My SA 1903.

[nf1e]

I will go by what you gents are telling me. Greek return and I will discount the story from the guy I bought it from as BS. Thank you so much.

[Merc]

The US govt rebuilt a large number of M1903s before they were loaned to the Greek govt in 1947 to fight the commies. The new 1944 HS (High Standard) barrel and the new 03A3 bolt with the last 4 digits of the serial number electro-penciled on the handle raises the possibility that your 1931 M1903 is a Greek return. Other Greek return characteristics to look for include the letter B stamped on the floor plate that indicates it’s been pinned to prevent accidental opening and the last 4 digits of the serial number stamped in large numbers on the flat part of the stock near the butt plate.

Although the M1903 was obsolete, the new 03A3 bolt and HS barrel made them much safer and they functioned like new. The Greeks took good care of them by covering the entire rifle with a heavy grease preservative before storing them for more than 70 years. They were returned to the US in 2000 or 2001 and were sold to collectors by the CMP. A good question might be why did it take so long for the Greeks to return them?

The grease preservative that the Greeks used really worked its way into the stock. The stock on my Greek return (that also has a new 03A3 bolt and a 1944 HS barrel along with a pinned floor plate stamped with the letter B and the usual serial number marks on the bolt handle and stock) is original and no matter what kind of solvent I use, my stock continues to drip oil if the rifle is left out in the sun on a warm day. It’s a small price to pay for a great and accurate battle rifle with a story to tell.