Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 03 Springfield info

Educate me.




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I see a late WWI high number Springfield in a later type C stock which could stand some TLC. Looks like a beaver chewed on the bolt handle. Is the rest of the stock intact? How's the bore? Good bones there at any rate!

For the life of me I can't figure out what that contrivance is perched on the front of the receiver ring.

Also just noticed that the bolt is a WWII 03A3 one. You can tell by the uncontoured square safety lug.

A few more after initial tear down












-Jake

That's a scope base that didn't require drilling.

Bolt handle was chewed on to make it clear the scope I believe.

Better picture in the most recent post. I pulled the scope and base off already.. thankfully the receiver wasn't drilled. But I can't figure out how to get that ring off yet......

-Jake

The stock is in great shape.

Not original though I'm guessing?




Dad holding it

Serial number chart I found dated it to 1918.
Is this safe with modern '06 loads?

-Jake

Yes safe, if headspace is ok. Non original bolt, so it's worth checking that. Revised stock ID: it's not a C stock, it's what's called a "scant grip stock". WWII era workaround when they had tons of straight grip stock blanks and elected to run them through the C stock pantographs rather than not use them at all.

Still a cool rifle. Shoot the hell out of it (if bore is up to snuff).

One of us will smack some doe with it at least next year hopefully.

Pretty neat old rifle. Got it all cleaned up and back together

-Jake

There is a lot of potential in that rifle. It looks like you rescued it just in the nick of time. I wonder how many years that thing has sat in somebody's closet ?

kwg

I'm hoping it'll shoot. Barrel looks good. I think it will.

I'll give it a try tomorrow. Not planning on changing anything with it. Just hunting it occasionally and pulling out for fun.

We were buying a mig welder and some tools off a guy.

Asked if he had any guns. He came out with that and said he'd give it to us for what he had in it. Said he'd never even shot it but I didn't think to ask what year he got it. I thought I knew what it was but all the numbers were covered by the scope base. So I was hoping I was right.

All in I have $200 in that rifle, maybe $250.

Hard to break it up as I bought allot of stuff for a lump price.


Missed out on a four wheeler and zero turn I was hoping was still there though. Marlin 39 there too but it was already sold.

-Jake

Shooting high.

Am I missing something on adjusting these sights?

Grr. Got about twenty rds through it.

About every three shots or so it loses the bottom metal.

Shoots a good group. But about 10" high at 100.

Was able to reliably hit the 8" gong by holding half a gong low. Certainly can kill deer with it. But would like to get it actually sighted in at 100.

And have to figure out that bottom metal.

-Jake

It was pretty gunked up in that latch. I'll shoot it again tomorrow and see if it holds.

-Jake

Have you tried flipping the sight up and use the receiver sight. Should be an aperture below the battle sight

If you are using the battle sight you will find it shoots rather high at 100 yards as it is set for a 500-550 yard zero if I remember correctly. This is with a 150 gr bullet at 2700-2800 fps if I believe. With modern ammo it might be a little different as the 150 gr bullets generally travel a bit faster.

One could substitute a taller front sight to bring the point of aim closer to center on the target. I eventually did this with my 1917 though the ladder sight adjusted down enough to put POA about 3" high at 100 yards. I also found factory Reminton 220 gr round nose bullets to print similarly with the original battle sight.

Flip the sight ladder up and use the aperture on the slide, set at 200 yards, and go from there.

You called it gunked up, I'd bet that is GI cosmoline. What say Gnoahhh?..mb