Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Springfield 03 Sporter Action

Ok i have 4 Springfield 03 action that have been sporterized rebarreled etc. I have one that has an odd characteristic, when it fires a live round or when it is fired using a dummy round the handle is very stiff to lift, this occurs only after firing, it can't be pressure cause the dummy round is not live just a casing with rubber where the primer is, anyone seen this before? heavy spring tension?

It's a cock on opening action, does it feel the same if you pull the trigger on an empty chamber and then open the bolt?

exactly the same empty or not, never had be this stiff to open

Was the bolt handle altered? If so. The cocking cam could have softened

I have to defer to z1r concerning things "gunsmith", but I'm lazy and seek the easiest solutions first. I assume simple dryfire works fine. My first question, a "low number", with 'other' considerations arising. Next inquiry reflecting borrowing one of your other '03 or '03A3 striker assemblies & try in dryfire context. More realistically "if to headspace", reproduce with test fire. If yet symptomatic, I'd look at the trigger particularly 'if' aftermarket" where some Bubba might have messed with a striker interface. Perhaps yet a trigger swap test. If same result, I'd begin to suspect bolt lug camming surface to receiver mating engagement perhaps. Grasping at straws, checking for receiver assembly area to stock inletting interface. I've had more than once "bedding materials" impingement causing obtuse problems. Bubba with 80+ years to do his work, duly noted!

All else fails, resort to beer and blame the gun! I really do like the Springfield '03 high number genre actions, but ultimately a reason to admire the Cock on Closing actions! Simplicity and largely precluding such issues arising!
Good luck & just my take.
Best!
John

Sounds like you have a bind between the bolt shroud and the firing pin assembly, or the firing pin assembly isn't compressing like it should on opening.

I'd pull the firing pin assembly from the bolt, and try it in one of your other bolt shrouds with the dry fire.

If it's not binding when you dry fire, you probably have an out of spec (or bubba) bolt body to replace, or possible old preservative in the bolt body that needs removed.

If it's binding - you should see the metal to metal wear pretty easily on the bolt body, or on the firing pin assembly - if its internal to the bolt body.

The only other thing I've seen was a out of spec (or bubba) firing that was too long - and sticking in the bolt face, making it stiff to open.

I think a little more info is needed. "Low number" '03? "High number"? Nickel steel '03? Wartime 03A3? Altered bolt handle? Early or late or wartime bolt sleeve/striker assembly? Depending on which it is will have a bearing on the suggestions I'll make:

My guess is it could be someone installed an aftermarket heavy duty mainspring in it. Numrich sold a conversion kit long ago that was mostly just a really heavy duty spring, which the dubs bought into as a fix for the Springfield "slow lock time". Could be one of those or something like it. The advice telling you to swap a known striker assembly from another gun is the first step I'd follow - that'll tell the tale. If the issue persists, then swap in a different bolt too. An altered bolt may well have been heated to a fare-thee-well with resultant softening of the cocking cam surface on it.

If it still persists then closely examine the cocking cam surface on the rear face of the receiver bridge for softness and/or galling. If it's been sporterized to include sight or scope holes it's very possible that Bubba put the torch to it to anneal the steel so as to be able to drill the holes - and without a heat sink to preserve the hard cocking cam surface it too will become soft and will gall in no time. (Actually, on second thought, this would be the first thing I'd investigate.)

Edit: if softening of the cam surface via overheating turns out to be the culprit, I would be highly suspicious (read- a little scared) that Old Buddy Bubba did the same thing to the receiver ring in order to drill the front scope mount holes. That could easily lead to way more serious issues than hard bolt lift.....

High number, bolt bent, timney trigger and buehler safety installed by others. No sign of metal rub that I can visually see. Might of got of got a new spring, owner and gunsmith that did this work are long since exited. Buehler is on the replacement list at some point, it will be a swing at some point.

I've run into this phenomena when installing an aftermarket trigger (like a Timney) in a Springfield. Either an adjustment issue or the cocking piece requires some modification. I would check the mainspring first, though.

