[CalFed]

I glommed a rifle last week at an on-line auction. I went out on a limb because the price was pretty low ...It was described as a "US Rockland 1903 A3 Rifle" (???)



As I suspected, it was a "US Rock Island" 1903 and has a high number receiver, Sedgley barrel (great bore) and Springfield C stock. It arrived last week:


Unfortunately, the c stock was trimmed at the butt a bit for the pad.

Sun came out and I was able to get a few pics of the bore...

 

[oldgoat46]

No worries, It should be a tack driver and if you want to sell it you can scout up a good stock and put it on it and offer to include the one thats on it. Let us know how it shoots.

 

[LVSteve]

Could have been worse, you might have found it was a US Swampland rifle. Looks like you have scored again.

 

[FIVESHOT]

Sweet ! :thumbsup:



FIVESHOT

 

[BradB]

Nice Rockland! The shooter who owned that one was probably very proud of his custom rifle.

 

[CalFed]

Thanks, guys,

With the Unertl scope blocks and Redfield sights mounted, this will never be "re-militarized" again. I'm thinking of using those scope blocks to create a repro 1941A1 USMC sniper rifle. I'll need a 6x or 8x Unertl, Fecker or Lyman scope with the external adjustment type mounts. I'll also need to re-contour the butt to accept a butt plate.

I've measured the butt and it doesn't appear that they shaved much off...maybe 1/8 or 3/32 of an inch. I'm also informed that Leatherwood is coming out with a reproduction of the 8x Unertl Scope that might work for this.

http://ironsightinc.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/usmc-8x-at-shot-show.jpg


First things first, though. I've got to get this baby to the range and see if she shoots.

 

[CalFed]

I finally got an aperture for the Redfield sight that would fit and allow the bolt to operate.

My son and I went to the Lincoln, CA range for the afternoon and I had him give the "Rockland 1903" a try ...

First he shot it at 50 yards, just to see if it was centered and on paper. His first 5 @ 50

Since it was hitting pretty good at 50, he tried the rifle at 100 yards.

I tried it at 100 yards, but wasn't able to keep up with my son.

We were shooting the last of some mid-60's LC match ammo that a friend gave me.

 

[raul]

Very nice piece!!!, now you'll have to spend 5/600 US$ for the Lyman or Unertl scope-I did it a few yrs ago and I'm happy, the accuracy in mine is more than acceptable and I also got the vintage Numrich .22 conversion, so its a practical thing having two guns in one-Pics of mine below--

 

[CalFed]

Very nice, raul. That is exactly what I'm looking for.

My son's shooting with the Redfield peep sight proves to me that this is a very accurate rifle. Now I need to get a Lyman or Unertl scope like yous. I would like to try it out in the CMP vintage sniper match.

Tell me, raul. Are Argentine Mausers available down there? Any 09 Argentine snipers?


Thanks, Steve

 

[raul]

Arg. Mausers are still available, but one in 50 are in agood stat of conservation, most of the unissued ones left the country as surplus sold mainly to the US, and that was completed decades ago,I got mine in 1968 straight from the arsenal and it came with the original proof target-The snipers are even rarer, there were not many procured in the 20's=The rifles themselves were not a special edition or chosen, the Arg Army had the Nedinsco scope installed years after they received the guns from Germany-The NEDINSCO scope is none other than the Zeiss Zielvier,4x, its name comes from NEderland INStrument COmpany, a firm that Carl Zeiss had in Holland to circumvent the prohibition to export war material from the vanquished Germany after WWI

 

[Flint Locke]

Very nice -- maybe post it on the Sniper Forum page too?

 

[CalFed]

I love the Argentine Mausers...have several of the 1891's and several of the 1909's, including one that is almost pristine. My older son has used that one to shoot in the local vintage surplus matches.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?186564-1909-Argentine-Mauser-range-report

I've given real consideration to making up a faux 09 sniper for the CMP vintage sniper match. I recently won a 1909 Argentine Mauser that some nitwit had rechambered to 30.06.

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=116127

I've got most of what it would take to convert it to an '09 Argentine sniper, except the scope and mounts. I believe that the 09 sniper used the turret mounts, however, which are available as reproductions. The CMP is also allowing Weaver K4 scopes to stand in for the Zeiss sniper scopes.

 

[raul]

I've seen the reproduction turrets for the 1909 in Ebay, they look good, the thing is that you've got to get the scope that has the rings soldered, they are not the type you screw them on the tube-Many yrs ago I got from a guy from the Arg. navy an unissued original scope with the nases and the leather pouch, never had it installed, more than teen yrs go I paid for it US$ 500.

 

[CalFed]

You have one of the Nedinsco scopes? Wow...never see those...ever.

Any pics you can post?

 

[CalFed]

I've been making slow progress on the 1941 10903 USMC sniper rifle repro for the CMP vintage sniper match.

I recently found an 8x Lyman Junior Target spot scope for the project and am in the process of mounting and testing it on the 1903 Rock Island.


I'm trying to keep this on the cheap. I still need to fix the stock. It was trimmed about 1/8" on the butt and had a padded butt plate installed. I need to fit and install an original butt plate.

It is still missing the rear sight. Does anyone think this will be a problem for the CMP vintage match?