I find my sporterized 03A3 very easy to tune as long as I keep my expectations in check and remember that it’s a 70 year old military rifle, not a custom target rifle and it’s only purpose in life is to slay deer
My error was addressed above. However, there was this comment:
"No 1903A3 is a low number with improper heat treatment. However, some are restored drill rifles which is a whole nother issue."
Anyway, everyone knows you reloaders load everything with compressed pistol-powder loads anyway
Nothing wrong with a good high number 03 or any A3 as the foundation of a good sporter or even target rifle within reason.
When I was shooting HP competition, I was going through a 30-06 target barrel in my Mod. 70 every 16 months or so @ somewhere near $500 a pop. Had a couple of the old takeoff's under the bench and, since my barrels were all 26" minimum had a brainstorm. The barrels looked like new forward of the throat but somewhere near 7500 rounds started throwing fliers. I shot a lot more practice rounds than I did in matches, and a plan to save my target barrel for matches began to take shape.
I also had an A3 with a rough barrel that shot well but coppered badly so spoke to a gunsmith who said he would cut off whatever necessary, rethread to the Springfield and rechamber for $40.
Smallbore shooters routinely cut off and rechamber; why not centerfire? Everyone I asked figured I could get another 2500 or so rounds out of the old barrels, so I ordered a target stock blank and went to work on it while the old barrel and action was @ the gunsmith. Wanted it to feel/fit as close to my mod. 70 as possible.
Came back about 3" shorter than original but was close enough for practice, most of which was offhand and a little prone & sitting rapid fire. Accuracy was on a par with the model 70 with a couple of differences. The recycled barrel was still shooting very well @ 1500 rounds when I had to quit position shooting due to arthritis.
View attachment 839516View attachment 839517
^ Pre-64 Mod. 70 Win. W/sights ^ ^ 1903A3 W/O Sights ^
ETA: The Redfield Internation sights interchange between both rifles.
Rather than spend a lot of time on the original trigger, I dropped a Timney in it and it was good to go. The A3 action is not nearly as smooth as my old Mod. 70, but the 70 has over 20,000 rounds through it plus probably 3-4 times that number of "dry fired" rounds so it is very smoooooth!
I quickly learned that my shot would be one ring out from my call on offhand due to the slower lock time of the 03, but since I never shoot the 03 in matches, that's not an issue. A stronger FP spring and cutting off the cocking knob to lighten striker assy. would get the lock time close to the 70, but I didn't feel it was worth the effort for a practice rifle (did not affect POI on more stable positions).
Gotta love the 1903's.
Regards,
hps
My error was addressed above. However, there was this comment:
"No 1903A3 is a low number with improper heat treatment. However, some are restored drill rifles which is a whole nother issue."
Anyway, everyone knows you reloaders load everything with compressed pistol-powder loads anyway
If.....in 2019 your are taking a "good high number 03 or A3 and using it as a foundation of a good sporter" you should have your @$$ removed. This is not 1950 any longer and these things do not cost $25....and that was a bit of money back in 1950.
I will leave it at that.
I start that question in the reloading section of several gun sites I visit once and a while to try to learn why people do that.
Trail boss seems to be the go to powder for everything.....and I just don't get it.
Nothing wrong with a good high number 03 or any A3 as the foundation of a good sporter or even target rifle within reason.
When I was shooting HP competition, I was going through a 30-06 target barrel in my Mod. 70 every 16 months or so @ somewhere near $500 a pop. Had a couple of the old takeoff's under the bench and, since my barrels were all 26" minimum had a brainstorm. The barrels looked like new forward of the throat but somewhere near 7500 rounds started throwing fliers. I shot a lot more practice rounds than I did in matches, and a plan to save my target barrel for matches began to take shape.
I also had an A3 with a rough barrel that shot well but coppered badly so spoke to a gunsmith who said he would cut off whatever necessary, rethread to the Springfield and rechamber for $40.
Smallbore shooters routinely cut off and rechamber; why not centerfire? Everyone I asked figured I could get another 2500 or so rounds out of the old barrels, so I ordered a target stock blank and went to work on it while the old barrel and action was @ the gunsmith. Wanted it to feel/fit as close to my mod. 70 as possible.
