springfield 1903

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JaCKaL6996	springfield 1903	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1 (02/02/10 03:24 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None hello all, i was looking for information on my 1903 when i came across this forum. very happy to have found it! so here is the deal.... i recently bought a springfield 1903 off of a friend. when i bought it, i didnt know what i was buying. i knew it was a 30-06 and i was looking for a hunting rifle so it worked out. i started doing research to find out what it was and all ive really found out is its (unfourtnatly) sporterized but thats about the extent of it. im pretty sure its not worth anything, but i want to fully identify it. with that being said, and im goign to sound like a total newbie here, but how do you tell the difference between the a1, and the a3? i took it to a gun shop and he said it was an a3 but wouldnt tell me what distinguished it from an a1. any help would be great, ill post some pics that i have of it. thanks in advance.
HoosierDaddy		#1	[-]
Posts: 5714 (02/02/10 05:21 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	First of all welcome to milsurpshooter. Your rifle is a 1903 not an 1903a3. One way to tell is that 'a3s were only made by Remington and Smith Corona. Another quick way is to see where the rear sight it mounted. 1903 rifles have it mounted in front of the receiver over the barrel. 1903a3s have it mounted on the rear receiver bridge where your sight is. Your rifle has been heavily altered. The rear sight mounted on yours is a Lyman "short slide" sight. Those were pretty common sights to use when 1903s were altered. Good news it is a "high number" and is safe to shoot if it headspaces correctly. Ash Iron Construction
Rick the Librarian		#2	[-]
Posts: 4727 (02/02/10 07:33 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I had trouble reading the serial number -- 1,033,555? If so, a rifle from late 1918. What markings do you see (if any) on the top of the bolt handle and the bottom of the bolt handle, where it joins the bolt "body"? The firing pin (cocking piece) looks like a headless one from the 1920s. Curious about the bolt.
JaCKaL6996		#3	[-]
Posts: 2 (02/02/10 11:08 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	thanks for the response guys. i really appreciate it. i havent gotten too many people answering any of my questions about the gun. HoosierDaddy: so with it being a 1903, does that mean that its not an a1 either? when i took it to the local gun shop, i told them that i thought it was an a1 and he said nope, its an a3 so aparently he has no idea what hes talking about eh? you mentioned that 1903a3's have the sight mounted where mine is at, does that mean that they modified the location? another newbie question, you said its safe to shoot if it headspaces correctly, could you explain that a little better? sorry, im just now getting into rifles and dont know the terminology that well. Rick the Librarian: yes, that is the serial number. when i ran it though i found it to be 1942? on top of the bolt handle there is a marking "N.S." and on the bottom there is what looks to be an "F" tilted kind of with a "." above it. any idea what these markings mean? the firing pin doesnt have the knob on it that i have seen on so many other of these guns. it does however, if you look closely, have a circle type of pattern where it looks like it may have been broken off at one point. even if you run your finger over it, you can feel a little bit sticking up where they didnt file it down all the way. another weird thing, i have been shooting guns my whole life but this is the first time ive ever seen a set of sights like this. i went shooting with it the other day and couldnt keep a pattern worth crap! as newbie as this is going to sound, how are you supposed to aim these sights?
7GREEN		#4	[-]
Posts: 750 (02/03/10 12:48 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	AFAIK-and without my copy of Brophy handy I am relying on memory-the only distinguishing feature of the 03A1 was the pistol grip stock.
reddogge		#5	[-]
Posts: 4995 (02/03/10 09:53 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Headspace on rifles is a measurement within the chamber from the bolt face to a datum point in the front of the chamber. If that measurement becomes too large through wear and tear the cartridge in effect slams back into the bolt when fired and could cause a rupture in the case or damage to the rifle. Either is a bad situation. On older rifles it's wise to take it to a gunsmith and have him check the headspace with gauges. It's a pretty common thing to have done and good for the peace of mind. "What happened? What the HELL happened?" Jake Holman "The Sandpebbles" Last Edited By: reddogge 02/03/10 09:58 AM. Edited 1 times.
JaCKaL6996		#6	[-]
Posts: 3 (02/03/10 10:37 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	thanks reddogge, i took it and had it looked at, he said it was safe to shoot. i took it out a few days ago and shot about 40 rounds through it so its aparently safe, lol. thanks though.
Rick the Librarian		#7	[-]
Posts: 4728 (02/03/10 11:01 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The "NS" dates the bolt to the late 1920s or 1930s. The headless cocking piece could have been a Bubba job, but it looks pretty well done. Your rifle was not a M1903A3. It originally had a "folding leaf"-type rear sight ahead of the receiver. There is one on the picture I use with my name, although it may not be clear enough for you. &Green is right - a M1903A1 has a military Type C (full pistol grip) stock.
Vladymere gr		#8	[-]
Posts: 2557 (02/03/10 01:03 PM) Forum Co-host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	JaCKal6996, You have a fine rifle for deer but one with no collectible value. As for monetary value, if I was set up at a gun show and you walked by my table I would offer you no more thant $150 for your rifle. Parted out the rifle would be worth more tnat that. If I bought the rifle from you I would use it as a basis for another sporting rifle, probably keeping the Lyman sight on the rifle. To use the sights center the top of the front sight post in the rear sight aperture. The eye generaly finds the aperture to be self centering. The Lyman sight, though different in appearance and adjustment, the same in function as what was on the 1903A3 rifle. Vlad Looking for Gew.88 based sporting rifles Looking for a Lyman #22 sight for the Gew.88/Mannlicher Last Edited By: Vladymere gr 02/03/10 01:07 PM. Edited 1 times.
HoosierDaddy	1903/a3	#9	[-]
Posts: 5715 (02/03/10 05:04 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The 1903 was modified in the early 1940's by Remington to make the A3. They went from milled parts such as a trigger guard and magazine plate to stamped sheet metal. The rear sight on the 1903 was mounted on the barrel in front of the receiver. Remington milled out the rear bridge of the receiver and put a new type of sight there. This was a cheaper and faster way to produce the rifles. There are many other differences but these are the main ones. Here is a picture of three of my 1903 style rifles. The top is one that has a rear sight similar to yours but it is a "long slide". The middle one is a 1903 note the rear sight on it. The bottom one is a 1903a3.. Not one of my better pictures which may prompt me to take a few others. Ash Iron Construction
ThePitbullofLove		#10	[-]
Posts: 6756 (02/03/10 05:31 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The top rifle is a 1903 Springfield. The bottom rifle is a Smith Corona M1903A3. This is the sight and base type your rifle originally had before sporterization- This is the "C-stock" as mentioned above- Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook; Just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock, and characters an amateur would never dream up...
ThePitbullofLove		#11	[-]
Posts: 6757 (02/03/10 05:42 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	BTW, In one of your posts you asked about how the peep sight was to be properly used. Here's a pic of peep sight/target alignment. HTH Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook; Just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock, and characters an amateur would never dream up...

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