Q&A on Firearms: Sourcing Components for a Smith-Corona Typewriter
In the midst of a celebratory event for the birth of his first child, a gentleman made an unusual trade – an old Ford pickup for a unique rifle. The rifle, which has been kept by the speaker to this day, is a Model 1903A3 manufactured by L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriter Co., but its exact identity remains a mystery.
The rifle, which is believed to be of a shipboard-type due to its shortened barrel, was not originally intended for such use. Contrary to popular belief, the military did not modify or cut down rifles for shipboard use. Instead, it is believed that the rifle was sporterized after it left government service.
The rifle was sold as surplus by the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, and many thousands of M1903A3 rifles were sold in the 1950s and 1960s for hunting and sporting purposes. This particular rifle, however, has undergone a more extensive modification. It is a Swedish Mauser Model M96 from 1921, caliber 6.5x55, converted to a single loader by an older modification using a wooden block in the magazine well, with the feeder and spring no longer present.
The rifle, which is a sporterized version, is unlike many of the surplus M1903A3 rifles that were also modified for hunting and sporting purposes. Its history cannot be traced, but the speaker has conducted limited research on its identity.
If you have any information that could help identify this unique rifle, please get in touch. The speaker is eager to find out more about this intriguing piece of history.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
