Remington 1903A3

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Doriangray6

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My 1943 Remington 1903A3 is all original except for the front sight blade.
The original one was bent so I replaced it with a USMC blade from S&S Firearms but kept the original blade and the sight cover.
The USMC blade is taller which drops the zero point a bit but wider so it's easier for my old eyes to use, especially in low light conditions.
The leather sling was on it when I bought it and I found the bayonet and scabbard in a box of old car parts when my brother and I were cleaning out my dad's garage.
It's a really sweet shooter and I'd like to find a Mark 4 Lee-Enfield to keep it company. :)
 

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I'll have to see if those front sights are still available. My one criticism of the 03A3 is that the super thin front sight is easily lost in a cluttered scene with my eyesight.
 
LVSteve said:
I'll have to see if those front sights are still available. My one criticism of the 03A3 is that the super thin front sight is easily lost in a cluttered scene with my eyesight.
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same here....But I had a gold (probably brass) bead soldered to the top edge which helps alot
 
I remember as a small kid going to gun shops and firearms shows with my dad and seeing barrels filled with WWII era milsurp rifles with signs on the barrels saying "Your Choice $50" or even less.
I live and worked in Belgium for several years right after the Berlin Wall came down and could have picked up an AK47 still in the factory packing with 4 magazines for $75 but wisely or foolishly passed on it.
 
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Doriangray6 said:
I remember as a small kid going to gun shops and swap meets with my dad and seeing barrels filled with WWII era milsurp rifles with signs on the barrels saying "Your Choice $50" or even less.
I live and worked in Belgium for several years right after the Berlin Wall came down and could have picked up an AK47 still in the factory packing with 4 magazines for $75 but wisely or foolishly passed on it.
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Rumor was in those days that you went to the old E German border fence and ex-Vopos would take your order and tell you what night to come back. Money and goods were then passed through a small hole cut in the fence...unless the item was large, in which case it was driven through/over the fence.;)
 
I had an O3-A3, that I shot in Long range rifle competition and used to have enough competitions to qualify buying an M1 Garand from the DCM. Shooting prone with the O3-A3 at 200 yards isn't the most pleasant experience. My son's old high school Shooting jacket did help a lot.
 
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H Richard said:
I had an O3-A3, that I shot in Long range rifle competition and used to have enough competitions to qualify buying an M1 Garand from the DCM. Shooting prone with the O3-A3 at 200 yards isn't the most pleasant experience. My son's old high school Shooting jacket did help a lot.
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Several years ago I picked up an old style Marine Corps shooting jacket that I wear whenever I'm shooting the 1903A3 or my 45-70 Uberti 1885 Highwall.
My shoulder still aches a bit after an afternoon at the range but way less than before I got the jacket. :)
 

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Doriangray6 said:
My 1943 Remington 1903A3 is all original except for the front sight blade.
The original one was bent so I replaced it with a USMC blade from S&S Firearms but kept the original blade and the sight cover.
The USMC blade is taller which drops the zero point a bit but wider so it's easier for my old eyes to use, especially in low light conditions.
The leather sling was on it when I bought it and I found the bayonet and scabbard in a box of old car parts when my brother and I were cleaning out my dad's garage.
It's a really sweet shooter and I'd like to find a Mark 4 Lee-Enfield to keep it company. :)
Click to expand...

Very nice.

My 1942 dated Remington M1903 keeps my Lee Enfield No4 MKII company.


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Fired a CMP match back in the day when CMP was an Army Directorate, the DCM, and ammo was $5 for 50 rounds, you get to keep the bandoleers and clips. With an '03, to get my M1 Garand. 6 sighters, 50 record rounds. Wearing a GI field jacket. At the end I was just yanking the trigger through the pain - especially prone - and wishing for it to be over. How those old timers did it I'll never know, the average size of a WW1 soldier was 5' 7" and 150 lbs....now, the M1 when I got it was a lot more pleasant. Esp when I installed a Fulton gas regulator. I later got a Colt HBAR....
 
I was stationed at Ramstein 94-97 and heard the same thing. Stranded Russians selling Makarovs on the street in Berlin for $50. AK's etc. You were wise. All that was needed was one random check of your returning household goods. I used to go to gunshows in Arlon. Belgium, and drool at but pass by the Thompsons, MP-40's, etc, that were intact except for a welded barrel. My biggest regret was a 'free sale' (buy and walk) Gewehr 98, minty, complete with sawback bayonet, for 100 Euro, which I had in my pocket. That I probably could have gotten back, allowances were made for import of a small number of manually-operated long arms without specific authorization. Sigh....
 
They are great rifles and the A3's sights are, as pointed out, more user friendly. The O3's looks are classic and I have fired the one that my Dad bought at Montgomery Wards for $39.95 back in the 60's.

Montgomery Wards ran and add stating that the 03's were "arsenal new" and packed in cosmoline. Dad spent a couple of hours cleaning it and it looked as though it was unissued. I shot it in a vintage rifle match a few years ago and with my hand loads, I scratched out second place.

The interesting thing about the 03 is the inspector stamp from the Ogden, UT arsenal. See if you recognize the inspector.
 

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