Let's see your M1903 / M1903A3 Pics!!!

[Longhorn789]

Let's start a REAL old school thread!!

Let's see your 1903s and 1903A3s!!!!

Here's my Rock Island M1903. Clean.....VERY clean....In fact....a little TOO clean, as if a cook in a padded women's shelter had this rifle.

Bore is perfect and the stock is completely devoid of any cartouches whatsoever. I've yet to research as to why that may be......

[rep30cal]

Here is my Smith-Corona, it has a flaming bomb, S-C, 6-43 on the barrel.
It is a re-arsenal according to the marks on the stock.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9492/smicor03a3ul3.th.jpg (http://img401.imageshack.us/my.php?image=smicor03a3ul3.jpg)

[XO3319]

I will post some pics later on my Remington M1903 and my Remington M1903A3

the only cartouches on my my M1903A3 was the serial number on the stock

My M1903 had none at all both of them were WWII dated, 42 and 43

[Phirebug]

i don't have a 1903, or a picture of the rifle in question, but I do have kind of an interesting story that is somewhat related to this. We confiscated a rifle from an insurgent's house a while back, and were absolutely perplexed as to its identity. It was clearly of Mauser lineage, but it had an English style safety, and it had the goofiest looking sights I've ever seen. It a battle sight that flipped up into an elevation-adjustable long sight, plus an additional flip up iron sight on the side that was graduated out to 2400 meters! (optimism is a MF'er) Well, after a little bit of research, it turns out it was a P13, which was developed for the British directly from the 1903 and chambered for .303. It saw limited use as a sniper rifle before it was replaced by the Lee-Enfield. The reason the rear sights are so goofy is because the rear sight hood doubled as a scope mount. It's locked up in the arms room right now, but I'll see if I can get pictures. Just thought it was kind of neat.

[Longhorn789]

i don't have a 1903, or a picture of the rifle in question, but I do have kind of an interesting story that is somewhat related to this. We confiscated a rifle from an insurgent's house a while back, and were absolutely perplexed as to its identity. It was clearly of Mauser lineage, but it had an English style safety, and it had the goofiest looking sights I've ever seen. It a battle sight that flipped up into an elevation-adjustable long sight, plus an additional flip up iron sight on the side that was graduated out to 2400 meters! (optimism is a MF'er) Well, after a little bit of research, it turns out it was a P13, which was developed for the British directly from the 1903 and chambered for .303. It saw limited use as a sniper rifle before it was replaced by the Lee-Enfield. The reason the rear sights are so goofy is because the rear sight hood doubled as a scope mount. It's locked up in the arms room right now, but I'll see if I can get pictures. Just thought it was kind of neat.

I wonder where the dirtbag got .303 in the sandbox?!?!

[wonderwolf]

I have a sweet 1903 I restocked this fall/winter with a boyds "drop in stock"...lets just say I spent a lot of time fitting the stock to the rifle and a lot of time on the phone to the company about their product..:bomb:


But in the end..a hand fitted stock does wonders...this thing is a friggin tack driver..pics when I get on the comp at home. I restocked it with a "C" style stock I believe which is the one with the pistol grip. The barrel is dated pearl harbor and the reciever I think is May of 42 but that might be wrong.

[nijwnfi]

I threw in a Winchester 1917 for good measure.

[turbothis]

here is my 1903 but a different kind. she is perfect other than the sewer pipe. lol

[weasel_master]

I've got a low serial number RIA 1903. Still has the brass cleaning tube in the buttstock and the barrel is dated 1918 I believe. I was told it has a national match bolt in it as well. Bought it from a member here.

[97th Signalman]

Here is my 03A3. It is my best shooting bolt action military rifle...even better than my Swedish Mauser. I think that my 65 year old eyes just do better with the rear aperature sight than with the traditional mauser type sight infront of the receiver. The target in the photo was shot at 100 yards with de-linked surplus Lake City ammo. The 03A3 has a June '43 barrel. The stock has the inspectors cartouche and a very faint ordnance cartouche. Neither are visible in my photos.

[SteelCore]

Izzat tab on the back of the bolt that says "Ready" the safety? That's cool!

"where the dirtbag got .303 in the sandbox"
-->Why from the dealing with the Brits for the lat 150yrs! :)

[Longhorn789]

"where the dirtbag got .303 in the sandbox"
-->Why from the dealing with the Brits for the lat 150yrs! :)

Oh...That's right....Iraq used to be part of the British Empire, right?

[k98k792]

Here is my Smith Corona 03A3. 1+ to what signalman said.Most accurate rifle I own.The peep sight really helps the older eyes (I have two!)

[Schultz]

I'm putting this one back together, Saved it from sporterization.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/SgtShultz/Firearms/proj03-1.jpg
This was my great Uncles, It has a different rear sight that he patented and submitted to the military for testing. Sadly it wasn't accepted but its a cool setup.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/SgtShultz/Firearms/9a-Springfield1903AttleeRifleSight3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/SgtShultz/Firearms/9c-Springfield1903AttleeRifleSight3.jpg

[Woodman in MO]

i don't have a 1903, or a picture of the rifle in question, but I do have kind of an interesting story that is somewhat related to this. We confiscated a rifle from an insurgent's house a while back, and were absolutely perplexed as to its identity. It was clearly of Mauser lineage, but it had an English style safety, and it had the goofiest looking sights I've ever seen. It a battle sight that flipped up into an elevation-adjustable long sight, plus an additional flip up iron sight on the side that was graduated out to 2400 meters! (optimism is a MF'er) Well, after a little bit of research, it turns out it was a P13, which was developed for the British directly from the 1903 and chambered for .303. It saw limited use as a sniper rifle before it was replaced by the Lee-Enfield. The reason the rear sights are so goofy is because the rear sight hood doubled as a scope mount. It's locked up in the arms room right now, but I'll see if I can get pictures. Just thought it was kind of neat.


