Alas, the death of the fairly priced 1903 rifles...
Like MadCrate, I wanted to own a 1903A4 for vintage sniper matches and found a Gibbs to be the cheapest way to get in the game so I bought one about 2 years ago. I've shot it now in 4 matches plus some bench work for load development. I'm getting ready for this years matches as several local clubs are picking up the game. For us older guys who like highpower compitition but our across the course "game" is going by the wayside this is a fun way to remain somewhat competitive by just laying on our bellies and squeezing them off.
Anyway, here is my impression of the Gibbs gun I got. A buddy of mine also bought one and would pretty much confirm what I'm saying here. It looks great!!! The trigger was awful for what is sold as a sniper rifle, maybe 6 lbs. and creepy. Working the bolt was stiff, probably because the bolt and receiver were not originally matched. The Malcom repro scope is clear and was perfectly mounted on my rifle and is definately functionable, but I found it not to track very reliabily. Thats a problem when you have to change zeros between 300 and 600 yards. Finally, IMO the oil finish was little more than a lick and a promise, maybe one coat of linseed oil.
So I honed the striker a little bit and replaced the sear with a nice light spare that I had, and I now have a crisp 3# trigger. As for the scope, my Gibbs was delegated as my teams 300 yd. gun and we shot some decent scores at Perry last summer. I bought a Weaver K2.5 and some Leupold super low rings which is now mounted on the rifle in hopes of better luck. Looking forward to a trip to the range soon if the weather ever breaks here. I put an additional 4 coats of raw linseed oil on the stock and it now looks even better. As for the sticky bolt, it seems to have loosened up a little with use. Oh yeah, the spring must be broken on the bolt release lever and it kind of flops around so you have to be careful or you'll pull the bolt out of the action.
All in all, alot of work for a $1000 gun! But it does shoot pretty well and we get better with it every match.
Another comment/question that I have is what constitutes a "drill rifle". I did buy a nice Springfield 1903 from the CMP a couple of years ago when they still had them, and was told to me that most 1903 and A3 rifles they were selling at that time were returned drill rifles. Didn't they shoot blanks from them at ceremonies? If so, then they were operable. Any insight as to this issue?? Thanks.
Laphroaig