Thanks all for the advice, when the new safety get installed i will make sure the smith takes that in and tries to solve the riddle. It's a shooter so I have to keep in now LOL I have a few hundred rounds coming for it after we did some load testing, so now when the safeties are available it will get the finished, my need to find a synthetic stock to lighten it up a bit, had one never was gonna need it and sold it LOL

I've always admired the 1903 rifle. Kind of a big brother to my m1917's that I love. One of my good buddies grew up using a 1903 30-06, while I have had a m1917 since I was 12. My friend has had his 03 for 50 years now and that damn thing still cloverleafs his groups more times than not. Hopefully the op can get his rifle up and running right. This thread reminds me that i was offered a 1903 recently for $300.00. It is very nicely sporterized, but has bueler bases that are adjustable because the old Stith Kollmorgen scope doesn't have any adjustment. The rifle is nice looking, but I hesitate because I don't know anything about the 1903. Besides what I've heard about the low serial number specimens that were not heat treated properly. I've eyeballed some nice 1903's that were chambered in 308 Norma and almost bought those a couple times. I may go back to the gunshop soon and take another look at that 1903.

BSA, if it has a serial number above 815,000 it'll be perfectly safe with any reasonable load you stick in it. (Given that headspace is up to snuff, the same consideration applying to any old rifle.) A $300 Springfield would hop off the rack into my arms if it had any redeeming qualities whatsoever. If it's a high number gun, it's worth that for the action alone. If it turned out to be an 03A3 I would think twice though, unless it was expertly massaged. Wartime 03A3's were rough cobbers requiring intensive handwork to make into slick sporters. (Many corners were cut in their manufacturing - mainly in time spent finishing them. There was a war on, after all.)

Must be why I have a doz or so and never paid 300 for any of them. The more customized they are the less competition from the guys who buy them to put back in original form to sell for big bucks. Any 03 or 03A3 around here that is restorable goes in nano seconds. I like the ones that still have all 24" of barrel and been drilled and tapped for a Redfield jr. 1 piece base and really deluxe if they have had the bolt handle altered for scope use. You know all the expensive work. Original finish ? not a problem to me parkerizing is still some of the toughest out there. 03A3 stamped bottom metal? Goes at the next show replaced with a 03 bottom metal and milled follower. Yeah I've actually have some with less money in them than you fork over for a savage axis used. Leave one for the next guy? Fug that. You might say I'm a fan of the 03 and 03A3 rifles. Good anywhere for anything with shells over the counter. Mb

Does it have the original firing pin spring? There are aftermarket springs that vary from a little stiffer to a lot of extra pressure.

Thanks guys. Not to muddy this thread, but I think I'll look at it again and maybe take some pictures. Thanks..

I do not know if the firing spring is original, it was too a 308 Norma Mag. when I original purchased it, there was two of them I bought at the same time both need some work, this one in particular had real feeding issues when it was rebarreled the feeding issue went away and it feeds as designed, the other was a newer production, incredibly smooth polished bolt but the barrel was short chambered, when I tried to chamber a round it was a not go by far, having too many 308 norma already I figured the second was a perfect candidate for JES rebore, the cost of dealing with the short chamber was a complete offset to having a 358 Norma, as always JES never disappoints and is a complete death wish to anything down range.

I too have read all the 03 information about the early rifles, nothing I have is even close to being early production, all of them I have fired fair amount, always watch for chamber pressure signs, take a peek at the brass, not that i am a expert but also have checked the headspace just cause I was conscious of what others have said and heard about things setting back, but nothing is out of line for the ones I own. I am really confident for practical hunting situation and not running thousands of rounds thru them the 03's I have function safely, maybe not with the caliber they were originally designed for but LOL

Wow! You sure get a lot of info packed into just one sentence!!

Well 'Cap'n'! Something of "smoking gun" additional 'nest of facts' introduced speaking of the chain of alterations for .308 Norma rechambering! Standard '06 to Short Mag mods required and what 'other dimensions' of customization possibly associated. As "work in progress"... To me "Parts gun" pricing with unknowns pending.

A big GOOD LUCK and best wishes for Patient's speedy recovery!
Best!
John

I think this "patient" only need a bit of cosemetic surgery work, after shooting both at the range they shoot where aimed so that is a good start.

The rifle rebored to 358 norma feeds perfect, the other is rechambered to a shorter cartridge so there is no issue on the magazine length.

Good luck with your Springfield, have about seven that have served me well