Info Request: 25-06 Bolt Action, Sheridan Gun Shop (Springfield 1903A3)

[ahellers]

Hello,
I have a 25-06 from my father in law and am not really sure what it is. The only markings i can find are the caliber (25-06) and SHERIDAN GUN SHOP stamped in very fine letters on the barrel. There is also a SN that is covered by the scope mount. Scope is a Simmons Model 1010, which I assume is a cheapo. The butt plate on the stock is marked Fajen, which seems to be, or have been, a pretty well respected manufacturer. I haven't been able to find anything on Sheridan Gun Shop that likely correlates online. Father-in-law isn’t really a gun enthusiast, just a guy that has a deer gun his father gave him. Him and his family are from Oregon.

what can you folks tell me about this? I’d like to consider re-scoping it, but would like to know what I’m building on. I don’t have high expectations. I figure 90% it’s a weird non descript, sporterized bolt action. Though I don’t have much experience with bolt actions, the trigger does feel very, very nice. Very light, with a very clean break. Not the kind of thing I’d be comfortable walking around with the safety off.

best,

 

[mgmorden]

Its actually a 1903-A3. None of the A3's suffer from the heat treating issues of the original 1903's (so while I can't say for sure that its safe to shoot, its no more likely to be unsafe than any other used gun).

They're generally good guns. A little heavy by modern standards but that's par for the course for any vintage rifle where pretty much everything is steel or wood. My first gun was a 1903-A3 sporter that I sold because it wouldn't stabilize bullets (barrel was likely shot out). I ended up selling it but wished I'd have kept it to rebarrel. I eventually bought a regular 1903 sporter which shoots relatively well (and sports probably the nicest walnut stock of any gun I own).

 

[ahellers]

Well that is certainly more interesting than I was expecting. the scope does have a Japanese inspection sticker on it. Can anyone tell me when Simmons stopped manufacturing in Japan? That might give an end dated for when it may have been assembled.
It looks like the scope Mount is made by Redfield. There is a very small logo on it. The scope Mount also has a flip up rear peep sight built into it. I suppose it was meant to work with the original front iron sight? The rear of the safety switch is marked Mark II.

I very much doubt it’s had more than 10 rounds through it in the last 10 years, if any. I’ll clean it up and see if I can get it out this week.

I really appreciate the info. open to anything else anyone can wants to toss out. Maybe regarding Sheridan or the stock.

best,

 

[eastbank]

i,ll bet its a 03a3 smith corona. ck the maker stamped on the front reciever ring.

 

[ahellers]

If you’re curious here is a better look at the rail. The makers mark is pretty small. The rear aperture is fairly large and obstructed from flipping all the way up by the scope.

 

[ahellers]

i,ll bet its a 03a3 smith corona. ck the maker stamped on the front reciever ring.

Popped the scope mount off. It is a Remington, serial number puts it July of 1943.

 

[eastbank]

i think the trigger guard is from a smith corona, the half moon stamp instead of a straight stamp in back of the front reciever stock screw.

 

[sage5907]

The gunsmith did a really good job with that rifle. There shouldn't be any issues with the rifle since it is an 03-A3. As indicated the stock was made by Fajen in Warsaw,, Missouri and more than likely the rifle has a Douglas barrel. I have owned several rifles with Douglas barrels and they would all shoot less than minute of angle. Douglas was the premium barrel maker back in the 1660's through 1980's before the later surge in barrel making. Douglas used button rifled barrels while the latest surge of high dollar barrels are cut rifled. Douglas is still making button rifled barrels and also Savage. The 25-06 is a really good cartridge, very accurate, easy to find ammunition, and easy to handload. I always liked 117 grain bullets and IMR 4831 powder. The bolt handle has been altered or changed so it will work with a scope. If you really want to get the best out of that rifle you could get higher quality scope like a Leupold 3-9 variable with a 40 mm objective. The magazine cutoff should always be in the on position. The safety lever has also been changed and since it locks the firing pin it is a very good safety and it has been modified for a right handed shooter. Without saying, when there is a round in the chamber the safety should always be "on" being released only when ready to fire.

 

[lysanderxiii]

More likely they had a roll stamp made, and marked all their barrels.

 

[Elkins45]

That looks like nice work on the bolt handle as well.

I dig that flip up rear aperture sight. BUS before there was MBUS. However it does seem a bit superfluous given there’s no front sight blade.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Mighty fine work that 'smith did. Beautifully, simple work. Very nicely done.

 

[sage5907]

The gunsmith used a safety lever of the type used on the FN Mauser DeLuxe action. This is an excellent safety lever but the user needs to be familiar with the arc of travel of the lever. I had one of these on a Weatherby rifle and I quickly learned not to lift the lever so high that it came close to the scope. The idea is to lift the lever just high enough so the safety works but the user can easily place the thumb on the top of the lever to push down to release the safety. It may not be a problem on this rifle because the scope is mounted so high but it would be a problem if the high mounts were replaced with low or medium mounts. It is important to be able to have the safety "on" when live cartridges are cycled through the action.

I think the reason the scope mount base has a peep sight is that this was the only base the gunsmith had available that could be fitted to the top of this action. The gunsmith had to drill holes in the action to mount this base. This particular base with a peep was intended as an emergency sight because if the scope was damaged in the field the scope could easily be removed just by rotating it a quarter turn to the left and then the peep could be used with a front sight. This is one of the advantages of the Leupold STD base with the peep.

 

[eastbank]

they can indeed me converted into very nice hunting rifles. i don,t know who did the work on this springfield, but they knew what they were doing. its still in 3006 and i gave it to my older brother who took a fancy to it.