Let's see some M1903's

Faulkner · Jun 18, 2014

I love the way a Springfield M1903 handles. I pulled my Remington manufactured model 1903 (modified) produced in 1942 out of the vault for a range session this weekend. I've taken a couple of whitetails with it in the past, may have to take it to camp again this fall.

Here's a picture of mine as it came out of the box from Dean's Gun Restoration (who I highly recommend).

brucev · Jun 18, 2014

You have a beautiful Springfield! The 03 and later 03-A3 are superlative rifles. It is now almost 11 p.m., much to late to try to do pictures, etc. Tomorrow I will have my wife help me make some pictures. Hopefully they can be put up by tomorrow evening. Hopefully others will put up pictures of their 03 and 03-A3 rifles. Sincerely. brucev.

Cyrano · Jun 19, 2014

Here are mine:
1. A 1922 vintage double heat treat M 1903. Very slick action. Unfortunatly shot with corrosive and not cleaned so the bore isn't perfect.
2. M2 Springfield 22. I shot one like it on an ROTC rifle team in the early 1950s. This one came out of a Navy surplus sale in the 1960s (for $25; eat your heart out); it's stamped M1922M1, but has all the M2 features. I guesss the Navy wasn't very particular about the accurate marking on their small arms.
3. 03-A3 Smith Corona. Ogden rebuild with Remington barrel and bolt.
4. My 03-A4gery. Not a very good replica, but with a Weaver K 12 instead of the just-post-war Weaver Model 29S Special scope it will shoot into 1 1/2 inches, 10 rounds at 100 yds. 2 groove barrel.

Cyrano · Jun 19, 2014

03-A3s will shoot!! We had an Explorer Scout Post devoted to marksmanship, and those kids could really shoot. It's very embarassing to get down on the 600 yd line, and on the next point there's a 15 year old girl, not much taller than her rifle, and she completely wipes your eye at that range. I know one of his shooters got a rifle scholarship to some college in Tennessee. He majored in engineering, and now he's in a very technical job at White Sands Missile Range.

At one point they had a bunch of 03-A3s and the post leader decided to improve them. He had a friend who was a gunsmith. He got a box of 03-A3 barrels from DCM (I think there were 25 barrels in the box) and he and the gunsmith spent some time on the range and in the shop. They'd put on a barrel, check it for headspace, and take it out to shoot and record the results. They got the best six barrels for their six team rifles, and those kids were dangerous with those rifles during a match. That was 20 years ago, and I don't know what happened to those rifles; they sure were accurate, despite the two grooves.

HOUSTON RICK · Jun 19, 2014

To me the 1903 is a very aesthetic and "spiritual" rifle, perhaps because my grandfather and so many others carried one in the "Great War", WWII, Korea and early Vietnam. It the top on my list of historical weapons to acquire. You cannot post too many pictures of 1903's. Thank you for posting. Rick

BearBio · Jun 19, 2014

My FAUX 1903 A-4, with S & W 1917 and Colt 1917.

brucev · Jun 19, 2014

HOUSTON RICK said:
To me the 1903 is a very aesthetic and "spiritual" rifle, perhaps because my grandfather and so many others carried one in the "Great War", WWII, Korea and early Vietnam. It the top on my list of historical weapons to acquire. You cannot post too many pictures of 1903's. Thank you for posting. Rick

Re: The 1903 being a "spiritual" rifle. Agree. Don't know exactly how to explain it. I've owned at least fifty rifles over the last thirty years. The ones that have really "spoke" to me were the 03's... and the 03-A3's. The very first rifle I ever got my hands on was a 03-A3. Two-groove barrels... four-groove barrels, some WWI era, one a 1921 museum quality rifle and many WWII rebuilds... I have loved them all.

While in Boy Scouts, I started developing an interest in deer hunting. My Scout Master encouraged me not to get anything less than a Springfield rifle. I saw my first real Springfield when I was a new student in seminary (1979). It was for sale at a LGS. I asked to hold it and was told, "He... no! You couldn't afford the d... thing anyway!" The only reason I didn't educate that man about language in front of my wife was b/c I was committed to Christ Jesus. Otherwise I'd have given him an afternoon class in PR. Other LGS's in the area were more customer friendly. So began my experience with 1903 and 1903-A3 rifles. Now it is many years down the road, and they still speak to me. Just a few moments ago I put back in the rack my 03-A4orgery... which is as close as I will ever get to a WWII sniper rifle. Wonderful rifle!

gregintenn · Jun 19, 2014

Circa 1918. I wish it could talk.

