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I was given a rifle today

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59 comments

  • Horse Plains Drifter
    kidthatsirish: 30336759963291/comments/

    I have a similar sporterized 1903a3....looks like that is the MKII safety lever that was fitted on it which was very popular back in the day

    That rifle is very likely worth cleaning up a little and maybe putting some other wrongs and scope.on it. I would say a Leupold of just about any flavor would do a lot for that rifle.

    Likely still the GI barrel on it. Don't listen to any naysayers that say they won't shoot. Mine will consistently print MOA 5 shot groups with its 1943 two groove barrel with my hand loads. Yours likely can as well assuming it's free floated and has a decent trigger.

    There is nothing wrong with those two land barrels. I have a 1917 Eddystone, and back 40 years ago when I could see good, I could hit the white top of metal fence posts at 150 yards pretty consistently.

    6
  • danielgage
    kidthatsirish: 30336759963291/comments/

    I have a similar sporterized 1903a3....looks like that is the MKII safety lever that was fitted on it which was very popular back in the day

    That rifle is very likely worth cleaning up a little and maybe putting some other wrongs and scope.on it. I would say a Leupold of just about any flavor would do a lot for that rifle.

    Likely still the GI barrel on it. Don't listen to any naysayers that say they won't shoot. Mine will consistently print MOA 5 shot groups with its 1943 two groove barrel with my hand loads. Yours likely can as well assuming it's free floated and has a decent trigger.

    I believe the scope on it is a Leopold

    0
  • Grasshopper

    IF that is a Leupold then the value just went up a bunch. ☺️

    3
  • bpost

    It is a sporterized Springfield or Rock Island 1903 or 1903A3. Rock Island receivers under the serial number 281,000 are not considered safe due to potential heat treating issues. The actual number of failures are in the single digits and most were blamed on wrong ammo, bad ammo or bore obstruction, not the gun itself. Pull the scope and front mount. It will have the maker and serial number under it.

    3
  • 4205raymond

    As i recall a few in the trenches in WW1, when in the heat of battle the wrong bolt was mated to the wrong receiver (headspace). ---------------Ray

    3
  • danielgage
    Grasshopper: 30336759963291/comments/30336804367003

    IF that is a Leupold then the value just went up a bunch. ☺️

    yes someone blacked out the gold ring for some unknown reason to me

    0
  • Ambrose

    Your "new" rifle is a 1903-A3 made during WWII by either Remington or Smith Corona. (They were all "high numbered actions" so no worries there). It will be marked MODEL 03-A3 under that front scope base. The bolt handle has been modified to clear a scope, the stamped trigger guard/magazine has been replaced (probably with a milled unit made for the model1903), the safety is replaced with what looks like one made by Buehler, and as has been said, the stock is a Fajen or Bishop with probably a Pachmyer pad. The original chambering was .30/06 but you need to check to be sure the barrel hasn't been replaced or re-chambered.

    Those are great rifles! I have several of them. Yours was re-done very well from its military configuation. Stock checkering was costly and so not often seen on military conversions. You have a right to take pride in that rifle and it deserves some TLC. It appears to need some refinish on the stock (if you do it, please be careful of the checkering).

    If possible, I would like to see pictures of the front sight, the left side of the rifle, and the trigger guard/magazine.

    15
  • danielgage

    I am not where I can take another picture until this next weekend

    thanks for all the information

    0
  • Mr. Perfect

    The stock does not look like a Remington to me.

    3
  • Horse Plains Drifter
    danielgage: 30336759963291/comments/30336839576987

    https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11386033#Comment_11386033

    yes someone blacked out the gold ring for some unknown reason to me

    I guess they wanted something "tactical"

    6
  • Grasshopper
    danielgage: 30336759963291/comments/30336839576987

    https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11386033#Comment_11386033

    yes someone blacked out the gold ring for some unknown reason to me

    WELL, I have seen ANOTHER thing that I thought I would have never see.

    3
  • danielgage
    Ambrose: 30336759963291/comments/30336874253339

    Your "new" rifle is a 1903-A3 made during WWII by either Remington or Smith Corona. (They were all "high numbered actions" so no worries there). It will be marked MODEL 03-A3 under that front scope base. The bolt handle has been modified to clear a scope, the stamped trigger guard/magazine has been replaced (probably with a milled unit made for the model1903), the safety is replaced with what looks like one made by Buehler, and as has been said, the stock is a Fajen or Bishop with probably a Pachmyer pad. The original chambering was .30/06 but you need to check to be sure the barrel hasn't been replaced or re-chambered.

