[Noban]

Hi all - I recently acquired an 03A3 and want to detail strip it for a thorough cleaning. I plan on removing all the stock metal and tearing down the bolt. I hope you pros can provide some guidance.

Thanks

kevin

[Larry Ashcraft]

Check here...

http://www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/03/03config.pl?

Should be of some help.

[Hkmp5sd]

U.S. Rifles, Cal. 30 M1903, M1903A1, M1903A3 and M1903A4 - Ordnance Manual (PDF) (http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/Springfield_M1903_AT_A3_A4.pdf)

[Mike Irwin]

Recommend that you do not fully disassmble the bolt, but only take the outer tube off and then hose out the works with gunscrubber or brake cleaner.

The firing pin spring is pretty powerful and can be a chore to get back into the right spot for reassembly.

[TrapperReady]

I echo the comment by Mike Irwin.

When my box from the CMP showed up, I took the whole thing apart. REALLY disliked getting getting the bolt back together. In fact, I started work on it early in the evening, and was reassembling it after my wife had gone to bed. At one point, she came downstairs to see what all the swearing was about. Also, it didn't get it much cleaner, if at all.

About a week later, I repeated the process trying to get the ejector back into the bolt of the M-1 I also got from the CMP. :cuss:

[cracked butt]

About a week later, I repeated the process trying to get the ejector back into the bolt of the M-1 I also got from the CMP.

I found the hammer spring to ba a bit of a pita on the M1.

On the '03 I would probably leave the magazine cutoff alone unless there is a problem with it. On mine, the tiny screw on it was all buggered up, so I just let it be.

[Noban]

Guys - Thanks for the helpful information. All went well last night with the disassembly. Tonight, I wipe down the wood with mineral spirits and apply my favorite concoction of beeswax/BLO/turpentine. All the metal is in great shape, including the bore.

Kevin