this normal ?

[RU shooter]

The rifle is a RIA 1903 ,Is that cut on the barrel supposed to be like that or what is it?
41235

[MtGun44]

Wow. Never saw anything like that. But actually, even if it goes all the way through,
it shouldn't really hurt anything. Plenty of thread, it is not sharp bottomed, so probably
structurally OK. Sure is weird, tho.

Bill

[hydraulic]

Never noticed that on any other '03, but that's probably because the rear handguard covers that area. Has yours been mutilated (sporterized)? It shouldn't matter anyway since it is an early '03 with the brittle reciever which should not be shot.

[Frank46]

Thats where the rear sight sleeve was supposed to go on the 03'. Maybe someone cut back on the bbl to get a better chamber. And you see that groove. I believe that the old time gunsmiths had a method of filling in that groove so that it was hard to tell that it was there. Hope this helps. Or someone comes up with a better explanation. Frank

[ilcop22]

It's likely a commercial 1903 sporterized barrel. Like Frank said, that groove is where the rear sight collar longitudinal pin went. If you were to remove the barrel, you would likely find the cut for the cross pin on the underside, as well. It's normal enough. :drinks:

[gnoahhh]

Never noticed that on any other '03, but that's probably because the rear handguard covers that area. Has yours been mutilated (sporterized)? It shouldn't matter anyway since it is an early '03 with the brittle reciever which should not be shot.

Uh, wrong. For a RIA (Rock Island Arsenal) 1903 to be considered a 'low number', it would be under #286506. This one is well over that. At the 286506 point they switched from a low carbon case hardened steel to a nickel steel alloy. When the Springfield armory made their switch from the same process as RIA they went to a double heat treat process rather than nickel steel. Ten+ years later, they too switched to nickel steel.

[RU shooter]

It's likely a commercial 1903 sporterized barrel. Like Frank said, that groove is where the rear sight collar longitudinal pin went. If you were to remove the barrel, you would likely find the cut for the cross pin on the underside, as well. It's normal enough. :drinks:
So what your saying is its a Military barrel that has had the rear sight collar removed and then been set back some and rechambered ?
Thanks all for the insight, I was almost certain the SN# was in the safe range for RIA rifles thanks for verifying that for me.

Tim

[gnoahhh]

Probably/maybe. Hard to tell from the one pic. Got any pics of the entire rifle? I love to see '03 sporters. Whats the maker/date stamp behind the front sight? (If it's still there.)

[RU shooter]

Probably/maybe. Hard to tell from the one pic. Got any pics of the entire rifle? I love to see '03 sporters. Whats the maker/date stamp behind the front sight? (If it's still there.) If I end up getting it Ill be able to answer those questions and take some more pictures, just didnt know why the barrel had a big nasty cut in it!

Thanks,Tim

[ilcop22]

So what your saying is its a Military barrel that has had the rear sight collar removed and then been set back some and rechambered ?
Thanks all for the insight, I was almost certain the SN# was in the safe range for RIA rifles thanks for verifying that for me.

Tim

I wouldn't go so far as to say it was definitely set back some, but that is possible. It appears to be normal length, but it's hard to say from one picture.

[Gtek]

+1 on rear sight sleeve pin.

[leadman]

I looked on the CMP website to confirm the serial # cutoff and it is 285507.
Need to see full length pictures. I too like the Springfields.

[Safeshot]

I think that I have seen a "notch" similar to that before on another Springfield '03 barrel. I also think it is an original alignment "notch" for the '03 military rear sight base.