1903A3 Remington

[richcory]

Added this 1903M3 to the family. Haven't shot it yet, but I will. Found the cleaning kit in the butt stock & it had some oil in it too. Seems like a nice one, with what I'm thinking it’s the original barrel. I don't have my book handy but memory says its an April of 1943 receiver.

Cory

 

[richcory]

Some additional photos.

Cory

 

[richcory]

Cleaning kit

Cory

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I have its twin, and a couple of cousins, in the gun safe. Excellent rifles by any standard, even though produced during war time with multiple cost saving measures applied.

Don't assume that the rifle has been properly taken care of or stored well over the past 70-plus years. I recommend a thorough disassembly and cleaning of every operating part before taking the rifle to the range. Many of these rifles spent decades with reserve, national guard, or VFW-American Legion posts as drill rifles or ceremonial rifles, fired repeatedly with blanks (black powder loads), and a good cleaning and examination should be the first step.

Assuming no problems noted, enjoy the old rifle!

 

[Valmet]

Congrats OP- take that thing out to the range and dial it in.

 

[Culina]

Very nice, it looks like it went through an arsenal at least once. The stock still has some visible cartouches though.

 

[Dump1567]

Looks like a nice one. Enjoy.

 

[Patrick L]

Positively love my 03s. I have two; a straight 1903 that I left "as issued" and an 03A3 that I turned into a match rifle. Retro fitted all 03 milled parts, including trigger guard with opening magazine floorplate, a reproduction type C stock, and Lyman receiver and globe sight. Shot NRA Highpower with it for almost 20 years.

Both of my 03s have been fed cast lead bullets exclusively for all the time I've owned them. Never gonna wear out a barrel shooting those!

Here are some pics of my Match 03A3

Here's 20 rounds prone slowfire on an MR31 target at 100 yards. My cast bullet loads. Darn flier!!!

 

[Targets Guy]

Verah nice. Mine is a 1921.

 

[richcory]

I think I’ll add a military leather sling to it. Just seems like the right thing to do.

Cory

 

[Scharfschuetzer]

Lucky you!

They are very fun rifles to collect and to shoot. I think that there are five of 'em hanging around in my safe and they do get shot from time to time.

My ersatz match 03 (just like Patrick L's above) is not in this photo, but the rest are. The bottom one, despite what looks like a cut down stock, is an "as issued" .22RF M2. It gets shot the most.

As noted above, 03s are great cast bullet rifles too. I generally shoot the Lyman 311284 and 311334 designs in mine.

 

[Rayfan87]

I've been thinking about adding an '03 to the collection. Maybe Saturday.

 

[cmansguns]

Boy.......that is a sweet one and from my standpoint it sure looks totally righteous! Looks like the R stamps are all in the right spots, front sight hood you have (usually missing), type 8 stock.

Pics below are of my 03-A3 sold several years ago, and according to markings and Joe Poyers book (4th Edition) was all correct. Mine was February 1943, and was an estate purchase with an original sling, Military M-1907, Marked G&K 1918, further marked W.T.& B. Co. So the sling was a 1918 by Graton & Knight, leather by Westboro Trunk & Bag Co.

Further research showed that the US government in early 1943 was in such a bind for arms for the troops that unissued stock from government stores was sent to Remington for immediate issue to the troops. The brass fittings on the sling had been chemically blackened by G&K before government storage.

The sling I have is basically still "unissued" in that the leather is very supple, no cracks.

Funny thing.........when I listed the 03A3 for sale, the sling was attached, but when a Buyer came around and made a full price offer, he did not want the sling at all! He was not a collector, just a 30-06 hunter/shooter and wanted another one for his kid, cause he had two, one for himself, and the wife.

So..........it sits in the holster/sling stash.

I'm not into 03-A3's anymore so if you are interested...PM me.

 

[75Vette]

And another nice one added to the collection. You musta got a really good bonus this year!! Congrats buddy.

 

[Muley Gil]

My drill rifle when I was a Marine midshipman was a 1903A3, built by Remington in 7/43. They were demilled by grinding off the tip of the firing pin. The front sight blade was also removed. A few years later, they were further demilled by having a steel rod welded inside of the barrel.

Later on, I bought an '03A3. It was also a Remington with a 2 groove barrel stamped 8/43. I installed a scope mount that replaced the magazine cut-off. I fired a number of 100 yard groups that measured 5/8"-3/4", using .307 diameter bullets that I had for loading the .30-30. I don't why those rounds shot so well, but they did. Unfortunately, that rifle got sold.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I have always wanted a 1903, but always change my mind and buy something else at the last minute. For one thing, I probably would like it too much to shoot it.

 

[Frank46]

Bubba rescue. Found a lonely 1903A3 that bubba got to. Found a hew A3 barrel still in the wrap and a 4 groove one at that. Took everything down to bare metal,including the milled 1903 magazine/trigger guard. Then spent about two months filing out the machining marks on the barrel.And some more time polishing everything for a blue job. Left the barrel at 24" has a steel Lyman 57 rear sight and a redfield banded frontsight. The fajen stock was refinished and somewhere I have a "C" stock that I will most likely stick the barreled action in after some glass bedding has been done. And have a High Standard barrel waiting in the wings in case I manage to shoot the old one out.Frank

 

[Bakebfr480]

Very nice.........you can't go wrong with an 03/a3!

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Great score. I had a very nice '03 (not A3) years ago with the scant grip stock. I let my shrewd old next-door neighbor guncrank trade me out of it. That was 30+ years ago and I'm sure he's long gone. I wonder what happened to my 03...

 

[Dump1567]

I had two up until I recently sold one to a local shop.

The bottom one I picked-up for $425 about 1 1/2 years ago (that's the one I just sold). The top one was a sporterized rescue I have about $350 in. Basically needed new wood.

Everyone should have one in there WWII collection.