Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 1903-A3

Doing some scouting and grabbed a rifle in case a coyote came by. Smith Corona, and those brown blobs in the back are deer.

Great pic.

Just need more "Great Pixs' and bit of specs. Serial range, bore condition how it shoots, any out of the ordinary pluses or 'other'. Same kind of stuff you'd likely want to know when somebody puts up a "teaser" shot like the above!

Tentative 'congrats' on what might be a very nice rifle... or not!
Best!
John

Love the 03A3's. Great picture. What load did you have in it?

Great rifle for coyotes, deer or combat! Thanks for sharing.

I'm kinda fond of the Springfield myself:

I have 2. A Remington is sighted in with 150 gr Speer HotCors with a hot load I use in another 06 I have. The Smith-Corona is loaded with some 155 gr cast loads. Very easy shooting, looking forward to trying it on some game.

Pushing the "like" button now!

Looks like mine. 😊

I envy those pristine 03's and 03A3's around here they start at 850 and go up. I have more than a few bubba'ed sporters of both. You know you can allways count on them to get the job done. The bubbas represent a time in American history that simply showcased American ingenuity and ability to fill their needs..mb

We all have to start somewhere. Once I watched my BIL cut down and basically Bubba an all original Lee Enfield Mk III 303 British

Very nice, looks a lot like mine too, Smith Corona, straight grip stock, condition etc.but that stock's got a little more figure in the walnut than mine.

I like the finger groove stock and forged bottom metal of the 03 but these look good to me as well and I shoot them better, receiver sights make a difference. War time production or not, Remington or Smith Corona, 4 groove or two groove, these are good quality rifles. The action on mine is at least as smooth or better than any bolt action rifle, including some expensive ones, that I've ever cycled or shot.

Speak for your self I have never taken a pristine 03 or 03A3 and bubba'ed it. But I've bought a lot of ones allready bubba'ed and kept them shooting..mb

Perhaps just the pix angles, but neither of the A3 models pictured 'appear' to have the latter era curved bolt handle configurations proper for the A3 genre.
Hopefully, just the view impression afforded!

Good Luck!
John

I bought a M1903 Springfield made in 1918 that was in a very odd target stock from Herters. I reshaped it into something I consider beautiful. One of last winter's projects.

AS one of us o so modern gen x kids, I grab an M1 for the same task. 8 instead of 5, y'know.

So how good a groups can your m-1 shoot? I like m-1's too but your comparing apples to oranges.

Always kinda wanted one of those. Maybe when I get old…….

Can't tell in the OP's pic, but the second pic does indeed look like a straight pre-WWI single heat treat bolt handle. Probably just the camera angle, I hope.

I developed a love for Springfields while still a teenager, back in the Pleistocene Age. The oldtimers whose words I hung on disdained the 03A3 for its crudity compared to the pre-war Springfield/Rock Island variety. Everyone agreed that the best use for one of those $20-through-the-NRA 03A3's was to sporterize it to the extent that one could. I guess that has tempered my view of the beasties since then. I never owned one, except my Dad's which he had promptly sporterized when it came in the mail circa 1963.

Even though I'm in the paring down phase of life now, and my interests have shifted in other directions, my ears still perk up and I get twinkly-eyed when I hear mention of a M1903/M1903A1 or any of the other pre-war variants but not so much for an 03A3. Just me, don't be offended! Accuracy and functionality is all that really matters in any rifle, granted, but for me I have to add aesthetics and historical provenance to the mix. (After all, the Marines didn't use 03A3's at Belleau Wood, Wake Island, or Guadalcanal - they used '03's, and disdained acceptance of A3's when they appeared. But of course by then they were itching for M1's like everybody else.)

Both the 03-A3 and the Garand are more accurate than the reputation they have received. I have killed everything from gophers to elk with them and they perform above their reputation.

My 1903-A3 is a special gun I found at Shedhorn Sports years ago for only $500.00. It was inspected at the Ogden Armory by Elmer Kieth...

Oh yes they did, just watch "The Pacific".

All joking aside, that series is more accurate than the typical Hollywood stuff.

You bet. I'm watching it again for about the 4th time. Can't wait for the last in the series due out in a couple months - the one about the 8th Air Force in Europe. Hope it's as well done as "The Pacific".

I really can't fault Hollywood prop men for mistakes like that. At least they had the 1st Marine Division armed with bolt guns and water cooled .30's.

Waiting on that, too.

Another instance in the sake of historical accuracy is the use of drum mags in the Thompsons, which I believe whose use was discontinued (the mags, not the gun) because of reliability issues. All-in-all, a fairly well-done series.

My particular M1 used to shoot sub-moa for an en bloc full of 168 SMK's back in the '90s. These days it'll do a bit less than twice that on a good eye day. It may not be an exactly "as-issued" rifle.

A darned goodly number of 03A3's will shoot like houses afire, make no mistake.

