A3 barrel were price at $0.99 and other parts were sold at give way prices.
FWIW

The price of surplus rifles in the 1940s may have seemed like the govt. was almost giving them away. It was a good idea to sell them for next to nothing rather than continue paying to keep obsolete rifles for no good reason in an unheated damp warehouse and wind up throwing them away in a few years. My folks were barely scraping by in the 1940s and lived payday to payday. No family car until 1954 and my sister bought it. My dad had a few singles in his wallet between paydays, just enough for a pack of smokes and a couple 10 cent drafts after work. I’m sure $15 seemed like a lot of money to him.

[RCS]

From the late 1930's, during the 1940's and into the 50's there was a number of large caliber
rifles (including large caliber wildcats) build on the large Model 1917 Enfield action. Magnum
length Mausers were around before WW2 but cost were high while the Model 1917 was always
around to work with your projects.

first photo shows 334 OKH, 350 G&H magnum, 458 Win for comparison and the 475 OKH.

second photo shows a Maynard Buehler built 505 Gibbs in a M1917 action used to test his scope
mountsP1010028_0024_024.jpgP1010026_0021.jpg

[kar66]

I am 74 years old and started going to gunshows in the 70s. I always liked hearing the old timers tell about the good old days and what they were able to buy back then. Now those were the good old day and good old prices. Even at my age I missed the really good old days and most of those sellers are long gone as are those prices. Now the government pays with our tax dollars to scrap everything.

[Cosine26]

From the October 1960 American Rifleman. I believe that this is the last advertisement I saw for the 03A3. At that time the M14 was being introduced and we were geting involved in Viet Nam. The NRA was doing a lot of the work for the DCM though yo still paid the US Army for the rifle
https://imgur.com/9S7MfpE