Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Tale of two rifles / Model 1903 action strength

My father has two Model 1903's, one from each of my grandfathers. Both have been sporterized to some degree. The one from his father is a U.S. Springfield Model 1903 serial number 559XXX and has been sporterized with rings and a scope (A Lyman All-American 4X in Weaver rings with some of the blueing worn off the tube), a "new" stock and a bent bolt. This rifle was my grandfathers hunting rifle, and then my fathers hunting rifle, and my older brother even took his first deer with it. It was actively hunted with until the mid-nineties. It shot well for an old rifle and never had a hiccup until a fracture near the tang appeared in the stock. It now gathers dust in the safe.

The .30-06 from my mothers father is a U.S. Remington Model 1903 serial number 3193XXX. It has an older Redfield peep sight with the insert missing. It is not drilled and tapped for a scope, but the stock is a new stock (which still looks new). My grandfather had a .30-30 carbine and wanted something with more "oomph". He had an older neighbor who owned this rifle and wanted something with less "oomph". They traded straight across but I'm not sure if my grandfather ever hunted with his "new" .30-06. I seem to recall him saying he stopped hunting shortly after that.

I did a quick google search for "Model 1903 serial number lookup" and the first hit was this one. (Why the National Parks Service has a document on specific dates of serial numbers of Model 1903's has me stumped, but whatever...). According to this document the Springfield Model 1903 is from 1913 (Wow, pre WW-I!). The Remington Model 1903 is from 1942 and is the last batch of 1903's before the production of the A3. This rifle would also be one that had the improved heat treatment and improved nickel steel (again, according to that document).

Now, to my questions:
1) Is the U.S. Springfield Model 1903 serial 559XXX one that should be retired? Or could it be re-stocked and still used with standard factory loads like it's been doing in my family for 70+ years.
OR
2) Can I reload for this rifle if I keep the pressure more reasonable (sub-50K PSI)?
3) Would this action be suitable for a custom build, and if so, should I restrict the new caliber to a lower pressure round such as a 257 Roberts or 7mm Mauser? Or would there be no worries re-barreling with a new .30-06 barrel and running at full pressure?
4) Is the U.S. Remington Model 1903 serial 3193XXX action/steel strong enough to handle whatever I throw at it?

Thanks!

I'd repair the stock on the first one, and then continue to use both, as is, for the remainder of my life with nary a worry, then pass them to someone who'd do the same.

Ditto. There's not a significant difference between your Springfield's and a 98 Mauser, and they are still going strong with whatever you'd care to throw at them. Uncle Sugar ever got sued over the Springfield for patent infringement, and lost.

Azar, The answer to your other question is that the old US Springfield Armory in Springfield, Mass, closed many years ago and was turned into a National Park. Lotta history there and its on my list of places to visit.

http://www.nps.gov/spar/

Don

I don't use my low serial numbered 1903 any longer. My first 'custom' in 243 but I figure there are enough other rifles/actions in the world to not use it any longer.

"4) Is the U.S. Remington Model 1903 serial 3193XXX action/steel strong enough to handle whatever I throw at it?"

No, it isn't. It is plenty strong for the use it was designed for, but no rifle is strong eough to handle whatever you want to throw at it.

If you keep your pressures with SAAMI specs, you should not have any problems.

I have read a good bit in Hatcher's Notebook. I will have to go back and read again, but I do not know of any low number 03 that blew up because of the heat treatment. The heat treatment was a factor, but IIRC, the ones that blew up were because of the defective cartridges during that era, and the low numbered rifles just did not have the safety margin that later ones did.

www.m1903.org.

Read up on it.

Actually, all I meant was could the 3193XXX action handle pressures up to 65,000 psi (say it was re-barreled to a .270 or some other cartridge that runs up to 65K). .30-06 runs, what, 60K?

03A3s have been rebarrelled and rechambered to cartridges such as you describe.

I know of many that were re-chambered to .308 Norma. I do not know of anyone having problems with any of them altered in this manner.

In Hatcher's Notebook, he mentions proof testing them up to 125,000 PSI. This would have been the pressure as indicated by the copper crusher, so the actual PSI might have been in the neighborhood of 150,000 PSI or more.

But, I would still try to hold it down to SAAMI limits.