I picked up a bunch of .30-06 pre-primed brass. Various makes. I checked just now on a new to me 1903a3 and my M1 Garand (FP out in both cases. I only look stupid).
The cases fit in my case gauge, but it is TIGHT (maybe just barely will drop in without finger pressure). My CMP garand, it will chamber with the bolt dropping, but if I stick the extractor over it, it won't chamber without dropping the bolt or whacking it into battery. It will come out with a bolt whack (do not need to mortar).
The 1903 it will close on the brass and extract the brass, but it takes an inordinate amount of force on the bolt (I can chamber and extract without needing to whack the bolt handle up and down, but its a near thing).
I was testing once fired (in my Garand) brass with my sizing die and mine was even worse until I realized I hadn't screwed the die in quite as far as I was supposed to (barely touching the shell plate, rather than a half turn past). Screwed in the die, resized, bolt closes fine on my 1903 and opens fine. Maybe not quite as generous as the couple rounds of PPU M2 and Winchester M2 ball loaded ammo I also tried (which practically rattle around in both guns' chambers. It is a Hornady custom .30-06 die. I assume it is not sizing down as much as milspec brass and my Garand chamber does seem fractionally larger than the 1903 chamber).
The cases fit in my case gauge, but it is TIGHT (maybe just barely will drop in without finger pressure). My CMP garand, it will chamber with the bolt dropping, but if I stick the extractor over it, it won't chamber without dropping the bolt or whacking it into battery. It will come out with a bolt whack (do not need to mortar).
The 1903 it will close on the brass and extract the brass, but it takes an inordinate amount of force on the bolt (I can chamber and extract without needing to whack the bolt handle up and down, but its a near thing).
I was testing once fired (in my Garand) brass with my sizing die and mine was even worse until I realized I hadn't screwed the die in quite as far as I was supposed to (barely touching the shell plate, rather than a half turn past). Screwed in the die, resized, bolt closes fine on my 1903 and opens fine. Maybe not quite as generous as the couple rounds of PPU M2 and Winchester M2 ball loaded ammo I also tried (which practically rattle around in both guns' chambers. It is a Hornady custom .30-06 die. I assume it is not sizing down as much as milspec brass and my Garand chamber does seem fractionally larger than the 1903 chamber).