1903a3 stock

[lreed]

Hello: A stock purchased at auction,has no thru bolts,no nails and has no oiler hole in butt stock. The stock appears to be well worn walnut with no markings. Is this from some sort of training or drill rifle? I had plans to use for a shooter a3, should some sort of thru bolts be added and if so source? Thanks lreed

[Dutchman]

One picture is worth a thousand words.... :grin:

Dutch

[lreed]

here ya go, with pics...do you have any idea as to what this stock is or was? I don't think it has been sanded because it had too many dents and divots for anyone to have bothered; also looks like original finish. Excuse the patches, in process of repair.
thanks.
lreed

970389703997040970419704297043

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

If you can find them, I would suggest drilling the holes and putting the through bolts in. It looks like it may be a replacement stock that was never used or perhaps an original production stock that was never finished. It's certainly had a hard life from those pics.

[Multigunner]

Did the stocks of the rod bayonet 03 rifles have the features that are missing from this stock?

[lreed]

Thanks Dave Yes, the old stock is gnarly but can be made serviceable and was cheap. I see no advantage to buy a high dollar "graffiti" stamped stock to install on a mixed parts rifle. My interest is in an anatomically correct rifle for shooting.
I have not seen a Springfield thru bolt except in a stock,do they form a shoulder for recoil such as the Mauser or do they just pass thru the stock? Roy Dunlap's book describes installing square recoil lug that passes thru the stock,but I think it is for sporter stocks. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks lreed

[Jack Stanley]

I think Springfield Sporters has through bolts . They had about everything else I needed to fix up my old rifle too .

Jack

[bob208]

the 03 does not bed like the mauser.

[Scharfschuetze]

That's an interesting thought Multigunner.

The first 03 stocks were sans cross bolts and then evolved with one cross bolt and finally two. The ramrod bayonet 03 rifle as originally designed may well have been made without storage in the butt.

[30calflash]

That's an interesting thought Multigunner.

The first 03 stocks were sans cross bolts and then evolved with one cross bolt and finally two. The ramrod bayonet 03 rifle as originally designed may well have been made without storage in the butt.

I wouldn't do anything to the stock yet, as mentioned above. It could be a rare piece.

The pics you sent didn't have everything that they could for ID purposes. It's hard to tell in the top rh pic if there is a enlarged ring relief for the handguard ring. If not, it wasn't on an 03a3.

The relief for the HG ring will be only about 3/16ths long whereas the relief for a rear sight on an 03 will be around 3" long.

So, some more pics would help a lot. Barrel channel, nose area, etc. More pics the better.

[lreed]

Hello: I do believe you Gentlemen could be correct in identifying this stock,it does have a cutout I believe for a 03 rear sight, but also a cutout for a 03a3 ring. The stock was advertized as a damaged 03a3 stock,and the description was correct, splits and cracked. The repair had already been started and probably negates any value, if any it had, other than my intended use. Here are some pics of damage and remedy. Thanks lreed

[30calflash]

It's tough to tell from the photo but the handguard ring cut may not be a manufacturer's cut. It looks rough form the pic. Could have been done after manufacture.

Also, how about a pic of the front end of the stock, face on. As you would be looking at the muzzle.

[Multigunner]

I've read of Cadet Rifles built by a civilian gun dealer using discarded 1901 actions and various surplus parts. I don't think it was a Bannerman project.

Could be this was some sort of drill rifle stock made from unfinished surplused stocks.

Another possibility is a replacement stock manufactured by a third world user country.
The U S supplied the 1903 and 03A3 to a number of smaller countries during and after WW2.

I have also seen mentions of a WW2 subcontractor supplying stocks that could be fitted to both the 03 and 03A3, which might explain it having relief cuts for both handguard ring and 03 sight base.

[Scharfschuetze]

Many 03 stocks were made so that they would work with both the 03 and the 03A3. In fact I have an 03A3 with just such a stock.

I didn't notice in the first photos posted that the stock does not have the finger grooves normally associated with the earlier 03 rifles. The finger grooves were dropped sometime before WWII as I recall, yet the lack of cross bolts argues for an early manufacture. If that's any help with its identity I don't know. The condition of the wood could to some extent explain the lack of visible arsenal markings, but on the other hand, if they were ever there, they should show to some extent. The acceptance "P" was often stamped quite deeply, least wise on my 1903s of various vintages.

[Multigunner]

Found a PDF with photos of various drill rifles. Among these was a U S Navy 1903a3 drill rifle with stock similar to this one.
The oversized relief cut at the magazine cut off position (I'm only guessing that its over sized because I haven't seen a Springfield stock without the action in place close up) and lack of cross bolts or finger grooves.
These used real barreled actions with the barrel split lengthwise by cutting with a torch and muzzle welded shut.

[Multigunner]

Heres the PDF
http://user.pa.net/~the.macs/Download_files/Drill%20%26%20Training%20Rifles.pdf

Turns out these stocks were plastic so thats not it, but worth looking at anyway.

[Char-Gar]

I have built a number of Springfield porters without using bolts etc. a glass or epoxy bed of the action will give all the strength needed.

[lreed]

Thank all of you for your suggestions and help. After more research the stock was not a rod bayonet rifle -no finger grooves and other id marks,there are no stamps or marks of any kind that I can see. I believe the stock was an offering of Old West and I doubt they would have let something of value slip past. It does have nice close grained walnut with figure and should make a very nice "shooter" 1903a3. Thanks lreed