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Isn't that a M1903A3 rifle?

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by Riter, Sep 6, 2020.

  1. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    Position of the bayonet lug and barrel band as well as the sling. Very American to my eyes.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  2. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    Contrast that to a M91/30. Sling mounted on side of stock. Cleaning rod near the muzzle and socket type bayonet that slips over the muzzle:
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

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    Yes, that is an M1903 pattern rifle and M1907 pattern sling. The stamped trigger guard implies M1903A3 but there is insufficient information in the photo to identify it.
     
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  4. CAC

    CAC Ace of Spades

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    OH...I see the rifle now...
     
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  5. ColHessler

    ColHessler Member

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    Now that you mention it, there is a rifle in the picture.

    I wonder how you say "hubba hubba" in Russian.
     
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  6. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    The woman is actress Kyra Petroskaya. She was a lieutenant in a theatre group entertaining the troops. Pre-war she earned several shooting awards in high school including an inter-city championship. She received a few days of snping instruction before killing one German. Tthe Germans retaliated by shelling their position, fatally injuring her instructor and wounding her. Post-war she married the American ambassador, migrated to Estados Unidos. I think the photos are publicity photos for her and hence the Ameircan rifle. Like the Civil War images of soldiers loaded down with bowie knives, pistols, and a rifle. Most of the time it was from the photographer's prop dept. Bet nobody noticed or cared back then about whether she had M1903A3 or a M91/30.

    Note she should have several medals which she is not wearing in those photos.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2020
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  7. belasar

    belasar Court Jester

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    Hey you guys, I'm the Court Jester here, your stealing my thunder!

    I swear I get no respect, no respect at all! :D
     
  8. ColHessler

    ColHessler Member

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    OK Rodney.
     
  9. ColHessler

    ColHessler Member

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    Kyra Petrovskaya Wayne - Wikipedia
     
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  10. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

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    To hazard a guess: those photos were taken in the United States post-1945 and a Springfield M1903 pattern rifle was used because a Soviet rifle was unobtanium.
     
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  11. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    The photo of her standing was used on the cover of her 1959 autobiography, so that dates it somewhat.
     
  12. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Considering the year was it published in the US? Just curious.
     
  13. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Was it that attacking Red Army infantry every other had a rifle the other one not. Or just movie fiction??
     
  14. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    1959 by Prentice Hall.

    She had moved to the US with her first husband, an American, in 1946.
     
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  15. R Leonard

    R Leonard Member

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    Should have asked my grandfather, he had a M/N Mod 1938 carbine in his closet that one of my uncles brought back from his 1944-45 tour of Europe. Legend had it only cost a couple of cartons of cigarettes.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2020
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  16. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    In the Soviet film, Sniper, the Rooskies were armed with Canadian Ross Rifles and Aldis scopes. Why? Film was made before the Soviets produced their own scopes. The director probably couldn't get any other scoped rifles and didn't have prop-guns made.
     
  17. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    I think Clifford Shore (With British Snipers to the Reich) came across a resistance fighter armed with an M91/30. It could shoot. Shore wanted to buy it but the fighter would not part with it.

    That rifle Kyra is holding has a Lyman Alaskan scope. It was supposed to be the scope for the M1903A4 but Lyman could not provide enough of them so the Weaver 330 was adapted as the M73B1. The M73B1 one of the worst scope fielded by any major power during the war.
     
  18. karenzoall

    karenzoall New Member

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    It would be time for them to change guns. Everything is already being modernized, and other countries are changing them. These days I remember one of the first rifles of the century that used gas piston operation. It's gorgeous. The lens to photograph looks so accurate. I'd love to have one, haha. Why wouldn't Pakistanis use such guns? Moreover, it is easy to find qualitative scopes for this type of gun - Ruger Ar-556 on ballachy.com. We are already waiting for the information about the fact that the Pakistanis will change their weapons.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2021
  19. green slime

    green slime Member

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    Movie Fiction.
     
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  20. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    Got permission to reproduce a photo of her (that has a better view of the rifle showing the Weaver 330 scope).
     

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