My '03-A3 from the OGCA show. **UPDATE w/targets**

[45Wheelgun]

Picked up something I wasn't looking for this weekend at the OGCA show. This pretty little Remington, Springfield M1903-A3.

I know that the purists will find this rifle blasphemous, but I didn't do the conversion, I just bought it from the guy who did.

The gentlemen who sold it to me told me he bought the rifle for $25 surplus, 40 or 50 years ago.











This gun was restocked, bedded, re-crowned with a target crown, drilled and tapped with Weaver mounts and a Redfield 3x9 scope, barrel and receiver polished and blued, bolt and magazine follower jeweled and a beefy trigger shoe to top it off. Lots of effort to make it into what it is today. So while some may be offended that this gun is no longer original, I think it is a very cool peek into the past. I think it screams 1950's...like fins on a Cadillac. Everything appears to be period correct. (except for the Harris bipod I added for the pictures.)

[sigp220.45]

I LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Converting and "sporterizing" milsurps was once very fashionable. That one shows a high degree of craftsmanship.

[Joni_Lynn]

It's pretty nice, congrats.

[reddogge]

Very nice job and makes an excellent deer rifle. The diamond thing was popular back then.

[MR .44 Spl]

I usually fall into the category of people who would call that "blasphemous". But in this case I'll make an exception. That's a very nice looking rifle, and I would be proud to own it. That is a far cry from the usual hack jobs I see.

[michaelknifenut]

Very good looking gun,nice find,great looking wood on it...Mike

[Jebus35745]

Very nice, good catch. Wish the OGCA would find a northern site. I would re-join. Larry

[dant]

I liked it when I saw it in person, now the proof in the pudding will be just "HOW" good it shoots........nice one

[Big Rich]

Fine looking rifle. Congratulations.

I am afraid I am not a purist. I don't even have any safe queens. A gun was made to be shot, and it should be, else how can it fulfill it's purpose?
The fella that sporterized that rifle put alot of his time and energy, as well as a bit of his soul into it. Let her roar.

[Iggy]

That's purty.

Someone did a very nice job.

[Bassamatic]

I've got a sporterized 03-A3 myself, but not nearly as nice as yours. I like your engraved floor plate and the trigger shoe is a nice touch.

Here's mine:

[45Wheelgun]

Originally posted by BLACKHAWKNJ:
Converting and "sporterizing" milsurps was once very fashionable. That one shows a high degree of craftsmanship.

Thanks everyone, I am really loving it myself.

Interestingly, the entire stock is bedded not just the receiver. I have not seen that before. I am assuming that must of been the way it was done at one time.

The best part was we came to an agreement on the price that made us both happy...$350. About the going rate for a Model 10 nowadays.

Here is a better picture of the floor plate and the trigger shoe:

[all5x]

Now I would have been proud to carry that instead of the regular 03-A3 in Navy Boot Camp..might have even tried to bring it home in my new seabag..what a great piece of history tastefully done to personal taste..lucky find..all5x

[$2Ray]

Very nice.....one of the best looking conversions I've seen in awhile. Congrats on a nice find!

[2152hq]

Nice looking rifle,,and you sure can't beat the caliber.
Full length bedding of the action and the barrel was the accepted way of building a rifle stock up till about the early 60's when the 'free floated barrel' style started to become popular.
The purists dismissed it as an excuse for poor workmanship and a shortcut in the inletting process. In most cases, accuracy was increased if unequal bedding pressure was at fault in a full length job. Take your pick,,but the close wood to metal fit is always the classic style.

That bottom metal looks to be aluminum and if it is an I recall correctly they were available as a complete unit with the hinged engraved floor plate back in the 50's and 60's (maybe even still are!).
Places like Federal Firearms, Brownells, etc sold alot of them for 03's and Mausers especially.

They did a real nice job on the bolt handle conversion. That Redfield variable is a fine 'scope on it too.
At $350 for the entire outfit, a good portion of that is the value of the 'scope alone.

Is that the mlitary trigger, or did they put an aftermarket commercial adj unit in there?

[boneman]

I have one that was made in 1932 has the C pistol stock and is orginal. At 200yds which is the farthest I've been able to shoot it (couldn't see any further if I had a longer range to shoot it at)it is very accurate and fun to shoot. Congrat's on a very fine looking rifle. Thanks Larry

[45Wheelgun]

Originally posted by 2152hq:

That bottom metal looks to be aluminum and if it is an I recall correctly they were available as a complete unit with the hinged engraved floor plate back in the 50's and 60's (maybe even still are!).
Places like Federal Firearms, Brownells, etc sold alot of them for 03's and Mausers especially.

That explains a lot. I knew it wasn't hand engraved as there are casting marks on the inside, but I couldn't figure out how it was attached. Integrated in the trigger guard answers the question.

Originally posted by 2152hq:
They did a real nice job on the bolt handle conversion.

Is that the military trigger, or did they put an aftermarket commercial adj unit in there?

The bolt has a number 3 stamped in the top. Did they bend the handle or was it replaced?

The trigger is original, all parts stamped with an "R". Interestingly the lower part of the receiver has the original parkerization. I'm not sure why they didn't blue the entire thing. I would have thought they would have dipped the entire part.

I see I can still get adjustable aftermarket triggers. What is the general opinion of them? Is there a preferred model?

Thanks,
Dave

[Gary]

I like it. They did an excellent job on the conversion. It will be interesting to see how it shoots. I never understood the purists attitude about sporterized guns. After WWII there were literally tons of surplus Springfields and Mausers for sale dirt cheap. The gun makers hadn't tooled up to make commercial rifles yet. That created a market and a lot of interesting rifles were built. Some were junk. Some were works of art.

[Ron86]

Yeah, I can remember British 303 for $9.95, Russian 7.62 for $9.95 and the 03-A3's where $19.95, I bought the Russian 7.62, the 03's where new.

[2152hq]

I'd guess from the pics that they welded a new bolt handle on. The old one is cut off of the bolt body but you leave the square stub root of the original bolt handle ajacent to the bolt body attached. Then the new handle is welded to that old stub/root.
The bolt handle looks like a commercial replacement style that was/is available for conversions in a Win M70 style.
Doing the welding and the fitting is not an easy job. More often than not, the joint where the weld is done shows pits and inclusions in the weld. Overheating will make the cocking cam surface soft and the will 'gall' with use quickly. Who ever did the job certainly knew what they were doing.

[45Wheelgun]

Took her to the range today. It certainly shoots better then I do. These were 2 four shot groups and 1 five shot group at 50 yards. The large target was 7 shots as we zeroed in the scope.

I am sure someone with more skill then I could have done better. It is going to make a great hunting rifle. I can't wait for the season to roll around.

[Bassamatic]

Nuthin' wrong with that shooting. It's a deer in the locker.

Next time you have her apart, post a pic of the glass bedding. I'm going to have to redo mine, shoots like **** and I know it ain't me.

[45Wheelgun]

Found the micrometer. Largest group was 1.8", the smallest .6, now all I need is to work up a load. Those were done shooting 150g federals. My understanding is that these were made to use 165g bullets.

Anyone have a load they prefer for the 03A3?