ken792
Ultimate Member
So I picked up this Remington M1903 at the MACA Show in Baltimore this past Saturday. I didn't technically get it at the show, but simply met the seller there. I got my USN M1903 off of him there last year.
This is what's known as a "transitional" model, meaning that the receiver was made with the simplified M1903A3 receiver, and then the rear sight dovetail was milled off and the rifle built as an M1903. Remington either had trouble making the 03A3 rear sights or simply wanted to use up existing 03 parts to get rifles out the door.
The barrel is marked 12-42, and the receiver dates to that as well. Since M1903 production ceased in March 1943, this is one of the last ones made. The serial number is a 3.348mil.
The stock has a boxed RLB cartouche, with a Raritan Arsenal rebuild stamp. While the stock is a Remington, it predates the rifle by quite a bit.
The bore gauges 1 on the throat and 0 on the muzzle and the crown is very sharp. Unfortunately, there is a slight amount of frosting in the barrel.
I put 40 rounds through it on Sunday from unsupported prone with a sling at 100yd. Not surprisingly, this rifle doesn't really like the handloads that I had made for my M1. I don't know if it's just the particular load or if it doesn't like 168gr slugs (my other 03 does not). I have a box of 175's, so I'll play around with those.
This is what's known as a "transitional" model, meaning that the receiver was made with the simplified M1903A3 receiver, and then the rear sight dovetail was milled off and the rifle built as an M1903. Remington either had trouble making the 03A3 rear sights or simply wanted to use up existing 03 parts to get rifles out the door.
The barrel is marked 12-42, and the receiver dates to that as well. Since M1903 production ceased in March 1943, this is one of the last ones made. The serial number is a 3.348mil.
The stock has a boxed RLB cartouche, with a Raritan Arsenal rebuild stamp. While the stock is a Remington, it predates the rifle by quite a bit.
The bore gauges 1 on the throat and 0 on the muzzle and the crown is very sharp. Unfortunately, there is a slight amount of frosting in the barrel.
I put 40 rounds through it on Sunday from unsupported prone with a sling at 100yd. Not surprisingly, this rifle doesn't really like the handloads that I had made for my M1. I don't know if it's just the particular load or if it doesn't like 168gr slugs (my other 03 does not). I have a box of 175's, so I'll play around with those.
