SA NRA Sporter style rifles

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Looking for things to do this week, I have been cleaning guns. I found these in the back of the safe, part of the remains of my 1903 Springfield collection. And yesterday was probably the last day the range was open so I thought I would give them some exercise.

On top is a Model 1922 Ml1 from the "B" serial number range. It is a 22 LR and rebuilt at SA in 1941 or 1942. I know the history of the rifle, so it is one of my favorites. And it shoots pretty well at 100 yards with good ammo.

In the middle is a late NRA Sporter, 30/06, that has an unlisted serial number. That means it was either a USCG purchased rifle, Denver PD purchased rifle or a trophy/prize rifle. Springfield Research Service, Frank Mallory, had the complete list of all other NRA Sporters, but now that the research records are owned by Krause Publishing, they may or may not be available.

The bottom one is a project I bought just a few years ago. It is a very early rifle with headless cocking piece and reversed safe of the mid 1920's National Matches. The handle was bent down, drilled for top mounts and given to a rancher's grandkids. Along with it came cases of corrosive primed ammo. The front half of the barrel was worse than a sewer pipe. The guy I bought it from had tried to "fire lap" it with valve grinding paste, about 200 shots. Just in from of the chamber, an 32 Special bullet would go in almost a half inch. I had JES rebore and it has a three groove barrel that just loves 300 grain cast bullets.

rifles no flash.JPG
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Oh, sorry. Yes! 35 Whelen it is. When I took the barrel out and sent it to Jess, I told him what had happen and he thanked me. Had to drill the first step from the muzzle end because the back was not only over size but crooked. Even with the 1 in 16 twist you can shoot the heavies sub-sonic. I have never tried a top load, as it kicks more than I want from the bench. Probably not much big game hunting left in my life time. Ric
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Jes does a good job. We have a bunch of his rebores. A 375 Whelen 03A3 is right up there with a 405JES and a 414Supermag each in a Marlin 336.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Some years back I stopped shooting heavy thumpers on a bench and use cross sticks. In a sitting up profile y bony little 147 pounds an reoil with the worse they dish out. Maybe not the absolute accuracy but no more multi-colored right shoulder and a much happier trigger time.
 
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StrawHat

Well-Known Member
I like your M1922I1. I have a M1922 with a barrel date 7/22, if my memory is correct. Serial number 130. One small change to it since it left the Armory, it has been converted to 22 Hornet. A good shooter with jackets bullets. I have not found a decent cast load for it.

Kevin
 

Matt

Active Member
Ric,

Nice collection. Weather a little further East was pretty good yesterday so I got my Springfield M2 (converted from an M1 at some point but not rebarreled which seems unusual, has a’27 barrel date) and my early Winchester 52 out of the vault and shot a couple hundred rounds each. From the bench they’ll still stay in the 10 ring of a100 yard small bore target. Not so sure I could do that probe with a sling anymore..........BE12C168-FA81-4DB7-AA3C-4F0C540CEAD1.jpegBE12C168-FA81-4DB7-AA3C-4F0C540CEAD1.jpeg
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
The 1922 was made in 1927 and was marked "Ml" and bought by The Dallas Rifle and Pistol Club in Oregon. In 1941 the AAC built a training field there and trained flight crews. The R&P club sent all their M1922's back for rebuild to Springfield Armory. That one was updated to M2 configuration, stock refinished and a new 1937 barrel installed. The markings added were a "1" to make "Ml1" and a "B" added to the serial number. So it was used as a training/recreational rifle at the club for the soldiers. In the 1980's the club sold all of their old 22's and bought new rifles for their junior program. This one had a fair amount of cosmetic wear and none of the members wanted it, so I bought it.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
I have long thought the NRA Sporter was top of the "cool American rifle" list. Never having seen one for sale, when I had the price, I decided to make myself one. The notion started when my parts box yielded a long slide Lyman 48 sight and a good milled 03 trigger guard and floor plate. Looking at them I said to myself "why not". It took a while to accumulate all the parts, when found, the project began. I "outsourced" the barrel installation and metal bluing, but did all the rest myself. The barrel was a 4 groove SC, I picked up years ago and was still in the wrap and full of grease. I bedded the metal to the wood and it produced repeatable 1.5 mOA 10 shot groups with milspec loaded match ammo. I then glassed the action and chamber section of the barrel and dropped the accuracy to 1.25 MOA. I am pleased with the finished rifle and it shoots as good as it looks.NRA Sporter.jpg
 
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RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
And you got a prettier piece of wood than SA used! The selected the heaviest straight grain blanks, Brophy stated.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Something about those long old scopes speaks to me. Maybe because I don't have any.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
And you got a prettier piece of wood than SA used! The selected the heaviest straight grain blanks, Brophy stated.

There was a company called Great American Gunstocks who made stocks for the Springfield M2 rifle. The only difference between the M2 and the NRA Sporter was the NRA Sporter did not have the finger grooves in the forend, These folks made M2 stocks and agreed to make me one without finger grooves. I sent them $300.00 and told them to get me the best wood I could get for the price, with good fiddleback grain in the butt.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
Absolutely beautiful. Where do you get the barrel band? They are scarce as hen's teeth.

The NRA Sporter and M2 use the same barrel band as well as butt plate. A guy on some gun board (I disremember which) sold me the band which was a reshaped Model 1917 band for use on the Springfield T target rifles. It still have the eagle head on it. I then was able to purchase a M2 band, but having no need for it I passed it on to a guy who did. Gun Parts Corp had the butt plate.
 

quicksylver

Well-Known Member
absolutely beautiful!!! Now not to be a know it all... the m1 and m2 stocks are different one will take a regular 1903 /1903A3 butt plate the other requires a special plate ( same as the NRA Sporter the NRA Sporter stock even more so, it takes the cast aluminum butt plate,has recoil bolts installed and has the mag shut off lever recess milled into the stock ( good jobs for Ben got one of the non finger groove stocks and complete set of hardware if some one is interested in making a Sporter,BTW they are all interchangeable drop in's