Springfield's accuracy standard for acceptance for finished rifles was 2MOA with then current Ball ammo, and each rifle was test fired before it left for service. If the gun didn't make the grade it went back to the Armory for rework. Accuracy across the board was almost universally better than that but that was the minimum standard. And mind you, the gov't-issue Ball ammo back in the teens-30's was crappy stuff by today's standards. National Match 03's, special target models, and NRA Sporters were held to a higher standard, 1 1/2 MOA minimum, but commonly figured at 1 to 1 1/4 MOA with Frankford Arsenal Match ammo. Again, they were good for better than that on average and will prove it today with good ammo with modern bullets. I really don't know what Remington/Smith-Corona standards were for minimum accuracy with 03A3's, if they even had any or if they even test fired for minimally acceptable accuracy.

I saw a photograph once of the test range where Armory employees were test firing 03 Springfields. A long open-fronted room with rows of benchrests and guys all shooting 03's, with racks of fresh rifles sitting behind them. The floor was literally ankle deep in spent brass. Imagine that. A pretty hardy bunch of fellas to do that 8 hours a day 5 days a week, and not a set of ear plugs or ear muffs in evidence, and no shooting glasses. Those guys were a close-knit bunch and had formed a club for "off duty hours" and met every Saturday after work --- to shoot!

a very nice '03 A3 is on my want list.

Beautiful rifle! One of the most handsome, actually.

I'd share a recent deer story- I was at the local rifle range a few weeks ago- I had just walked back from putting up a target, and I sat down at the bench to take aim. As I looked through the scope, I was surprised to see the crosshairs resting squarely on a beautiful doe, which took up most of the field of view in the scope! I cleared the chamber and waited for her to finish strolling across the width of the range and back into the forest.

I see deer out there quite often, but I've never been surprised like I was on this occasion. I think they know they are safe at the rifle range!

I think I have mentioned this before but one of the A3s I got from CMP had a two groove barrel and the first time I looked down the barrel I almost went cross eyed. Plus, it looked like a rusted up iron pipe. Talk about a strange sight. It didn’t shoot well either.

Anyhow I found a NOS four groove barrel with the same mfg. date, full of cosmoline. I had the CMP Custom shop replace the barrel and I think it could now shoot better than I can hold. Now I need to find one of those USMC front sight blades to help out these mature eyeballs.

My own Holy Grail came to me by sheer accident. During the better part of an early nineties year, my home and office were some four hundred miles apart. I usually flew round trip most weekends on the Government nickel. Exception as flight cancelled and decided to rent a car and drive. A pee break taking me into a just off I-5 fancy upscale Sporting goods store in Stockton, Ca. Most ski & winter sports, surprised to find fancy shotguns behind glass and an open-floor rack of "also ran" long guns half hidden in clothing. There; 'it'. An NRA Springfield Sporter. Product of Springfield Armory for NRA Members, the Model 1903 in sporting configuration largely consisting of a Lyman 48 Sight and a half stock with especially made barrel band and butt plate. The price that day in my history, $250 for this minty, original specimen. Snapped it up! Pix below. "Star Gauge" marking at 6 O'clock position of muzzle.

Verified with Springfield Research Service, it's legitimacy and much later, the original owner's name and "shipped to..." location in Midwest. Found him in Oakland Calif as death occurred in late forties and place of burial in Midwest. Photo of his gravestone in my files.

Mine, was in 'about' the first group made, all hand-fitted, build in June 1924 barrel date and shipped to that owner in 1925. These rifles and components offered by Springfield Armory into the mid thirties as both the Depression and domestic gun manufacturer complaints of "Government" competing with private firms; as valid. Something over 4K total production. Early editions as mine, "double heat treated" making for incredibly smooth actions. Later ones of Nickel Steel. Very few "original & unaltered" specimens surviving! Talk about luck... Moreover, "lucky pee!"



Best!
John

My own Holy Grail came to me by accident. During the better part of a year as my home and office were some four hundred miles apart. I usually flew home most weekends on the Government nickel but had decided to rent a car and drive for the hell of it! A pee break taking me into a just off I-5 fancy upscale Sporting goods store in Stockton, Ca. Most ski & winter sports, surprised to find fancy shotguns in a glass case behind a counter. Brief chat as learning a rack of "also ran" long guns largely hidden in clothing. There 'it'. An NRA Springfield Sporter. Made by Springfield Armory for NRA Members, the Model 1903 in sporting configuration largely consisting of a Lyman 48 Sight and a half stock with especially made barrel band and butt plate. The price, $250 for this minty, original specimen. Snapped it up! Pix below. Verified with Springfield Research Service it's legitimacy and much later, the original owner's name and "shipped to..." location. Found him in Oakland Calif as death occurring in late forties and his place of burial in Midwest. Photo of his gravestone in my files.

Mine was in 'about' the first group made, all hand-fitted, build in 1924 and shipped to that owner in 1925. These rifles and components offered by Springfield Armory into the mid thirties as both trench of the Depression and complaints of "Government" not to compete with private firms, as valid. Something over 4K total production. Early editions as mine, "double heat treated" making for incredibly smooth actions. Later ones of Nickel Steel. Very few "original & unaltered" ones surviving! Talk about luck... My only "lucky pee!