Came back about 3" shorter than original but was close enough for practice, most of which was offhand and a little prone & sitting rapid fire. Accuracy was on a par with the model 70 with a couple of differences. The recycled barrel was still shooting very well @ 1500 rounds when I had to quit position shooting due to arthritis.
View attachment 839516View attachment 839517
^ Pre-64 Mod. 70 Win. W/sights ^ ^ 1903A3 W/O Sights ^
ETA: The Redfield Internation sights interchange between both rifles.
Rather than spend a lot of time on the original trigger, I dropped a Timney in it and it was good to go. The A3 action is not nearly as smooth as my old Mod. 70, but the 70 has over 20,000 rounds through it plus probably 3-4 times that number of "dry fired" rounds so it is very smoooooth!
I quickly learned that my shot would be one ring out from my call on offhand due to the slower lock time of the 03, but since I never shoot the 03 in matches, that's not an issue. A stronger FP spring and cutting off the cocking knob to lighten striker assy. would get the lock time close to the 70, but I didn't feel it was worth the effort for a practice rifle (did not affect POI on more stable positions).
Gotta love the 1903's.
Regards,
hps
Four, a lot of traditional rifle powders are not that good with mouse fart type reduced loads
Five, some of those old rifles have a dubious past, especially some of those old battle rifles, and it is generally prudent to keep loads down but people still want to shoot them. Trailboss (or other similar powders) is one way to do that versus problematic cartridge adaptors or rebarreling to something like a .22LR and destroying collector value.
Oh, if you paid 25 bucks for an 03 in 1950, you may have paid too much. In the mid to late '50's the DCM (forerunner of CMP) offered these rifles to NRA members. First offering was $30, when they did not sell them all, they were offered later for $12.50 IIRC. My first was new in cosmoline and 2nd was a new Remington 2 groove in sealed tinfoil sleeve. Alas, those days are gone forever.
Does it still have the rod bayonet and is in .30-03?Sometimes you cant beat a good LOW number 03! Still trying to talk the boss into taking this beauty out of the case so I can get my mitts on it
Nice job! Back in the '50's there were so many mil surps around that no one ever thought the supply would dry up and many, many were sporterized.To support what you're saying, my dad says he paid $15 for his (which is the one I have now) and started the sporterization project in the late 50's that he never finished. I finished it for him a few years ago and he gave it to me
Sometimes you cant beat a good LOW number 03! Still trying to talk the boss into taking this beauty out of the case so I can get my mitts on it
My 03A3, bought it from CMP. Took it to range on my way home. Load was Federal brass, CCI 34 primers, Hornady 155gr A-max over 48.0gr H4895.
1943 Springfield, 03A3, Rem w/2groove bbl. 0.5 te, 0.0me. First shot left, 1click right correction. It’ll shoot!
It is all original, never fired, and was taken from the production line straight to the museum at the Rock Island Arsenal. It has the pig sticker bayonet and it is a 30-03. A collector would grade the gun at 100%.Does it still have the rod bayonet and is in .30-03?
It is. See the above comments.WOW! that one looks brand new.
It is all original, never fired, and was taken from the production line straight to the museum at the Rock Island Arsenal. It has the pig sticker bayonet and it is a 30-03. A collector would grade the gun at 100%.
#1 is the gun in the middle.
It is. See the above comments.
Tark has a gig at the Rock Island Armory museum--if you look up past threads, he gets to handle all sorts of rare objects and now and then he shares pictures so we can envy him.I think I'm in love! Is that the NRA museum @ Fairfax?
Thanks for sharing!
Regards,
hps
Ahhh, mission accomplished! I have only had the opportunity to visit NRA museum once several years back, took lots of pictures but I knew I would have remembered that display. Thanks, BB.Tark has a gig at the Rock Island Armory museum--if you look up past threads, he gets to handle all sorts of rare objects and now and then he shares pictures so we can envy him.
Ahhh, mission accomplished! I have only had the opportunity to visit NRA museum once several years back, took lots of pictures but I knew I would have remembered that display. Thanks, BB.
Regards,
hps