Have an opportunity to make a trade from a Springfield 1903-A3 but don't know rifles

ken792 · Sep 25, 2016

It doesn't look like a drill rifle rebuild, so that's a plus.

It's a GI barrel, but with the finish polished off. I don't see how he thought polishing the finish off would make it more accurate for competition use. Front sight band looks like it has been set back a little further than it should be. Maybe the key has been modified. It should sit flush with that step you see on the muzzle.

The sling looks like a repro. The geometry of the metal hooks and the rivets look off. The hooks also look painted, not parkerized like they should be.

The stock looks like it fits the barrel properly at the front. Sometimes the nose of the stock no longer contacts the barrel due to warping or bubba trying to free float the barrel. The OG stamp means it went through the Army depot in Ogden, UT for rebuild after WWII.

I say go for the trade. It's definitely worth more than the $400-450 you wanted for the camera.

Edit: Missed the part where you said you did the trade.

Doco Overboard · Sep 25, 2016

Good trade! nice sling and it looks like it has a 03 butt-plate from the pictures as far as I can tell.

cougar70 · Sep 26, 2016

When it was re-barreled, it came with no finish.
On the strap, it looked to nice and clean and perfect to be original. Even if it was NOS, it would have shown age.
Looking at the wood, the piece on top of the barrel doesn't match the rest, it's too clean and looks lighter. So I'm guessing it was replaced when re-barreled.
On the butt plate, I'll have to take a better pic, I didn't realize it was out of focus till I was about to post them.

All in all, a nice piece of history.

Doco Overboard · Sep 26, 2016

The barrel is rebuild depot stock that was more than likely sold off outside of arsenal at a later time. Sometimes barrels can be found in greasy wrap that are in the white. HS most particularly. The sling, if not original is a good repo, earlier ones had heavy brass hooks and the later ones were steel, it has oval holes and the keepers are stitched. The handgaurd looks like a reproduction to me as well but dont know for sure. The Foresight has more than likely been moved backed and a larger hole drilled where it is pinned because the old pin was damaged or lost during the barrel swap so the band would be tight.

ken792 · Sep 26, 2016

The handguard may well have been an unissued one. You can still find unissued A3 handguards and WWII replacement 03 handguards for very cheap.

I thought all Remington replacement barrels were parkerized and had the front sight bases installed prior to being stored away in the grease? I know the HS barrels came in the white.

Doco Overboard · Sep 26, 2016

I bought up a bunch of SA greasy wrap barrels years ago before a lot of drill rifles flooded the market and never had the fortune of getting one in the white. On the same side of the coin I never opened a HS barrel that wasn't black phosphated. The barrel in the picture has a mid 44 date vs the receiver which is about a year earlier. Obviously the barrel that is being depicted has been cobbled together at a later point outside of a rebuild program due to the poor fitting of the front site band and the lack of the parker process. The R8 bolt is also parked vs. being blued as is the top band being further evidence of resourced parts. I have read about and seen examples of in the white A3 barrels in Ackley's book the modern home gunsmith sporterizing military rifles. Unfortunately the subject does not delve into the origin of replacement parts because that is not the topic of the subject matter. Some where else that I cannot reference, maybe Brophy I have also read the later production barrels were not finished towards the end of regular production but were offered as stock to rebuild programs. And then again like was already mentioned someone polished it, but the roll mark looks pretty sharp and I dont think there is a punchmark in the center of the flaming bomb as far as I can tell.

Doco Overboard · Sep 26, 2016

Now Wait, now I can see it, I doubt someone polished that and then punched a mark, must be a take -off. What do you think?

ken792 · Sep 26, 2016

It looks like there is parkerization inside the barrel markings, which is what led me to believe it's had the finish polished off.

Doco Overboard · Sep 26, 2016

I think your right, but I don't understand why some one would polish the barrel but to each his own I guess. Still, not a bad trade and if the chamber is good and the barrel not ringed or heavily pitted would be a good shooter. Thats alot of polishing to remove the barrel finish, I wonder what it looks like under the wood.

ken792 · Sep 26, 2016

Doco Overboard said:
I think your right, but I don't understand why some one would polish the barrel but to each his own I guess. Still, not a bad trade and if the chamber is good and the barrel not ringed or heavily pitted would be a good shooter. Thats alot of polishing to remove the barrel finish, I wonder what it looks like under the wood.

Polishing lines lines go perpendicular to the bore axis, so it may have been done on a lathe, maybe even prior to installing the barrel if it's not the original barrel. I guess some people just like that look, just like the polished and jeweled bolts.

The thing to check is if the whole barrel has been polished, or just the visible part.

cougar70 · Sep 27, 2016

Made the trade for a Springfield 1903-A3 - more pics

I took off the upper wood hand guard and the whole barrel is polished.
I've included more pics that show the barrel.
Per a previous comment, it may have been done on a lather as shown by the one pic.

There is also a pic of the end of the barrel.
It's tough to tell, but I think it's a 4 groove barrel.

stu929 · Sep 27, 2016

Picture of the cut off and bottom of the receiver?

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cougar70 · Sep 27, 2016

stu929 said:
Picture of the cut off and bottom of the receiver?

I understand the cut off (pic attached)
How do I go about a pic of the bottom of the receiver?

stu929 · Sep 27, 2016

cougar70 said:
I understand the cut off (pic attached)
How do I go about a pic of the bottom of the receiver?

When the barrel screws into the receiver

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cougar70 · Sep 27, 2016

How far apart do I have to take it and do I have worry about parts flying apart?
I am totally new to rifles.

stu929 · Sep 27, 2016

Few bolts but don't worry about it if you have never taken one apart.

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cougar70 · Sep 27, 2016

I just downloaded a pdf manual and after I read through I might pull it apart. Does the bottom plate/trigger guard pull off easily and cleanly?
What are you looking for on the bottom of the receiver? A mark showing its Remington? I saw the cut off has an R

Threeband · Sep 27, 2016

Pretty self explanatory. You already removed the handguard. The barreled action is held on by the two action screws, one behind the trigger guard and one in front of the magazine.

Remove those carefully with a proper-fitting screwdriver and the barreled action lifts right out.

Nothing will fall off or fly across the room. It's a very sensible design.

cougar70 · Sep 30, 2016

Got around to pulling the rifle apart.
It's amazing how solid it is but aspects of it are very simple. I guess that's how it was easy to make so many of them soooo quickly!!

Attached is a pic of the marks on the base of the receiver, hope it helps to decode it.

Drmsparks · Oct 1, 2016

codes don't mean anything. What's important is that there doesn't appear to be any grinding or weld remnants where the barrel screws into the receiver.

Have an opportunity to make a trade from a Springfield 1903-A3 but don't know rifles

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