Faulkner · Jun 19, 2014

Here is a picture of my collection of Colt model 1903's . . .

reddogge · Jun 19, 2014

My only example, a WW2 Remington.

sigp220.45 · Jun 19, 2014

I had a CMP 03 with a scant stock, but those tiny sights beat me every time so I wound up trading it off, no doubt for something far less cool.

I have this one now - acquired the hard way when my Pops went into the nursing home. Its an 03A3 of course, but the sights are much more user friendly to my 55 year old eyes.

This other one shouldn't count, but its cool anyway. I have no idea how old it is, what it is, or what its original purpose was. Maybe its just a cool toy:

Its pretty damn close to right dimensions of an 03, though. If anyone knows anything about these, I'd love to hear it. Its been around the house since I was little kid, and nobody seems to know where it came from:

reddogge · Jun 19, 2014

You bet. It's a Paris-Dunn training rifle. Here is the story. They are very collectable by the way.

Mc Pheeters Antique Militaria

LTC · Jun 19, 2014

Lets see if I can find my Spring field photos.

Anybody else having Photo Bucket problems?

LTC

Stephanie B · Jun 19, 2014

Faulkner said:
I pulled my Remington manufactured model 1903 (modified) produced in 1942 out of the vault

I also have a Remington M1903 that dates from 1942, except that it has the "scant"-style stock.

Cyrano · Jun 19, 2014

reddogge said:
You bet. It's a Paris-Dunn training rifle. Here is the story. They are very collectable by the way.

Mc Pheeters Antique Militaria

I had one when I was a kid, 1944-5.

reddogge · Jun 19, 2014

I had one too but another brand. Sold it several years ago.

Texas Star · Jun 20, 2014

Those Parris rifles were also made in smaller sizes as toys.

jdlii · Jun 20, 2014

My Dad was combat wounded WWII veteran, served in the Pacific (32nd Inf. Div) and never lost his enthusiasm for collecting firearms. He purchased "our" 1903 Springfied from Montgomery Wards in downtown Jackson, TN in 1963 or 1964. He had seen an ad in the local news paper ("The Jackson Sun") stating that a shipment of surplus 1903 Springfield rifles, in there original packing crates, had been received, were in "unissued condition" and were $39.95 each, "your choice".

I remember when he brought it home and cleaned the cosmoline (an unsually light coating) off if the rifle. We shot it the next weekend and he had to hold it for me while I pulled the trigger.

This rifle has a serial number in the 1.4 million range, a barrel date of 10-32, an inspector stamp of "OGEK" (in the box) and "RA" on the left side of the butt stock. Dad maintained that it was new and unissued but, we all know, from the stamp, that it was reworked at the Ogden Arsenal and the stamp is, of course, that of Elmer Keith.

A few years ago, a shooting companion and I, took our surplus rifles out to our local high power rifle range and set up on the 200 yard line. I goal was to try and shoot up a can of G.I. ball ammo. The ammo was primarily Twin City 56' from the Korean War ("Police Action") era and Lake City 67'.

All shooting was done wearing our high power jackets, using slings and from the sitting and prone positions. I remember that it was about 90 degrees and I had brought my "pop up" shade tent.

The 03' held the 10 ring during rapid fire sitting, with a couple of X's. Prone was, as you might have guessed, a different story and the rifle held the 10 and X rings without any problem.

I have attached some photographs and one includes a 16" bayonet marked, appropriately, "S.A. 1915". The scabbard is a WWII replacement and the sling is not original but, this rifle is one that I will not part with, on purpose, during my lifetime. I have turned down several offers and came close to an offer of a trade for an IHC Garand with the "gap" but, the 03' stayed in my hands.

lawandorder · Jun 20, 2014

Here is mine, now if I could just remember .........

..............where I stuck that Pedersen thingy that goes with it.

I wish.

Cyrano · Jun 21, 2014

jdlii: That serial number puts it in the production range of the nickle steel receivers, probably the strongest receivers ever made for the Springfield. I don't hae a chart of SNs and date of manufacture, but there's a good chance your rifle has it's original barrel, and the only thing that was upgraded at Ogden was the stock.

Let's see some M1903's

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