Smith Corona 03A3

[aegagner]

Picked her up at the LGS yesterday... the receiver, bolt and barrel all seem to be SC; it is pinned, with a good bore, etc...

Have read a bunch on the web regarding parkerization vs bluing on the A3 with colors described as black, olive drab and so on.. this rifle seems to have all of those hues.. bolt is pretty black, receiver is black-sih/olive and the bands are olive with a touch of black.. interesting.

Has a Rock Island stamp indicating a arsenal rebuild, but would love more info from the experts. She's a beaut, put a couple rounds thru her when I got home yesterday functions fine, will shoot it "seriously" this weekend. First 03, always wanted one, very excited.

Thanks guys

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[GBExpat]

Very nice, congrats!

Be sure to look closely at the area around the magazine cutoff for any evidence of weld-work being reversed.

Seems that a LOT of the Smith Coronas were converted to drill rifles.

 

[desidog]

It's tough to tell from your first photo, but the trigger guard looks like it's from an 03 (milled), not a 03A3 (which was stamped). That's a trade off, since the stamped version is correct for the 03A3, hurting collector value; but makes for a more accurate, stiffer setup. if you want to make it correct, you can sell the milled TG, buy a stamped TG, and pocket $20-30.

/I have a milled TG on my 03A3 as well, and it's staying there.

 

[aegagner]

Thanks folks.

Fairly certain it's stamped, Desi.. though admittedly my knowledge of 03A3's was gained primarily on the web over the past 48 hours

 

[desidog]

Yes, that is definitely stamped.

 

[aegagner]

Thanks again Desi.

 

[Slamfire]

Have read a bunch on the web regarding parkerization vs bluing on the A3 with colors described as black, olive drab and so on.. this rifle seems to have all of those hues.. bolt is pretty black, receiver is black-sih/olive and the bands are olive with a touch of black.. interesting.

I showed a real M1903 expert my SC M1903A3. The upper and lower bands were parkerized and he said my rifle had gone through a rebuild program. My recollection is that he said SC parts were blued.

The stamps on the stock, in front of the trigger guard, they look like Remington in process stamps. Since I don't have an original SC stock, could be SC.

I like my M1903A3's, take it out and zero yours!

 

[CLP]

word of warning though, if you're going to shoot lead bullets make sure to get a chamber cast to know how much to size your bullets

 

[aegagner]

Here are the cartouche marks, not sure if they are as visible via photo as they are with the eye

 

[aegagner]

So the receiver has a build date of 11-42 vs the barrel which is stamped SC 6-43.. any chance there would have been a 7 month lapse in production or is it likely part of the Rock Island rebuild?

 

[tark]

Wow, that is a beaut!

The initials in the rebuild stamp are those of Frank Krack, who was in charge of the rebuilding operation at RIA during WW-II. He was the final inspector. The FJA cartouche is Frank J Atwood, who held the similar position at the Smith-Corona facilities.

SC made 234,580 03A3s during the war. The production started at #360,800, so your gun is VERY early. What is the date on the barrel? I can't make it out from the picture. Some of the early guns were built with six groove barrels supplied by High Standard. If you have a six groove barrel you have a rare bird.

Your bolt should have an "X" lightly stamped at the root of the bolt handle, visible when the bolt is closed. It should be blued. The bolts and many small parts on the A3s were blued instead of parkerized, to speed production. This included screws, sights, barrel bands and sometimes the trigger guard and floor plate. Most SCs had four groove barrels. Many small parts on the Remington's were stamped with an "R". SC did not do this. By the way, that dimple below the 3 in the serial #is a punch mark. It shows that the receiver passed proof.

I am wondering why your gun was sent to RIA for a rebuild in the first place! The thing was brand new in 1943! What could have caused it to be sent to a re-building facility, only to come out without showing hardly any evidence of having been rebuilt

You have a very interesting piece

 

[tark]

Just read aegagner's post....so the barrel is dated 6-43. It is obviously a Smith Corona barrel, which would not be be a RIA re-barrel job. But if the gun WAS re-barreled, it would have been subjected to the mandatory Re-proof testing. and the stock would have a second "P" in a circle on the stock, behind the trigger guard, next to the first. Sometimes a "P" in a square was used. I don't know if a second punch mark on the receiver was done on rebuilds. If so, it would be next to the first. Your gun obviously does not have it.

It is entirely possible that their could be a seven month separation of the receiver date and the barrel date. The receiver was STAMPED with a serial# dating it at 11-42, but that doesn't mean that it was immediately used and put into production. If you fill a bin full of parts the oldest part will be on the bottom. First in. But it will be the last out, if you take parts from the top of the bin. Receivers don't have shelf lives. Rotation of stock was not in the Army's vocabulary back then. They might have finally gotten around to using your receiver# in June of 43 when a shipment of barrels showed up.

We will never know. But we know this: You have a very interesting piece of history. Cherish and enjoy it.

 

[aegagner]

Thanks for the info Tark, I certainly will!

 

[rondog]

Been sitting here wondering which gun to take shooting today, now I think it shall be my 03A3! Remington, though.