Best!
John

I have its twin, and consider it one of the jewels in my collection. Dates to 1929, sold to a gentleman in Alaska who used it on his pilgrimages to Kodiak Island. Family lore had it account for a few brown bears over the years. I got it from the grandson of the original owner who was an old guy himself at the time and was cashing in his chips. It shoots quite nicely, as one would expect, and it still gets some time afield in my hands. In fact, it'll be in my duffle when I head down to Kentucky for deer next week. Checked zero last Saturday and it only took a tweaking to have it print right where I wanted it (after whanging around with some different loads other than my standard hunting load over the summer). Good ju-ju in this old girl.

love me some sc 03a3 i've got and its highly prized!!!!

I have a 1918 Springfield as well. But mine has been ransacked. I really want your buttplate. I'm guessing mine is a very early NRA rifle. Before records were kept or a copy of the NRA model. It was sold to my local gun store by a descendent of a passed owner. My guess is it was abandoned in a closet for 50 years. I had a new 1903 barrel installed

kwg

navlav8r. Try 1903Partshop, Kevin Blackhurst for the USMC 03A3 front sight blade. Definitely got me on target a lot quicker than the original narrow sight blade "All types of parts, military, US, foreign or commercial". Got mine from him. Fast shipping reasonable4 price, IMO and will answer questions re installation. He also sells on ebay.

For some reason these poor Springfields do get stuffed in the back closet and forgotten. My own 1918 M1903 Springfield was stored around a corner in a closet in an old farmhouse in Central Wisconsin. Was told by the shop owner that it sat there many years. The house finally sold and the new owners found the rifle after a more thorough inspection. They took it in to the nearest LGS since it wasn't part of the deal and got whatever the proprietor paid. I traded him $500 worth of merchandise for it, mostly ammo, primers and brass. It shoots great, but the weight of it isn't ideal for most hunting situations.

I got from cmp a m-1 they called loaded, had a new stock and new barrel about 2 years ago and relieved wood in the normal spots and went over it very carefull took it out to my range and with 47 gr a2495 and palma bullets was getting 3 1/2 inch groups at 200 but every other group had a flyer that could be out by 3 or 4 inches so I went over it again and the rear handguard felt a little tight and I remember wanting to avoid taking it off because the little clip is hard to get off the barrel. I got it off and it was not a little tight, it was a lot tight so I took wood out untill it didn't contact the barrel and shot it again and 3 inches for 5 shots at 200 with no flyer this time hopefully no flyers next time either. I took this rifle to Sacramento to let my grandsons shoot a silhouette match for rack grade military rifles Thanksgiving time and for the rams at 500 meters I brought some loads 47 gr A2495 and 168 mk figuring if that load shot 155's it would like 168's but I tested the 168's and that group was 8 inches at 200 for 5 shots so back to the palma bullets, I could not be happier how they shoot in the garand. I will take it back to sacramento in January for them to try again

I've got a bubba-sporterized 03 Springfield in a really oddball maple stock- - - -drilled and tapped for some sort of weird looking Weaver style scope mounts and an antique Weaver steel tube 4X scope. It shoots better than it looks, thankfully! I also have a handful of "paperweights"- - - -investment cast Parker-Hale unfinished receivers that take an 03 bolt and Mauser bottom metal. One of these days I'll finish machining one of them and see if it can be heat treated to the right Rockwell numbers to try firing a few rounds (with a long string to the trigger, strapped down to a big truck tire). I've also got several of the P-H receivers that use Mauser bolts.

Time for me to break out the credit card. Thanks.

Am interested in getting a bayonet to go along with my 03A3. Did the Springfield use the same bayonet as the M-1 Garand?



Thanks! Guy

There are 2 styles of bayonets that fit the M1. The early style came from the 1903 and the second style is strictly for the M1 Garand. The early style fits over the barrel of the M1 and locks onto the bayonet lug on the gas tube. The second style for the M1 has a "nub" that fits into the whole of the gas lock.

kwg

Thanks! I thought that I'd seen two different kinds for the M-1 Garand. I'll have to see about finding a bayonet that fits my 03A3. That would help round out the package.

Regards, Guy

Gnoahhh - and Iskra -

Beautiful examples of Springfield sporters! Thanks for sharing those.

Guy

I think bubba made some really nice 1903s but then I always like things that collectors find horrible

That’s a beauty Gary! 😍

Very nice!!

The 03/A3 my dad bought before 1972. It's pretty much unissued. He told me he bought it from a guy who bought through the NRA for like under 20$

Nice gun

Great pics guys. I enjoyed them.
I have a small collection of 1903’s. A couple original -SC A3’s, a 1922 beauty and a couple nicely done but not over the top sporters. This is one.

From 1926, not 22 my memory isn’t aging as well as these rifles. This guns going to be 100 years old soon.

So much respect for these old rifles.

So many nice ones shown on this thread.

Thanks!

Guy

There's a beaut!

A poignant cartoon that Bill Mauldin drew especially for W.Brophy's seminal book on the 1903 Springfield:

Thanks for that! Love his work.

Guy