Item Description
Original Items: Only Ones Available. An excellent textbook example of the Weaver 330 with “click” adjustments, as used on early versions of the WWII U.S. M-1903A4 Sniper Rifle, complete with correct military electropenciled markings, and Korean War Era Canvas Scope Case. This is possibly one of the absolute nicest examples we have ever seen, with absolutely perfect optics! This is an excellent opportunity to obtain a rare U.S. Military-Used Weaver 330 to complete a 03A4 build!
23,000 M-1903A4 Sniper Rifles were manufactured for the U.S. Military during the Second World War. The U.S. Military was slow to adopt snipers in the years before WWII. The U.S. Military not only did not have trained snipers, There was also a lack of sniper training and even doctrine. In addition, there was also not an official sniper rifle, other than the WWI vintage M-1903s fitted with Warner & Swasey Optics. The U.S. Military needed to catch up, and their weapon of choice was mostly out of necessity; the 03A4. The 03A4 was essentially an M1-1903A3 (a wartime economy simplified M-1903) fitted with a simple 2.5 power scope and mount.
The scope offered here is in excellent condition, and has crystal-clear, like new optics. The scope is fitted with a simple cross hair. All adjustment knobs work as they should. The original blued finish is nice and rich, with only one expected handling wear on the highpoints and edges as expected. The electropenciled markings are a telltale sign that this was a Weaver 330 which was pressed into military service, and not just a commercial scope!
Electropenciled under the date plate to the right is the following:
The Canvas Carrying Case is in excellent condition, almost unissued, showing only some corrosion to the snap and the M-1910 hook on the reverse. The front is nicely marked “Case, Carrying/M65”, while the reverse is marked “MRT/ August 1951”. These cases were intended for the M84 scope during the Korean War, but were also used for the Weaver M73B1 as well.
Initially, the Ordnance Department selected the Weaver Model 330 for the rifle. Later, this commercial scope was designated the M-73B1. Early military issue Weaver 330 scopes, such as this one, had a U.S. military assigned serial number electro penciled on the side of the scope.
Although the plan was to use the Lyman “Alaskan” scope on these rifles, these scopes were not available, so the main scope for these sniper rifles was the Weaver M73B1, which was a military version of the Weaver 330 scope which was only 2-3/4 power. Weaver also made the 330 SCOPE M.8 for the military according to what the Weaver Company told sniper researcher Peter R. Senich.
The military preferred the Weaver scopes with the “click” drum knobs rather than the truncated cone “silent” screwdriver adjusted model. The reasons is apparently that a sniper could change the dials in low light by feel and hearing, even if he could not see the dial clearly. You will see collectors refer to the 330S and 330C models but they were not so marked. Most collectors and reference books insist that the U.S. military only used the click models. It is known that at the beginning a few hundred Weaver 330 civilian scopes were put on the first M1903A4 rifles. These had “SERIAL NO. ##### electric pencilled onto the right side by the U.S. Army.
Some of these M1903A4 rifles were fitted with other scopes such as the M81, M81 and M84 after WWII. These rifles continued to be used in the Korean War and into the early years of the Vietnam War. By 1945 the M1903A4 (Sniper’s) was being issued to both U.S. Army and U.S.M.C. troops.
23,000 M-1903A4 Sniper Rifles were manufactured for the U.S. Military during the Second World War. The U.S. Military was slow to adopt snipers in the years before WWII. The U.S. Military not only did not have trained snipers, There was also a lack of sniper training and even doctrine. In addition, there was also not an official sniper rifle, other than the WWI vintage M-1903s fitted with Warner & Swasey Optics. The U.S. Military needed to catch up, and their weapon of choice was mostly out of necessity; the 03A4. The 03A4 was essentially an M1-1903A3 (a wartime economy simplified M-1903) fitted with a simple 2.5 power scope and mount.
The scope offered here is in excellent condition, and has crystal-clear, like new optics. The scope is fitted with a simple cross hair. All adjustment knobs work as they should. The original blued finish is nice and rich, with only one expected handling wear on the highpoints and edges as expected. The electropenciled markings are a telltale sign that this was a Weaver 330 which was pressed into military service, and not just a commercial scope!
Electropenciled under the date plate to the right is the following:
“TELESCOPE M73B1
SERIAL No.11305”
The Canvas Carrying Case is in excellent condition, almost unissued, showing only some corrosion to the snap and the M-1910 hook on the reverse. The front is nicely marked “Case, Carrying/M65”, while the reverse is marked “MRT/ August 1951”. These cases were intended for the M84 scope during the Korean War, but were also used for the Weaver M73B1 as well.
Initially, the Ordnance Department selected the Weaver Model 330 for the rifle. Later, this commercial scope was designated the M-73B1. Early military issue Weaver 330 scopes, such as this one, had a U.S. military assigned serial number electro penciled on the side of the scope.
Although the plan was to use the Lyman “Alaskan” scope on these rifles, these scopes were not available, so the main scope for these sniper rifles was the Weaver M73B1, which was a military version of the Weaver 330 scope which was only 2-3/4 power. Weaver also made the 330 SCOPE M.8 for the military according to what the Weaver Company told sniper researcher Peter R. Senich.
The military preferred the Weaver scopes with the “click” drum knobs rather than the truncated cone “silent” screwdriver adjusted model. The reasons is apparently that a sniper could change the dials in low light by feel and hearing, even if he could not see the dial clearly. You will see collectors refer to the 330S and 330C models but they were not so marked. Most collectors and reference books insist that the U.S. military only used the click models. It is known that at the beginning a few hundred Weaver 330 civilian scopes were put on the first M1903A4 rifles. These had “SERIAL NO. ##### electric pencilled onto the right side by the U.S. Army.
Some of these M1903A4 rifles were fitted with other scopes such as the M81, M81 and M84 after WWII. These rifles continued to be used in the Korean War and into the early years of the Vietnam War. By 1945 the M1903A4 (Sniper’s) was being issued to both U.S. Army and U.S.M.C. troops.
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