aftermarket firing pin 1903 springfield

telohf

October 04, 2017 18:13

Ok so my Remington 1903-A3 was never really accurate, even after a Timney trigger and newish military 30-06 barrel. But this deer season I missed an easy 100-150yd shot at a deer.

Does anyone know if they make an aftermarket firing pin and spring like they do the Mauser 98? I've had issues with the locktime before and not that I'm making excuses but that might be part of my problem.

Thanks.

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  charliemeyer007

  October 04, 2017 18:57

  I seemed to recall that there were "speedlock" items made for the Springfield. The third most accurate rifle I ever had was mid-numbered re-heat treated Springfield that had been punched out to 300 Gibbs. Otherwise it was bone stock, might have been slicked up some before I got it.
  
  Do you load for it?
  
  added A friend years back had an issue with his reloads in a Springfield. During cold weather it would miss fire and it was getting harder to load the rounds. I went over to help him out. He had never trimmed his cases and had no clue how or what to do about that issue. I tore the bolt down and it was clear full of nasty stuff that caused the cold weather issue. After cleaning the bolt completely followed by proper lubrication and then trimming the cases all issues were resolved.
  
  You might have a weak striker spring from 50 years of being cocked or some crud build up inside the bolt slowing up the works.

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  Hawk Carse

  October 04, 2017 20:45

  Some old guy name of Garand designed a speed lock for 1903s. If you could find one, it would probably cost more than the whole rifle.
  
  Numrich once sold a speed lock that looked like it had some 1922 parts in it.
  
  You could just put the Wolff "Blitzschnell" mainspring in it and speed things up a bit but you would pay for it in hard bolt lift.

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  nononsense

  October 05, 2017 06:10

  telohf,
  
  quote:Ok so my Remington 1903-A3 was never really accurate, even after a Timney trigger and newish military 30-06 barrel. But this deer season I missed an easy 100-150yd shot at a deer.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  'was never really accurate...'
  
  '...I missed an easy 100-150yd shot...'
  
  Have you taken the time to work with this rifle on paper at the range just prior to this miss?
  
  What position were you shooting from for this miss?
  
  Is it a position you practice from just in case?
  
  The reasoning behind these questions is that rarely is a miss of this magnitude excused by lock time at such a short distance, unless the animal moved during the trigger break, at least not that I've seen. This is not a poke at you at all but rather questions which might point in another direction to something that could be wrong, diagnostic if you will.
  
  Best.

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  navc130

  October 05, 2017 08:45

  I agree with nononsense. I think some range time shooting SLOW three shot groups would be beneficial. Also, have someone else shoot the rifle and try some different ammo. I have never heard of an issue with the lock time in a '03 hunting rifle. The two piece firing pin has been known to break.
  There are so many variables involved in tracking down an erratic shooting rifle that all you can do is eliminate them one-by-one, isolating each variable. I would begin by disassembling and checking each function of the rifle, including the action and barrel bedding.

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  telohf

  October 05, 2017 11:13

  To answer several questions, yes I hand load my own ammo and yes i spend time at my local range.
  I have had lock time issues before that i pulled the shot because of them. I?m just trying to narrow down the problem so i can for sure say ?yes I missed ? and not blame a malfunction.

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  mrmike08075

  October 05, 2017 20:35

  My suggestion is to put the rifle on a bagged bench rest station at 50 and 100 yes and slowfire several 3-5 round groups at each distance...
  
  This will confirm and verify the guns accuracy - and also allow you to fire for function at the same time - to see if you can repeat what you believe is a lock time issue.
  
  That's a good starting point - and it establishes a foundation for further investigation.
  
  I have 3 sporterized Springfield rifles that retain the original barrels and receiver - actions and internal parts...
  
  I have never observed a lock time issue - and all 3 group better at 100 yds than many new pricey commercial rifles.
  
  This might seem like starting over or a very basic normally needed step / test from someone of your ability and experience level...
  
  But it can't hurt and does not represent a big expenditure of time or resources.
  
  It's what I would do personally if it were my gun.
  
  I give heed to my more advanced peers like rufe and nononsence - and while they some might not consider me an expert at the level of my aforementioned peers I am certainly not a novice.
  
  And I often seek out and follow their advice - I like to think I occasionally pass on some information that they find helpful.
  
  Mike

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  tsr1965

  October 06, 2017 03:08

  I also agree with nononsense. Some time needs to be taken to figure this out. I have never seen an O3', with issues of lock time.
  
  Ask yourself these questions also...
  
  When I store the rifle, do I relieve the pressure on the firing pin spring, so it will not weaken, or take a set? A lot of guys do not do that. When I say a lot I mean 95% plus. They just put the rifle back into storage like a tool, not even thinking about it.
  
  Has the bolt been cleaned, properly degreased, and properly lubricated? Sometimes, they can collect dust and debris over time, which permeates the oil/grease used and it hardens to create something that is like a glue, where the bond must be over come before movement happens. Take that bolt apart and clean it.
  
  It is something else other than the original design.

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