1903 A3 kit help me make it close

[ebb]

I have a kit on the way to build a 1903 A3, can anyone tell me where i can find info on how to finish the stock and metal to be as original as possible. I don't want to make a rifle that i can trick people into thinking is a perfect WW2 matching numbers show piece. I want it close enough that people won't laugh when I take it to the range.

[30calflash]

Military stocks were usually finished with boiled linseed oil, you may want something similar but 'better' as there are choices out there.

Metal finish varied, Smith Corona had everything metal parkerized with a dark grey, almost black, finish.

Remington had a green/gray finish on the action and barrel. The bolt, mag cutoff, follower, magazine, all sights and small parts on the receiver and all the stock metal were blued.

On rebuilds everything got parkerized, typically.

[ebb]

What choices are better than BLO? A lot of people talk about Arrow wood finish, and I intend to try it, but i think it is high gloss so not on this gun.

[Baltimoreed]

Go on line and look at a lot of 03-a3s, compare them to what the sn of your donor is and how your donor/kit is finished and go from there. I’ve done 2 1903s from cut up sporters. Figured that I couldn’t hurt them. I used caseys red walnut stain and truoil but there are many ways to redo GI wood that are more authentic. Fun builds that are pretty good shooters. And we want photos to check out your work. Here are my ‘03 builds. Good building, make it yours.

[Gtek]

First thing I would suggest is NO SANDPAPER unless fitting is required. Steaming on wood on an old warhorse and #0000 wool on finishing. With the rebuilds finishes can be all over, dark black/blue bolts and bands or parked in a few different colors. As suggested above confirm your maker and range and look at a bunch online and go in a direction that you like. If it is a Rem a dark greenish parker and blued bands and bolt is common, but with many variables there. The wood would be new or used and how you would approach, some had a reddish tint to a dark oil soaked finish. Fine shooting rifles and just enjoy it and shoot it and to ---- with what "they" think!

[beltfed]

Here is one to look at. It came this way out of the Cosmoline from the CMP.
Remington dated 11-43, SN range 4.1mm pretty much all "green"

[El Bibliotecario]

The CMP website at one time had an extensive section on stock finish for USGI weapons.

[ebb]

Thanks all for your replies. The 03 arrived Saturday, looks like its all there.

[Baltimoreed]

But we can’t see it

[Rany A]

I use a light application of Dark Walnut stain then boiled Linseed oil. If you want the reddish color some of the old 03s had, mix some Red Sedona with the dark walnut.
As far as finished, original finished on the stock hardware were blued, almost what I would call gloss. They were only parkerized ones they went through a rebuild and those colors depended on what Depot they were rebuilt at. Call Chuck at Warpath Vintage metal finishing and he’ll tell you what works for all of it. Last time I send a sack of hardware to him it was like $25 to have it all redone. Been a while though.