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National Ordnance 03-A3

PA Shootist
A friend has a National Ordnance Springfield 03-A3 he bought from a mutual friend, for $350. The mutual friend bought it about 1964, and it is still unfired in the box it came in. The S/N is 50012xx. The barrel is marked SA 7-44, and is an apparently new 2-groove. The bolt is Remington marked. The stock is an unmarked replacement. I remembered hearing bad things about National Ordinance in regards to Garand rifles. The only info I have found about National Ordinance Springfields was that the receivers were investment castings, a relatively new process at the time. Also H.P. White had tested a few National Ordnance receivers to destruction in 1964, and they tested fine. My advice was that if so, he should get headspace checked, and if OK then he has a shooter that would likely be safe to shoot and would work fine for local club Springfield matches and such Also it wouldn't be of any collector interest, but at the price for a shooter with a good new barrel it might be a bargain. I also thought it should be rechecked from time to time for headspace, to confirm no lug set-back or other problems from the metallurgy. Does anyone know anything that would be to the contrary of above statements about N.O. Springfields, especially as regards safety of firing?
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Date Votes
  • nmyers
    Springfield rifles assembled on a NO receiver are unsafe to fire. Period! I have seen photos of > 1 kaboom, resulting in injury to the shooter. These happened to experienced shooters who did not do something stupid. No amount of headspace checking will change the fact that these rifles are too dangerous to fire, under any circumstances.

    The rifle in question is worth only the sum of the other parts, minus what it will cost to disassemble them from the receiver.

    Neal
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  • babun
    What I found about those "make believe" Springfields...A company named Golden State Arms built 1903 rifles using investment cast receivers made in Yugoslavia and surplus 1903 parts. Workmanship was poor, with very poor fit and finish. Very few made it to the market place. These will go BOOM !!Don't shoot them !!National Ordnance of El Monte, CA produced them under their own name, using a better investment cast receiver again with surplus parts, but I won't trust them either. bob
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