1903 Project Rifle

[WineMan]

I have been looking for a "Shooter" 1903A3 and a local gun shop has a Sporterized 1903 (not A3) with a rusted out barrel and it has been drilled and tapped and is wearing a 7/8 inch scope with a straight objective. It is priced at $150 and has that look of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree from the cartoon. I should have looked closer at it, so it definitely needs more due diligence but how does that price compare to just waiting for something in better shape comes along? A quick look around the internet for parts shows a stock will be $150-200, barrel $150-200, assorted metal to get back to issued probably another $100 plus any gunsmithing so it would be $700+ but with some time to look around for parts maybe a little less.

Worth a shot or take a pass?

Wineman

[Shiloh]

What does the receiver look like?? Rusted and pitted like the barrel?? What is the serial #??
Lower numbered receivers from Springfield Arsenal were brittle. Improper heat treating. Above 800,000 and you are OK. 285,506 is when they started the new process from Rock Island Arsenal.

Other than that, many parts are still available as well as replacement stocks Go with the Dupage stock rather than Boyd's, The fit is reportedly a LOT better. Complaints to Boyd's have caused them to at least attempt a better fit.

Would they take less than $150 ?? The worst that happens is the owner says no.
See the Link

http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/

Shiloh

[Multigunner]

I have been looking for a "Shooter" 1903A3 and a local gun shop has a Sporterized 1903 (not A3) with a rusted out barrel and it has been drilled and tapped and is wearing a 7/8 inch scope with a straight objective. It is priced at $150 and has that look of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree from the cartoon. I should have looked closer at it, so it definitely needs more due diligence but how does that price compare to just waiting for something in better shape comes along? A quick look around the internet for parts shows a stock will be $150-200, barrel $150-200, assorted metal to get back to issued probably another $100 plus any gunsmithing so it would be $700+ but with some time to look around for parts maybe a little less.

Worth a shot or take a pass?

Wineman

Check the type of mounting and serial number range.
The Marine Corp chose to convert 03 rifles for sniping work rather than adopt the 03A4.

The 7/8 Lyman Alaskan was often used on sniper rifles.

[Hip's Ax]

The drilled and tapped receiver kills the deal outright in my opinion. This single fact means that after you spend $700 to put it back as best you can the rifle would still never be worth anywhere near that number.

I have an 03 high number Rock Island sporter that I bought as a deer rifle back in the 1970's. 10 or 12 years ago I looked into restoring it and it wasn't a sound idea then and in my opinion wouldn't be now.

Now, if the rifle is nice enough to want as a sporter then I'd say buy it. If the barrel is indeed toast and the rifle isn't very pleasing looking I'd say pass. I decided to enjoy my rifle as a sporter and its a pretty dang nice one even if I do say so myself. It shoots quite well.

What I did is I decided what 03 I wanted, what condition I'd accept and what I would be willing to pay and I waited. It eventually came to me, the CMP got 03's a while back and I got one I love. Watch and wait, the rifle will come to you in one way or another.

Mind the serial number issue, 800,000 and up Springfields are good to go as are 286,506 and up Rock Islands. All Remington 03's and all 03A3's are fine, no low number issues to worry about.

Hope this helps.

[2shot]

I think you may be a little low on your estimate of restoring this. I looked into it last year for a 1903 that I had rebarrels to 7X57 back in 1970. By the time I had figured in a desent stock, barrel and all the proper metal fittings, issue sights ect. I was close to or above what most people were asking for 1903's and 03A3's. Although I was wanting to do this so I could shoot "Springfield Matches" and was looking at Krieger barrels (big $$ over used) it was still more than I wanted to spend. On flea bay every time I bid on a part someone would bid higher and drive a $5 part to up over the $30 range. This happened when I bid on a front sight BLADE that was listed as $2.98 starting bid and went up $5 dollars every time I bid higher. IMHO the people that bid high are the people that have the part for sale and are trying to drive the prices up for themselves. If they win the bid they just take the money from their left pocket and put it in their right.

Ahh, if I only knew what these 03's would be worth I never would have converted it to 7X57 but I blame it on Ruger for being slow to get their Model 77 chambered for 7X57 (got one of them too). ; > )

[swheeler]

As you have been told the 1903 Springfield arsenal rifles with serial numbers above 800,000 are double heat treated and fine, numbers below 800k have brittle recievers, and 1,275,767 and above are nickel steel and fine. The Rock Island arsenal 1903's with serial numbers above 285,509(NOW WE HAVE 3 DIFFERENT CUT OFF SERIAL NUMBERS SHOWN) are double heat treated, and SN# 319,921 and above are nickel steel and fine.
If it was me and I wanted to restore, the drilled and tapped reciever would kill the deal. If you decide to go for it, make sure the rear screw hole on the front reciever ring is not drilled through the locking lug, about 50% I look at are drilled this way, then you still have to wonder if they are drilled in line with the bore. Do yourself a favor and take a PASS. .02 Scot

[Larry Gibson]

wineman

Depends on what you mean by "shooter". If you want a restored M1903A3 or M1903 (since that's what the action is) then all the comments regarding serial # ranges apply. Also if you want something to sell as a restored M1903/A3 then the D&T kills the value as mentioned.

However, if you want a shooter for you to shoot and have no expectations of selling it of making a profit then the cost in $s is simply a matter of what it is worth to you. Personally I believe you have a too high estimate. That is if you consider it a working project. If you muct have the rifle now then go buy one already done. If you can wait and look around at gunshows, gunshops, etc then you can probably build a good shooter for a lot less than your estimate. For example; Some years back I came onto a nice DHT SA M1903 action only with a sewer pipe barrel. The action was already D+T'd for scope mounts. I decided to build a National Match M1903A3 Type II replica as a shooter with the '03 action instead. I looked around and found a good bolt, a forged/milled mag/trigger guard, a new 9-43 RA 4 groove barrel, milled stock hardware, A Boyd stock that someone didn't like, Lyman 48S match reciever sight (1/4 moa adjustments) and I made the Lyman 17 out of an '03 base and a Lyman apeture sight. It is indeed a "shooter" and I have done very well with it to 1000 yards. Granted I did quite a bit of the work myself but I figure I have right at $400 in parts in the rifle. About the only real work that would have taken a gunsmith is the D&T of the M48 holes and the fitting and finish reaming of the barrel. You should be able to get that done for $100 or less. So maybe $500 into the rifle (I have turned down $1000 from someone who wanted it as a shooter also) if I couldn't fit the barrel, D&T 2 holes and finish chamber the barrel.

Is $500 for that reasonable? It is to me because I have what I wanted and by comparison the M1903A1 shooter I got from CMP that was supposidly in excellent condition (it wasn't) cost me the same $500 off the BBT. The match rifle shoots circles around the CMP rifle.

So, as I said, it depends on what you mean and want in a "shooter".

Larry Gibson

[WineMan]

Thanks for all the great info! I will give it a better look next time I am there and really get the lowdown. My thought was similar to Larry's, get the action and then start to look around for bits and pieces but I did not want to end up in a "money pit" as I am sure that the great members here had much more experience than myself.

Wineman

[Shiloh]

Rear sight collar and rear sight parts will probably be the toughest to get and the most expensive parts. Are they gone?? Front sight parts are probably relatively easily available.

Are the cutoff parts still there?? Swivels are available. Stacking swivels a bit harder to find but available. Been a while since I looked for '03 parts. Glad I have a complete rifle.

Who's the manufacturer??

Shiloh