Early RA M1903-A3 in details

[Garandrew]

Xarmor, is yours the earlier knurled, or later checkered on your A4? My 8-43 A4 is checkered, while the earlier 1-43 A3 is knurled..

[Garandrew]

A3boltstrikerJB pictures by AndrewG1957 - Photobucket

Check out the striker..beautifully blued, "R" marked striker.
Andy

[xarmor]

Xarmor, is yours the earlier knurled, or later checkered on your A4? My 8-43 A4 is checkered, while the earlier 1-43 A3 is knurled..

Mine is Knurled, and the barrel is also dated 1-43! Maybe they were on the production line at the same time! I will try and get sme pics later today.

[chuck in idaho]

Andy,
Serial number 3400987, 1-43 barrel also has the `03 front sight on it. When I asked about the front sight on the old CSP forum. I was told Remington DID use up left over `03 parts on early A3's. While not rare they are not too common either.
FWIW
Chuck

[Garandrew]

Is the assumption that the parkerized upper band marked "R" could not be original? Ive heard otherwise..and with the transitional 03 front sight, was RA never in the business of parking upper bands? Anyone else have an early RA like this, besides the pinned front sight?
Andy

[Rick the Librarian]

I have an early 03A3, too -- serial number is 3,356,737 with a 12-42 barrel. Someday I'd like to get a Remington M1903 with a "later" serial number.

[Garandrew]

Hi Rick, are any of your early 03-A3's characteristics like mine?
Upper band? Blued, parked? Striker rod, knurled? Front sight, 03 type?
My striker rod isnt marked "R", only marked "4", an inspector?
Mix of blued, parked pieces, sear is blued, as is hand guard ring, if its transitional, perhaps RA used anything left over.
Andy

[xarmor]

Garandrew, I have an 03a3 from 3-43, upper band and all other metal parts are blued. The barrel and receiver are the only parkerized metal. O cannot see the front site because at sometime in the rifles life a sight cover was installed, The stock has pins. All of the blued parts that I see a "R" marked, but mine is not quite as early as yours is.

[Chilly]

FYI, my 1903A3 Remmy has 4-43 marked RA barrel, serial number 3,746,9XX. Everything with a stamp is R stamped except sear which has an "S" on right side just to the rear and slightly below the hole where it pins to the receiver. I don't see any letter on the trigger. The selector switch thing on the receiver is blued, I think. So is the firing pin. I wouldn't classify anything as light gray. Not sure how to know if it has been rearsenaled. Bayo lug band, stacking swivel band, rear sling swivel, and front sling band I think are blued. No letter on buttplate that I can find (didn't remove it). All bolt parts except front end of pin are parked, pin is blued. Knob on back of bolt assembly looks like Garandrew's except mine has more circumferential grooved through the serrations. Mine has six total circumferential grooves, three through the serrations, the fourth at front edge of serrations, and two more on the taper. Trigger guard/floorplate assembly is blued stamped steel, as is the mag follower. Front sight mark is R marked, sight blade is A marked.

Stock is an A4 config with no proof marks our cartouches, full pistol grip. Bolt handle cutout has what I think is a serif K. Previous inquiries suggest this may have been a GI surplus stock sold as surplus and thus no markings? Does that seem plausible? It's a beautiful piece of walnut and does not show signs of sanding. Nice lumber but too bad it doesn't have the original stock, as this would be a REALLY top shelf un-messed-with RA 1903A3. Has a lot of chunky dried BLO on some metal, which I think I'll clean off so I can have a good look at metal finish (blue vs park). Doesn't look like it's been out of the wood very much because there is a lot of grime under there.

Shop owner says and old dude traded it toward a Garand. Maybe he was an old DCM shooter and fitted the pistol grip stock for better ergonomics? I have been told this was done a lot back when 1903A3 were still being used in competition but I wouldn't know.

Chilly

[Chilly]

Also, front sight has two pins: a small pin appears to retain the blade, a larger pin retains the base to the barrel.