Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 03A3 Smith-Corona

Just picked up a really nice, supposed to be originally from CMP, parkerized Smith-Corona 03A3 that I got off Gunbroker. The barrel marking is Oct. 1943. The bore is bright with sharp four groove rifling. The straight grain walnut stock is the non pistol grip model with hardly a mark on it. It's stamped OG so I believe it's safe to say it's an Ogden Arsenal replacement.

This is the third O3A3 I've owned. I paid $40 for the first one in 1970, like new that still had cosmoline on it. They cost a lot more now. I probably paid too much for this one but I saw several that had considerably higher starting prices that didn't look any better if as good as this one does.

I've owned a couple of the older 03 Springfields; blued, no stamped parts with the cool rear sight and finger groove stock. No question, up close, they're a better looking rifle IMO but the 03A3 receiver mounted "peep" sight make is a lot easier for me and probably a lot of shooters to hit what we're shooting at.

Springfields are classic.

You never pay too much. Just sometimes you might buy a bit too early....especially with them.

Good score.

The next time you're vexed by the '03 sights, simply open up the peep hole in the rear sight a bit to be able to see through it better, and swap out the front sight blade for a .1" wide "Marine Corps" sight blade. Makes a world of difference. Don't worry about "originality" by doing so, it's probably already had most of its parts replaced along the line anyway. (Or use replacement sight parts and save the originals for posterity.)

Congrats on the new baby! My DCM 03A3 through American Rifleman ad in late '60, "Sevicable" as $20. + few bucks for Railway Express shipping. Came from Redstone Arsenal! Long gone... Sadly! I have another small gunshop find a couple of decades ago & even then maybe $400! but decent rearsenal most probably. Interesting green tinge to park finish but entire gun such and for what it is, about minty!
Those simple receiver sights sooooo much better than the '03 ladder. Damn!
Best!
John

I have an 03A3 chambered in a 7mm Mauser. That is my "go to " hunting rifle. Just the sound of cycling the bolt open and closed gives me a hard on

Wish I'd thought of the sight modification you described back when I had an older 03. I'd probably still have it. Don't think I can afford/justify buying a good one at today's prices.

I have a couple "sporterized" 03's, one is a lightweight build with a synthetic stock and light contour .30-06 barrel. The most interesting one I have picked up is a Sedgley 03 in .257 Roberts...

That gives a whole new meaning to the word hoplophile.

Same AR purchase thru DCM my dad made in 1960, but he picked up a Smith Corona and a Remington. He sporterized the SC for HIS hunting rifle and left the Remington in the Cosmoline wax wrapper!!!

My Old Man bought his A3 through the DCM in the early 60's concurrently with his buddy who did the same. Both with the intention of "sporterizing" them. Dad's A3 was a Remington which immediately got the Fajen stock treatment, his buddy received an absolutely mint 03A4 sniper rifle, complete with scope rings. Complete luck of the draw. Kenny was cock-a-hoop because that meant he didn't have to have the bolt handle bent or drill and tap it for scope mounting before giving it the Fajen stock treatment....

I just sold my stock 03-A4 with scope for over $5000

Party at Mickey's house! I'll bring the champagne!

Trying to make up for everything lost in stock market

Hey G! Noting your dad's DCM contemporary purchase! Did the simply stock hack prevalent at the time for cheap utility guns pending time/funds for proper sporterization. Yet over decade later out the door as same 'hack', part of traumatic gun sell off to fund grad school! / The NRA Rifleman ad to which I responded were stritly for the basic A3 genre no A4 stuff. Surprised that DCM ever offered such a grab bag purchase deal!
Thanks for the response!
Best & Happy holidays all!
John

03 and 03A3 are guns that allways work. All mine are bubbaed sporters. In my A3 collection I have 30-06, 308 Norma mag, 300 win mag, 30-06 Ackley imp, and a 30 wild cat that makes the 30 Gibbs look mild. Even one in 22-250. I like springfields.mb

Recently. Acquired a O3A3, or so I am told, scope mount covers the serial number. The gentleman that passed it along to me bought it in the 50s and had it sporterized, wearing a Leupold scope and the stock has been replaced, bolt reshaped to clear the scope.

Said he did most of his hunting with this rifle, still chambered in 0-6 and I am looking forward to shooting it my self.

It shows some honest wear, just the way I like em.

Bolt has a lot of drag compared to the two commercial FNs I have. Just cant be 1/2 assed when it comes time to chamber a round i guess.

I have an 03A3 by Remington with a 4 groove barrel stamped 1943. Dunno what the history on it is as it was a gun show find. Doesn't appear to have seen much duty anywhere and I doubt it ever saw combat. I bought it and a badly bubbaed 1917 Eddystone Enfield mainly to shoot cast bullets. The Enfield has a two groove barrel FWIW. Well, it was quite cheap. Due to circumstances beyond my control I haven't had a chance to do much shooting with either rifles. I will say they seem to like a 220 gr. cast bullet, the Lyman #311284. Now only if I get to where I can shoot iron sights. (Receiver type)
PJ

03A3 has been a helluva donor action for me, several in the safe. Really make a fine 308 or 358 norma gun, even some newer calibers seem to work just fine in them.

Gnoahhh - The Marine Corp sight upgrades makes a world of difference helping my old eyes.
I modified my 03 C stocked rebarreled in 43 which shoots better than I can.

My straight stocked all original 03 is as issued unmodified and was at Pearl Harbor on December 7th.

