Early Springfield 1903 rifle

[RCS Advanced Collector Find all posts View Profile Close RCS]

This rifle came out of an old gunsmith's estate in KY in 1992. This rifle has a Feb 1907 dated barrel and still with
a nice bore. The stock is without stock bolts and inletted for the early rear sight base. The C.C.V. cartouche is
correct for the period. The rifle never went through rebuld and that is the reason that it is one of my favorite 1903
rifles. The single stock bolt was added in 1908 and the second stock bolt during WW1 to both new and rebuilt rifles

[Phil McGrath Second Lieutenant Find all posts View Profile Close Phil McGrath]

Very nice, I have a thing for 03's.

[RCS Advanced Collector Find all posts View Profile Close RCS]

Phil, here are some additional photos, note the rear sight base area in the stock channel.
Also note the non serif P proof

[Phil McGrath Second Lieutenant Find all posts View Profile Close Phil McGrath]

Very nice. My own 03 is in the 1.47mil range and according too John Beard falls into the early 03a1 rifle range. Now weather my stock is its original "C" stock it was born with or not it is still in a prewar "C" stock none the less and having been refinished only the S in the cutoff and a numeral in one of the stocks cross bolt remain. Its just a shooter stock but a nice one. My barrel is a harder too find SA 10-44 replacement barrel and while SA was cranking out M1's you would have though they dropped 03 parts production and let Remington take over the replacement parts.


Long story short, I used my rifle in a Garand Match when I first got it, this was with some hand loaded 168 from my M1 so I had zero dope on the rifle with this load, So with a lot of help from some ol' timers I got on paper and still fired a 383 with 4x(?) not too bad. The next day I was sore but it was a good sore. I still need too work on running the bolt in the rapids but the 135 loads have been a tremendous help with recoil and bolt speed.

[m14brian Major Find all posts View Profile Close m14brian]

Awesome! I like '03s too. How many of them do you have RCS?
m14brian

[RCS Advanced Collector Find all posts View Profile Close RCS]

Phil, also have a 1.47 mil SA rifle too, barrel is dated SA 9-35 and the receiver is still without the Hatcher hole. It
has regular two bolt stock with a SA SPG stamp

[Phil McGrath Second Lieutenant Find all posts View Profile Close Phil McGrath]

Hey there not too far apart, mine is 1474895 also without HH. Yours is a few thousands newer so its nice too see a rifle close enough too know what the original barrel date could/should have been. Mine also has the checkered but plate and was a gun store pickup for $500 bones OTD.

I'm having difficulties posting the bigger pic's without going too a photo hosting sight but I will get some up.

[Phil McGrath Second Lieutenant Find all posts View Profile Close Phil McGrath]

Hey!!! what do you know, I think I figured out how too get the larger pic's