WHOAAAAAA:clapping:

a P13 was chambered for a .276 Enfield cartridge only. It was slated to replace the No1 rifle, but then WWI broke out and they switched it to 303 and became the P14. And then was somewhat set aside.

I'd be very interested in seeing pics of this rifle.....very interested...

[k98k792]

Damn Woodman, everywhere you post I see Tom Joad.

[Woodman in MO]

I thought that was Henry Fonda...is there a book or sumtin about that movie?

[okie shooter]

I thought that was Henry Fonda...is there a book or sumtin about that movie?

Ironically its almost about a repeat offender, dang it, gets out of Big Mc and goes on the lamb to only do again what got him into the pokie in the first place, but just not drunk when he did this one. Just didnt know he had it in him.

[KnobCreek]

I don't have any 1903/1903A3s.....

[Longhorn789]

I don't have any 1903/1903A3s.....

This will cure what ails ya...

http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/m1903.htm

[97th Signalman]

Izzat tab on the back of the bolt that says "Ready" the safety? That's cool!

"where the dirtbag got .303 in the sandbox"
-->Why from the dealing with the Brits for the lat 150yrs! :)
Yup, that's the safety.

[97th Signalman]

Here is my Smith Corona 03A3. 1+ to what signalman said.Most accurate rifle I own.The peep sight really helps the older eyes (I have two!)
K98, I wish mine had the full grip "C" type stock like yours. That is really cool.

[KnobCreek]

This will cure what ails ya...

http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/m1903.htm

I meant it as a joke....LOL

[wonderwolf]

Pics as promised.

[Seattlefungus]

Here are my two, the AS is outfited with Match Lyman sights

[Norton]

A few of mine Springfield 1903 MK 1 (Peterson device cut out)
Remington 03A3 7/44
Eddystone M 1917
The Big M17 is easiest to shoot rapid fire prone it has great battle sights.
The 03A3 is the best at slow fire for me the fine sights on the 1903 are hard to use on bright days. If I was in the pre WW 2 US Army I guess I could have learned how to shoot that rifle from the pros

[gunluvver]

Here are my two, the AS is outfited with Match Lyman sights
My A3 is a twin to yours! Lyman 48S rear sight, Lyman 17A front hooded sight with interchangable inserts. Mine's a Smith Corona, found at a yard sale in Longview, WA for $150. The stock was cut, so I dropped it into a WWII C stock. Apparently the sight mods may have been done at a unit level for competition shooting, as I've seen pics of several with the same sight setup. No real documentation on this, but it has been mentioned on '03 forums. I also have a 1929 dated 1903 with a 1918 Avis barrel on it. 1929 receivers were made as replacement only receivers, as well as the Avis barrels. It was apparently assembled for WWII as it came in a scant pistol grip stock with a SA-GAW cartouche on it. I put a C stock on it also. I'll get pics up as soon as I take them and figure out how to post them.

[weasel_master]

Here's mine. I picked it up from a fellow board member. It's a 1912 RIA with a 1918 dated barrel. Serial number is too low to shoot which is a shame.

882

883

[Geilt]

Here's mine. I picked it up from a fellow board member. It's a 1912 RIA with a 1918 dated barrel. Serial number is too low to shoot which is a shame.


This isn't the first time I've heard about the low serial numbers not being safe to shoot. What's the story?

[97th Signalman]

This isn't the first time I've heard about the low serial numbers not being safe to shoot. What's the story?

Low serial numbered Springfield 03 rifles (below 800,000 for Springfield Armory and below285,507 for Rock Island Arsenal produced rifles) had unreliable metallurgy as to alloy and heat treating. There were several attempts to correct these issues with double heat treating etc.. In the early 1900's the technology for determining metal temperature and depth of heat treatment was limited to the experienced eye of the technician processing the steel as he watched for just the right color. And back then who even knew how to judge the depth of the hardness by eye? Pyrometers were still in the future.

The issue was not resolved until the specifications were changed to require nickel steel alloys for receivers which is inherently stronger than ordinary carbon steel. There are some pretty convincing photos in William Brophy's book The Springfield 1903 Rifles that show how the Nickel steel receivers could bend without breaking during destructive testing while heat treated carbon steel receivers just fractured during similar tests. Therefore, rifles with low serial numbers are considered untrustworthy for use with the pressures of the .30-06 round.

There are arguments that this was only a problem with the original M1 ball round and that the pressure of the M2 ball is OK or that the double heat treating corrected this, etc. However, today responsible collectors and gunsmiths caution against shooting any of the low serial numbered rifles.

It is intersting to note that the world reknowned 1896 Swedish Mausers never used anything other than nickel steel and when Mauser actually made some of the rifles for the Swedes under contract in German plants it was a requirement of the contract that the rifles had to be made only with Swedish nickel alloy steel.

I have really abreviated the discussion and I am sure that someone will chime in with some details of chronological events and metalurgy that will confuse many.

I will make it simple... As they say, better safe than sorry. Low numbered Springfield 03's are for display only. It's ironic that many of those old low-numbered Springfields are among the best looking. The original fit and finish was superb and they were fired very little if at all.