My first CF rifle was an 03-A3 Remington when I was 16. I hate to say it had been "Bubba" sporterized because it was a really nice job. The barrel had been cut and crowned at 19" and a ramped gold bead front sight properly soldered on. The stock had been reworked in a very craftsmanlike manner to a Mannlicher style with a steel forend cap. The barrel and action was very neatly, full-length glass bedded. It had the original sight in the back, and was still parkerized finish. The 4-groove bore was bright and shiny. I loved that rifle. My friend, who handloaded with his father, provided me 130 grain hollowpoints loaded over 49 grains of Hi-Vel Number 2. They blew woodchucks to smitherines. I had been in the lgs in Ogdensburg, NY on a Friday night while my mother was grocery shopping (she'd drop me and, usually, one of my friends, off to hang out there while she did the weekly grocery run to the "big city.") A guy came in with it wanting to trade it on a Sheridan 5mm pellet rifle. The Sheridan, at that time, was $27.50. Don, the proprietor, gave the guy the Sheridan and $10.00 boot for the Springfield. When the guy left, I asked, Don, "What are you going to get for that?" Without hesitation, he said, "Just what I've got in it, $37.50" I asked, "Will you hold it for me while I get some money together?" He put it up on the rack with a "Sold" tag on it. I went in to visit it once in a while over the two or three months it took me to pay it off. The fall before I went in the Navy, I let a guy borrow to deer hunt with. I never saw it again. Lesson learned. I will say that he ended up paying for it, more than I had in it, but I sure wish I had it back.

The lgs owner was a gentleman by the name of Donald Awan. My brother just texted me his obituary this Saturday past. He died at 93. He was one hell of a good man. I'm sure our Campfire friends DannyL (of maple syrup fame) and Mart (now of Washington and Alaska) know who I'm talking about.

"at Pearl Harbor on December 7th". Congrats on a great find. There's a cool factor that's about as good as it gets.

So what is the highest chamber pressure caliber has anyone seen used in a 03-A3? I know there is alot of guys in here that have been at this sporterizing longer than me.

Smith-Corona was the last 03a3 I added to my collection of M1903 rifles. For some reason, I was always in the right place at the wrong time until one day, in a local gunshop, I found a real nice one and just happened to have a trade I wanted to get rid of. A deal was made and I finally had my SC!

Been shooting the Smith Corona for about eight months now and like it a lot. I've probably put more rounds through it than whoever it was issued to ever did.

So far it likes 48 gr of 4064 with some bulk 150 gr FMJs from Serbia I bought a long time back. It's comfortable to shoot at an extended range session with a "Past" recoil pad. According to the Lyman manual that load's just under 2700 fps. Could maybe get a little more accuracy with a hotter load but this one's pretty good.

I've owned and shot more than my share of bolt action rifles but I believe this one has the smoothest action of any I recall. It feels about the same cycling it empty or chambering a cartridge. The only negative is the thin front sight blade. I put some white paint on it but some days it's still hard to pick up. It's my understanding they make thicker ones and I might give that a try.

Excellent! You might try the Marine Corps blade front sight. It's 1/10" wide. Repros pop up now and again, or simply make one. Another alternative is a blade with a bead on it. They were made by Lyman in the past and turn up on eBay now and again.

I have an '03A3 Remington, undistinguished as re-arsenaled, but for a distinctly greenish finish! An OK rifle but I like the '03 better for the all milled parts. Of course the 'penalty' in the aft barrel sight requiring far better eyes than mine. I also have a Smith Corona sporter where somebody dropped a lot of dough, all for largely naught. The blue job displays the heavy handed over polishing, the modified bolt handle is ugly and the irony of the receiver tapped only for a Lyman 48 sight which, pristine, is the crown jewel and reason I bought it. It wears a Bishop sporting stock which misses the "well crafted mark" aesthetically with very nice milled steel '03 bottom metal. A Jaeger adjustable The Lyman sight alone was worth most of what I paid for, to me, a upper class "truck gun".
To me, the push-pull of the high number 'A3 and the '03 variation is all a matter of the trade between superior aft sight versus superior bottom metal. For me the issue solved in sheer luck of finding a genuine Springfield NRA Sporter, minty as all original for $250 over three decades ago & a keeper for sure!
Just my such Springfield experience/acquisition story.
Best!
John

My SC 03-A3 has Two-groove rifling.

OEM.




GR

My SC 03-A3 has Two-groove rifling.

OEM.




GR[/quote

One of my A3s came from the CMP with a rough, two groove and the first time I looked down that two groove bore I felt like I was cross eyed. It didn’t shoot worth a rip so I kept my eyes open for a new barrel on Gbroker and finally found a new “in the wrap” four groove with the same date as the original. It was completely full of cosmoline and it all came out as a two foot, brown noodle the first time I pushed a patch through it. 😊

I had the CMP Custom Shop swap the barrel and it shoots well. I just wish I had my 20 year old eyes again so I could really see what it could do.

Thanks to gnoahhh & moose 95 for info re the wider USMC front sight. Should make it a lot easier lot easier for me to get a more distinct sight picture.

Got it online from 1903partshop, Kevin Blackhurst, "All Types of Parts Military US Foreign or Commercial". He also sells on ebay. The 1903partshop had 1903, 03A3, 30 Carbine & Garand Parts. Good communication as I had some questions re installation specs. He answered my call immediately and took as much time as needed to answer my questions.

Great info! Thanks. My 03-A3 is a Remington. It's in great condition and is awfully fun to shoot:


Regards, Guy