doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com 1903 Springfield Customized in England,

Trying to start the new forum off with a bang! This rifle was made for a man in Canada shortly after WWI. Sadly the records were lost at Gibbs during WWII. I’ll post more pictures tomorrow of this rifle

Just beautiful! Mr Gibbs sure could make a rifle. I love '03 Springfield customs and that one rocks.

It's tomorrow someplace,

I've never seen a British customized '03. It's stunning. It's a wonderful, almost amusing, mix of American and British sensibilities. The cheekpiece is almost American in the way it's shaped, with a very British profile to the shadow line. It's a British pancake that wants people to think Griffin and Howe made it.

And they couldn't leave it all in one piece, could they? Had to make it a take down! (A full length case is a hassle while motoring or on the train, after all.) Best of all is the flip up night sight for...what...perhaps wild boar or bears up close? And I like the little diamond peeking out on the forestock. It looks really great with that blued bolt - sometimes it's nice not to see jewelling.

Express sights and a Lyman 48, both. Just in case.

I haven't seen other Gibbs bolt rifles of that period, but I'm curious if that's their standard shape of front sight with barrel band...it looks exactly like most of the American sights of the period, whereas most of the British sights I'm used to looking at have an entirely different shape, no matter who made them.

What a splendid rifle. Thanks, Mike.

Is that actually considered a takedown rifle or is the rifle just disassembled (as normally done by the action screws) for the shorter case? As Ryan says, the short case would make for greater convenience for sure especially in long distance travel. A great looking rifle! Not often you see oak leaf engraving on a US Springfield 03 done up in England. Just what the Canadian customer wanted no doubt.
I did note that the little 4 legged guy on the grip cap trap door would be considered up-side down to most. But I doubt many here would be complaining if the whole package came into their possession!
Thanks to Mike & everyone for posting these fine pictures and notes.

Ryan, Good to see you here and hope you will stick around and contribute to the forum.

This is a "Golden Rule" rifle, the man with the gold made the rules. There are a lot of non-typical Gibbs things about the rifle like the wood. Even though Gibbs had engravers I believe that this rifle was sent to Germany-Austria for the engraving. Every and I mean every detail of this rifle was looked after, the action was polished until all the tool marks were removed, the trigger is just outstanding. Even the sling swivel screw is a perfect fit. If ever there was a commission where the customer said "Money is no Object" this is it.

Kutter:

You are right this is not a true take-down but case for the rifle when apart.

Beautiful wood on that rifle. But what caliber is it? Maybe I missed that...

Sorry, I'm bad about not listing the caliber, it's a 30-06 built on a NRA sales rifle which were made from 1909-1917.

You're quite right - it's not a take down. Bad choice of words. I also think it's interesting that there are some modern semi-custom makers that do just the same thing today, with pre-fitted cases and included turnscrews for proper tensioning. And it makes all the sense in the world.

Ryan,

The rifle came with two turnscrews that looked like they belonged in a tool box on a tractor so I made one that I felt was more fitting for the case. The case also has a Westley Richards oil bottle and I've been looking for a Gibbs one but all I can find are the new modern ones.