What is the history and value of a US Springfield Armory Model 1903 Mark 1 serial number 1046000?

Answer 1

This is a version of the Model 1903 produced from 1918 to around 1921. It was designed to accept the a .30 caliber conversion unit called the Pederson Device, which consisted of a replacement bolt and a large capacity box magazine. The slot milled into the left side of the receiver is the ejection port utilized by the Pederson conversion. The Device was ill-fated and was scrapped by the government in 1931. Most of the Springfield Mark 1's were updated in the early years of WW2, 1941-43, for use in the training of new recruits. The Pederson Device is now nearly impossible to find, however, it is rarely encountered in the $30,000 range. Ammunition for the device is rare and often unsafe to fire. The 1903 Mark 1 rifles are also uncommon with only about 102,000 manufactured. Guns with original parts are more valueable than the WW2 rearsenaled examples. Several of these guns were imported by Century Arms, and these are identifiable by a stamp usually located near the front sight on the barrel. Depending on condition and configuration the value could be anywhere in the $600 to $2200 range. Import marked models deduct about 5%.