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View Full Version : M1903A3 Barrel Swap/Headspace - how to?



SierraWhiskeyMC
08-25-2010, 10:54 PM
I have a couple of M1903A3 Springfield rifles that I need to replace the barrels on.

One of them is a C-stocked National Match that my Dad gave me around 1969.

The other is an S-stocked that my Dad started to sporterize; he had a barrel turned in the white, and had the bolt handle straightened and polished. Fortunately, I stopped his sporterizing effort when I was around 10 years old by butchering the walnut stock blank he was planning on using.

The bolt handle is an easy fix; I can get a stripped bolt.

I have some spare barrels that are '43 and '44 milsurp, still in Cosmolene, that Dad bought back in '63.

But, I don't have a barrel vise nor chamber reamer (do I even need one?) and I'm not certain of how much torque I'll need to apply, do I need to warm the action up, do I use some kind of anti-seize on the threads?

I'd appreciate some tips on this. I sure don't want to screw these nice rifles up.

SierraWhiskeyMC
09-02-2010, 03:46 PM
Never mind - found this thread on the ODCMP site for swapping a Garand barrel:
http://www.thecmp.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1232

Basically everything I needed to know in the PowerPoint presentation, and even where to rent the tools/gauges for a reasonable cost.