This is just amazing...

[Fred]

Someone puts grease in the bore and then says that the rifle has never been fired. LOL. It's not even a complete rifle. How very typical. What's sad is that somebody out there might very well buy it. Nobody has any business buying a 1903 Springfield until they study the subject in depth. Look at collections, go to gun shows and ask questions, look at a lot of rifles, be able to filter out the BS from the good information,
read up on the subject all that you can. Then, if and when you develop a passion to obtain a particular model of 1903, you'll know what you're doing, what you're getting and how much you should be paying for it.
How many times have we all seen someone ask what kind of 1903 Springfield they should be looking for and what they should pay for it? The answer should be that if they don't know what they want, or what they are looking for or at, why are they wanting to buy one? Maybe they just want to own a thing that others will admire and approve of. I don't know. I fear that somebody will buy the rifle in this auction and then proudly bring it forth for a show and tell, only to be disappointed and embarrassed.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=356276646

[Kurt]

Well Fred, now the cats out of the bag and I won't get the winning bid! I could have had it, a nice unfired Mark 1 but no, you had to tell the world....and now it's going to get bid up beyond my budget. Geesh

Kurt

[dave]

I doubt there is a 03 that exists that is "unfired", or an M1 for that matter. And I am not counting proofs, they have all been proofed!

[chuckindenver]

likely his master gunsmith has looked it over, and they have found the same book of values to price these rare gems.

[Rick the Librarian]

likely his master gunsmith has looked it over, and they have found the same book of values to price these rare gems.

LOL!! Either that, or he went by the Bluebook!! I know one reason it hasn't been fired - no handguard or upper band! It never was completed!!

[Handsome Devil]

Stand back, I'm going in..................not! Regards, John.

[Fred]

Well Fred, now the cats out of the bag and I won't get the winning bid! I could have had it, a nice unfired Mark 1 but no, you had to tell the world....and now it's going to get bid up beyond my budget. Geesh

Kurt

[ClaudeH]

Wow, that would be cool as a 9mm semi-auto. I wonder what that would cost? Can it take Glock magazines?

[Herschel]

Internet auction definitions:

Unfired means unfired since I listed it at auction.

Original Finish means the finish that was on the rifle when I originally bought it.

[Rick the Librarian]

This is from one of my favorite articles in Gun Digest -- A Field Guide to Gun Shows:

NEAR-MINT CONDITION: Has had no more than 5,000 rounds fired through it and
it still retains at least 60% of the original finish. Surface pitting is no
more than 1/8" deep, and both grip panels are in place. If it is a .22, some
of the rifling is still visible.

VERY GOOD: Non-functional when you buy it, but you can probably get it to
work if you replace 100% of the parts.

FAIR: Rusted into a solid mass with a shape vaguely reminiscent of a firearm.

TIGHT: In revolvers, the cylinder swings out, but you need two hands to
close it again. For autoloaders, you must bang the front of the slide on a
table to push it back.

REALLY TIGHT: In revolvers you cannot open the cylinder without a lever.
Once it's open the extractor rod gets stuck halfway through its travel. On
autoloaders, you need a hammer to close the slide.

A LITTLE LOOSE: In revolvers, the cylinder falls out and the chambers are
1/4" out of line when locked up. There is no more than 1/2" of end play.
For autoloaders, the barrel falls out when the slide is retracted. If the
barrel stays in place, the slide falls off.

GOOD BORE: You can tell it was once rifled and even approximately how many
grooves there were.

FAIR BORE: Probably would be similar to GOOD BORE, if you could see through it.

NEEDS A LITTLE WORK: May function sometimes if you have a gunsmith replace
minor parts, such as the bolt, cylinder, or barrel.