2439

*EXTRAORDINARILY RARE SPRINGFIELD ARSENAL TOOL ROOM HEAVY TARGET RIFLE BUILT FOR WORLD FAMOUS TARGET

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:4,000.00 USD Estimated At:8,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD
*EXTRAORDINARILY RARE SPRINGFIELD ARSENAL TOOL ROOM HEAVY TARGET RIFLE BUILT FOR WORLD FAMOUS TARGET
SN 1254449. Cal. 30-06. Special heavy tool room made International Match style rifle with 30" tapered heavy rnd bbl that has an integral raised front sight base with dovetail containing a Lyman globe sight. Bbl is unmarked on the top but is hand stamped on bottom under forestock "J77 / OB / 3324-13". Bbl is fitted with two machined collars that are possibly integral with the bbl that have integral scope bases containing a Fecker telescope target sight. Receiver is a standard Springfield 1903 action mounted with a Lyman 48S sight and has a polished bright bolt body & handle. It has standard shroud with headless striker. Receiver & trigger guard are mounted with a Woody dbl set trigger. Left side of trigger and outside bottom rear of trigger guard are stamped "67". Trigger guard & floorplate are standard issue Springfield 1903 machined steel with the cartridge box having a steel plate screwed into left side onto which is mounted a fixed follower that has been machined flat, effectively creating a sgl shot rifle. Front tang of trigger guard is hand scratched, probably with a knife point, "4 + 1/16 / ABOVE / NEAR / 0" and trigger bow has two small holes. Mounted in a Springfield Armory-made half-stock similar to the later sporter model with grasping groove forestock and capped pistol grip with a custom grip filler on front edge. Buttplate is checkered, lightly curved steel with a reversible toe hook mounted under the toe. Accompanied by a Springfield Research Service letter and copy of the Springfield Armory record which identifies this rifle as having been sold April 9, 1923 to Capt. E.C. Crossman, Los Angeles, CA. The body of the letter states that the records indicate "that Capt. Crossman was a famous authority on the Springfield rifle, who had excellent connections at Springfield Armory and was able to get special work done there." Note: Another of Capt. Crossman's Match rifles, a caliber 22, is being sold elsewhere in this auction. It should be noted that Capt. E.C. Crossman was an internationally famous target shooter and one of the more knowledgeable individuals as regards Springfield rifles. He and Col. William S. Brophy were close personal friends as was Capt. Crossman's son, Col. Edward B. Crossman. Capt. Crossman is pictured on p. 139 and p. 507 of The Springfield 1903 Rifles, Brophy. Accompanying this lot is a copy of a letter from Col. E.B. Crossman to Mr. Brophy regarding these two rifles wherein Col. Crossman states that in 1947 he consigned a number of his father's rifles to two different dealers for disposition and has no recollection of what he may have consigned to which dealer and has no recollection of these two pieces. PROVENANCE: Bob Rosenthal Collection; Capt. E.C. Crossman; Richard C. Ware Collection; Richard Ellis Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl retains 96-97% strong glossy orig arsenal blue with minor handling & storage marks. Receiver retains most of its orig armory finish, slightly thinned on receiver ring. Trigger guard retains about 85% glossy orig blue turning slightly plum on trigger bow. Floorplate is a dull blue. Buttplate retains 75-80% orig blue. Stock has a small chip by the toe hook recess, otherwise is sound with normal handling & use nicks & scratches and retains virtually all of its orig armory oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, strong bright bore slightly dark in the grooves. Optics are fine. 4-39222