03A3 sporter

[garanddaddy]

Local gun store has a 03A3 that was sporterized by cutting down original stock. Bullet test on muzzle was good. Could be returned to original. 10-43 barrell with s/n 414xxxx anyone know if it would be worth $300.00? plus another $100.00 for funiture and parts

 

[rustymaggot]

i believe i paid less for mine. mines a remington, and i hear they are worth less than the springfield ones. mine was sporterized by someone who knew what they were doing. ive heard that mine was done by remington but i have no documentation on that rumor. its just what some old timer said out at the local range years ago when he saw what i had. mine will do almost moa. i love shooting it.


i dont know if i helped you or not. if you get it id like to see pics before you restore it.

 

[dstorm1911]

$400 finished puts ya $200-$250 under the current going price, if the metal wasn't chopped up I'd grab it.

 

[HiWayMan]

I paid $325 for mine. It was sporterized by someone who knew what they were doing. All the inletting is perfect. The barrel is a 12-22, and it shoots awesome. .75" Cloverleafs at 100yds.

 

[ScottsGT]

If it does not need reparking, no scope mounts drilled, and all parts there, I'd go for it. It's great to see one restored to it's previous glory.

 

[garanddaddy]

The only thing done that I can see is the stock was cut back. would need new stock, hanguard and hardware. check prices could restore for about another $125 so I would have $425.00 into it. and it is a Remington

 

[Gewehr98]

Well...

i believe i paid less for mine. mines a remington, and i hear they are worth less than the springfield ones.

If you can find a Springfield-manufactured M1903A3, grab it and insure it for all you can. Why? Springfield never made the M1903A3 version, they were too busy making M1 Garands, so they left the bolt-action rifle production to Remington and Smith Corona during WWII.

Springfield and Rock Island manufactured the M1903, M1903 Mk1, and M1903A1 rifles, all WWI versions with the rear sights on the barrel. The M1903A2 was a sub-caliber breech adapter to fire .30-06 ammo in an artillery piece for practice.

The M1903A3 had some improvements to expedite production during WWII, with the rear sight changed to an adjustable peep and moved to the rear receiver ring, among other changes.

The M1903A4 Sniper was the M1903A3 with an offset serial number, no front or rear sight, and a 3/4" or 7/8" scope, either made by Weaver or Lyman.

The M1941 USMC Sniper was the M1903A1 fitted with a Lyman 5x scope, later upgraded to a Unertl 8x scope.

If you buy a replacement stock and handguard from Boyd's, be prepared to do some final inletting and the complete sanding/staining/sealing/oil finishing. But when you're done, it'll look pretty darned good, witness the Boyd's furniture on my own 1903A4 restoration:

 

[ID_shooting]

Are you sure its a bubba rifle. There were some factory sporterized 03s.

 

[wanderinwalker]

If all it needs is wood, grab it and go!! I'd part with $300 for a barely-sporterized 1903 to restore, no question.

I missed a 1917 for $350 with good bore, that only needed a new stock to be "original". Didn't have $350 and didn't know what I was looking at at the time.

Take it and run!

PS: Father's 03A3 will shoot it's entire magazine into about 1.5 MOA with "good" reloads. (Good meaning I trimmed all the cases and used BR primers)

 

[garanddaddy]

How can you tell if it is a factory sporterized 03A3

 

[Gewehr98]

Factory sporterized 1903A3?

The 1903A3 is too new, believe it or not. Maybe sporterized by a good gunsmith, but by the time the 1903A3 hit the beaches in 1942, R.F. Sedgley, A.O. Niedner, and other comparable big name custom rifle makers in the commercial marketplace had closed their doors. Sedgley sporters based on WWI-era Springfield 1903 and 1903A1 rifles command a high value, and mark a bygone era in custom rifles:

 

[garanddaddy]

OK, first thing tomorrow morning I'm going to buy the 03A3

 

[rustymaggot]

heres mine so you can see what my sporterized one looks like. i added the versa-pod, sling, and i made the leather side saddle.

its a remington and barrel says 4-44






and heres my best 50 yard group. 5 shots, i dont recall what ammo.

 

[ID_shooting]

Here is a lousy scan of Page 267 of my copy of "Rifles Of The World."

 

[garanddaddy]

Well I went down this morning and plunked down my $300 for the 03A3 now will need some hardware and stock. It had a leather sling which I am thinking might be original it is stamped B.T.& B. CO. with the numeral 12 under

Anyone tell me what I got??

 

[4fingermick]

scheeeoot!

that's a nice group, but the cook's gonna skin you when she sees that frypan!

Nice rifles boys, I've never seen a springfield with a decent barrel in Australia and I can't remember seeing more that one or two sporterised ones.

I saw a couple recently, which were in good condition apart from the barrels, but had blown the gun budget well out of the water. I'll get one one day.

I bought a Remington P14 the other day, it is an early fat boy one with all of the trimmings, long range sights, etc, but the barrel has been drilled just in from of the chamber. I picked it up cheeeeeeeeeeeep. It might be drill one. I'll give it a good goig over when I get it home, it will either be parted out and a big bore hunting rifle made from the action or rebarrelled and restored. The stock is ok, but has a really dark shellac finish which is pretty chipped. Either way, it will work out ok.

 

[rustymaggot]

4fingermick, thank you for the compliment.

i love shooting frying pans. i buy the ones with the ruined teflon coatings for a quarter or so at swapmeets.