1180

RARE & UNIQUE HEAVY BARREL TARGET RIFLE BASED ON

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,750.00 USD Estimated At:3,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
RARE & UNIQUE HEAVY BARREL TARGET RIFLE BASED ON

THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY OUTDOOR MATCH RIFLE USING THE SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1922 M1 BOLT-ACTION. Cal. 22 LR. S# 11001. Bbl. 30". The success of the Model 1924 International Match Rifles made at Springfield Armory & referenced in the Springfield 1903 Rifles by Lt. Col. William S. Brophy generated a great deal of interest in these long heavy barrel match rifles. Consignor states that the Commandants at Springfield Armory had the authority to allow special order rifles to be made & sold to ordnance officers & other interested parties that wanted a custom made rifle to their own specifications. In some cases these officers actually did some of the work themselves. Springfield Armory personnel were also allowed to do custom work during their off hours at the standard rate of 25 cents per hour; the same price paid by ordnance officers. This would account for rifles not matching those referenced in standard publications. This would account for many variations due to individual preference in custom features. Unfortunately, over the years many of the records (including engineering books) at Springfield were discarded and we may never establish proof of origin for many of these guns. This action was an improved Model 1922 adopted in 1925 & was specifically mfg. for the 22 Long Rifle cartridge. Unmarked 30" bbl. (29-15/16" measured from the breech face) has the same dimensions as the International Match Model 1924. It measures 1-1/4" at receiver ring & measures 9/10" behind front sight band. Bbl. reduced to 3/4" to accommodate solid front band from Browning automatic rifle mounting on a Woodruff key. This was a standard practice used to assemble target rifles at Springfield Armory. Band has 3/8 dovetail to accommodate unmarked globe target sight. Lyman 48 receiver sight w/ early style target knobs. Flip up aperture. Slide is graduated to 125 points. Receiver & bbl. are not drilled & tapped for scope blocks. Bolt handle marked on top w/ partial “U” & “3”. Bolt has electro-penciled S# 6530. Headless cocking piece. Safety has block letters. Unmarked mag. cutoff polished bright. Double pull narrow smooth trigger. Parkerized floorplate marked on inside “C” & “4007”. Rifle bbl. & receiver witness marks are in 9 o’clock position on left side. Bbl. has additional witness mark at approximately 5 o’clock position on right side. Original blue finish has added black finish at trigger guard bow. Walnut target type stock w/ checkered pistol grip. Stock is equipped w/ aluminum hooked non-adj. buttplate mounted w/ a single screw. Butt swivel is standard milled service type. Front swivel installed on 5-1/8" x 3/4" blued steel plate. Swivel has 2 threaded positions approximately 1-1/2" apart. MAGS: 1-5rd. blued steel marked faintly in electro-pencil “6129” on both sides & “M1” on the left side. CONDITION: oil finished stock has nice appearance w/ sm. scattered handling marks. Stock inletting does not appear to be of arsenal quality. Inletting for rear sight has what appears to be bedding compound & additional sm. walnut filler piece. Toe of buttstock has been extended to match buttplate w/ approx. 1-1/4" long walnut filler. Buttplate shows fine sanding marks around edges. Action has been lightly polished w/ areas of thinning, flaking & spots of light oxidation but retains traces of blue finish. Bbl. finish has wear & handling marks w/ notably more blue on the top half of the barrel. Mag. catch does not engage when mag. is inserted into rifle. Bore is shiny w/ sharp rifling, turning dark approx. 1" ahead of the chamber. (22-2294/RW). MODERN. $3,500-5,000.