| kuduae |
| (.400 member) |
| 31/01/18 08:16 PM |
Re: Unusual British Retailed 1903
|
Quote:
Given the low three digit serial number, do you think that MS had a serial number range for the Greek contract guns and another serial number sequence for the rifles that they sold outside of the contract?
I don't think so. My own G.Gibbs M-Sch on a M1903 military production action is dated "Steyr 1905" and is Steyr serial number 10156. IMHO the Steyr factory marked their military rifles with the year of production with a reason. Apparently they identified the Austrian made military rifles similar to the contemporary German military system: Factory, here Steyr or Budapest, - year – number, each new year starting with 1 again.This system would date your action to early 1906.
BTW, Steyr numbered their pre-WW2 commercial Mannlicher-Schoenauer "models" = chamberings in separate series, all starting with number one. So there are M03 (6.5x54), M05 (9x56), M08 (8x56), M11 (9.5x57), M24 (.30-06) and M25s (8x60, 7x64, .30-06 and so on) all with the same low serial numbers. My M24 is number 299.