03A3 Barrel replacement

[MSD MIke]

I have a Remington 03A3 that is in great shape other than the barrel is worn out. You can barely see a slight swirl that used to be rifling. I am interested in having a new barrel installed and am looking for recommendation on a gunsmith that knows these guns and can do the job. Someone in El Paso TX, New Mexico, Colorado or Arizona would be best as I travel those states frequently and could drop the gun off without the worry of shipping it.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Mike

[gnoahhh]

New barrel, as from a .30 blank? New Criterion barrel from CMP or direct from Criterion? Or a new old stock GI barrel? If the latter two it's a simple matter to unscrew the old barrel and screw on the new one, snugging it up to the witness marks then using a reamer turned by hand to remove the couple thousandths needed to set headspace. (Admittedly easier said than done as you need a stout barrel vise and action wrench, but certainly not beyond the capabilities of an ingenious home craftsman.) In short, it ain't rocket science and certainly doesn't require the services of a high priced gunsmith.

If starting with a basic .30 barrel blank then it becomes more complicated - turning tenon threads, profiling to match original contour, cutting the coned breech and extractor slot, and milling for front sight attachment.

There's still plenty of NOS 03A3 barrels floating around, and while they aren't getting any cheaper it's still cheaper than going the route of starting with a rough blank from a barrel maker.

[MSD MIke]

New barrel, as from a .30 blank? New Criterion barrel from CMP or direct from Criterion? Or a new old stock GI barrel? If the latter two it's a simple matter to unscrew the old barrel and screw on the new one, snugging it up to the witness marks then using a reamer turned by hand to remove the couple thousandths needed to set headspace. (Admittedly easier said than done as you need a stout barrel vise and action wrench, but certainly not beyond the capabilities of an ingenious home craftsman.) In short, it ain't rocket science and certainly doesn't require the services of a high priced gunsmith.

If starting with a basic .30 barrel blank then it becomes more complicated - turning tenon threads, profiling to match original contour, cutting the coned breech and extractor slot, and milling for front sight attachment.

There's still plenty of NOS 03A3 barrels floating around, and while they aren't getting any cheaper it's still cheaper than going the route of starting with a rough blank from a barrel maker.

Thanks, planning on going with a Criterion. I have done some research, and it's looks like a job I could do myself if I had the tools, but I don't have the barrel vice, action wrench or 30-06 chamber reamer. I actually found a local gunsmith I'm going to use. Of course, Criterion's website says there is a 3–5-month backorder for barrels.

Mike

[Ajohns]

You might want to check with them and get on their list.
The P14 Enfield barrels will be made in the upcoming couple months from what they told me. I got on their waiting list this spring.

[Ithaca Gunner]

And you'll need headspace gauges. Cost of all the tooling, I'd say would be in the $450. ballpark, plus barrel. Barrel vices and action wrenches are pretty standard tooling for any gunsmith, as are .30/06 reamer and headspace gauges. It's actually a simple job for a competent smith, choose one familliar with the '03 Springfield in general and you should be okay.

[darne]

MSD Mike,
I have a new Criterion 1903A3 barrel I'm not going to use. I sent you a PM.
Dan

[WILCO]

MSD Mike,
I have a new Criterion 1903A3 barrel I'm not going to use. I sent you a PM.
Dan

Cool!!!!!!!!

[Alstep]

CMP has barrels and the custom shop will install that barrel for you.

https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/custom-gunsmithing/