    Those are great rifles! I have several of them. Yours was re-done very well from its military configuation. Stock checkering was costly and so not often seen on military conversions. You have a right to take pride in that rifle and it deserves some TLC. It appears to need some refinish on the stock (if you do it, please be careful of the checkering).

    If possible, I would like to see pictures of the front sight, the left side of the rifle, and the trigger guard/magazine.


    0
  • Ambrose

    Thanks: The lack of contour on the part of the receiver holding the cut-off confirms that it is an 03-A3. The stamped trigger guard/magazine has been replaced with a milled model 1903 one; commonly done back in the day when those rifles were converted to sporters. The front sight is missing, probably the barrel has been shortened (originally 24"). I can't tell for sure but it looks like the trigger has been replaced with an adjustable after market one (Timney, etc.). That's a great scope but it belongs on a varmint rifle. Your rifle is a hunting rifle and probably needs a lower power scope and certainly lower rings. I'll say again; That's a very nice rifle, retro, and deserves some TLC. If you get around to taking off the front scope base, the makers name, either Remington or Smith Corona (the typewriter people!) will appear.

    Those rifles were manufactured from late 1942 through early 1944 and were sold, in original military configuration, by the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) in the early 1960's for $10 + $4.50 inspection & packing.

    You do not show the serial number so I will mention: The serial number blocks assigned to Smith Corona were 3,608,000 to 3,707,999 and 4,708,000 to 4,992,000. (They didn't use all of those numbers, they made 381,424 rifles.) If your serial number falls in those blocks, it's a Smith. If not, it's a Remington.

    Your stock is, more than likely, a Fajen.

    6
  • danielgage

    THANK YOU

    6
  • DPHMIN
    Grasshopper: 30336759963291/comments/30336804367003

    IF that is a Leupold then the value just went up a bunch. ☺️

    I'd double his money on it.

    0
  • danielgage

    Finally got to shoot it and liked the way it grouped the first three were Federal and the next two were a Remington and a Winchester all factory 150 grain

    9
  • danielgage

    took it to the gun shop to get a limb-saver recoil pad ordered for it to make it more pleasurable to shoot. The old recoil pad has got hard

    6
  • Grasshopper

    Nice--🙂

    6
  • montanajoe
    • Community moderator

    That's good shooting, the gun and the shooter. Very nice.

    9
  • NeoBlackdog

    Wanna have some fun? Splurge on a box of these and see what she'll do.

    30-06 Springfield 168 Grain 20 Rds Federal Ammo - Rifle Ammunition at GunBroker.com : 980904570
    Buy 30-06 Springfield 168 Grain 20 Rds Federal Ammo: GunBroker is the largest seller of Rifle Ammunition Ammunition All: 980904570


    3
  • Okie743


    When out of the stock I would make a close inspection of the rear tang area of the stock and the rifle.

    I've seen those types start splitting the stock at the rear tang due to improper fit of the stock to the receiver.

    (the rear tang and or it's screw at the wood taking some or all of the recoil instead of the front recoil lug.

    Proper bedding fit of the receiver into the stock can cure such.

    3
  • Ambrose

    Pleased (but not surprised) to see it shoots so well. I am also pleased to hear that you intend to put the old war horse back to work on its new career. Hope it brings you luck.

    3
  • KenK/84Bravo

    Very Nice, Sir. 👍😁

    3
  • danielgage

    plenty good enough for deer or hogs mostly what I will hopefully get to shoot at

    9
  • danielgage


    0
  • danielgage

    recoil pad matched up pretty close

    should feel better than the old hard one

    0
  • NeoBlackdog

    That looks pretty good @danielgage I'll give you $37 cash for it. Where do you want to meet up?

    3
  • danielgage
    NeoBlackdog: 30336759963291/comments/

    That looks pretty good @danielgage I'll give you $37 cash for it. Where do you want to meet up?

    I reckon I will keep it for now since it was my Dad's

    thanks for the offer though

    0
  • NeoBlackdog
    danielgage: 30336759963291/comments/

    https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11396684#Comment_11396684

    I reckon I will keep it for now since it was my Dad's

    thanks for the offer though

    Good call. For me there are not many thing more precious to me than the three firearms handed down to me from my father. Every time I pick one of them up there is a flood of memories from the time he spent teaching me to use them and of our time in the field with them.

    3

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