Plotting future projects can be almost as much fun as actually executing them. I recently acquired a very early M1903 Remington barreled action (not 03A3). Looking at it and then looking at the pile of cast-off pistol grip '03 military stocks I have has me thinking strange thoughts. Initially I thought to reconstruct the gun into pure military guise, but that's been done to death and I for one would know it would be an ersatz putup job every time I looked at it. Then I thought of the works of art created by Tom Shelhamer at Niedner's during the Depression , and the boys at Griffin&Howe at the same time, who worked wonders on Armory-issued M1922, M1, M2, C-Style, and NRA Sporter stocks for less-than-well-heeled sportsmen. Michael Petrov devoted some space in his books on pre-war custom rifles to such low budget rifles - some of them are quite elegant. Such a project would serve the purpose of cleaning up some of the '03 junk I've accumulated (including a new Criterion barrel I ordered while laying in hospital a few weeks ago, bored out of my skull and armed with a smartphone), and provide me with something I realized I don't have: a utilitarian '03 Springfield sporter to take the place of my original NRA Sporter for woods loafing. Let me finish the Winchester High Wall project I'm in the middle of and then on to The Cinderella Springfield project!
