doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com two rifles on gunbroker

I was following two rifles on gunbroker last week and wondered what others thought. They came from the same seller, and perhaps had been together for a long time.

I wonder if they were stocked by the same person

1903 Springfield

Winchester Model 56

I am amazed that they sold for so little. Did you buy either one?

That is a nifty little 22. Sure look like they could have been done by the same hand.

John

No, but I didn't bid, I liked the 56 a bit better than the 03.

I liked them both. I think the buttstocks are very similar, so it seems reasonable that both were made by the same person.

An interesting thing, to me anyway, is that the 56 has Unertl-like scope blocks without the quarter moon cutouts for many scope mounts. I assume this had a Winchester A5 on it, which does not use those cut outs but there are usually a divot for those mounts on the left side of the blocks. Anyway, just a detail that made me wonder what was on it for a scope.

Fred & I had talked about these guns while they were still alive and the '03 was a DCM sales national Match rifle which in the past I would probably have bid on. I'm trying to be more selective these days.

I asked the seller of the 1903 to post a picture of what was behind the trapdoor, but he didn't. I thought the trapdoor buttplate was homemade. It would be great
if someone from the forum got one of these and we could learn more.

The buttplate on the Springfield is from a Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1903. There is typically room under the trap for 3 cartridges. Sometimes a cleaning kit.

The clip on rear barrel sight is not an improvement.

I disagree with you about the buttplate it is not from an Mannlicher-Schoenauer and looks homemade, but I agree with you on the rear barrel sight. I was bothered by the 20 inch barrel and the non-matching sling swivels.

Clip on rear sight? I don't know whether I agree with that description.

The buttplate is from a Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1903, I've installed a few on custom stocks over the years. I used to be able to find them in boxes of miscellaneous parts at gun shows, but that source has seemingly dried up lately. Google pictures of Adolph stocks, he used them pretty often, even had them engraved.
To me, that rear sight looks like it was installed on a contoured ring that was left when the issue barrel was turned down. The chamber bulge diameter in front of the ring is quite a bit smaller, compared to the action diameter, than the issue barrel would have been. Maybe I'm wrong, but my thought is the quality of the work done on that gun doesn't equal the use of a clip on sight.

Greg, your second paragraph is a little wordy, but I think you said what I said. Thanks, I agree.

How about instead of googling Aldoph stocks, I go on gunbroker and look at Mannlicher 1903's and look at the ones with good clear pictures of buttplates, here's
one Mannlicher 1903 #1
here's another
Mannlicher 1903 #2

What I see are buttplates that have more curvature than the one on that 03 Springfield, they have widow's peaks that are not as pronounced and the screws on the heels are much higher up than on that 03 Springfield, also the workmanship seems to be of much higher quality on the buttplates on the Mannlichers.

very clearly not a Steyr buttplate , you can tell by the way it is



linked below you can see another buttplate also not by Steyr
https://jamesdjulia.com/item/lot-1320-rare-as-found-fred-adolph-1903-springfield-sporter-49293/