Replacement stock on previously sporterized 1903a3 - several questions

First, thank you to everyone who has responded to my questions. Each of you has provided valuable information and I appreciate it. With Art’s response, I think that I have enough info to move forward.

Art – I just realized that there were 2 pages to this thread and am now seeing your response for the first time. My wife refers to me as a SOP (stupid old person) – in this instance, she’s correct.
At first I didn’t know that this site is focused on restorations, but nonetheless, appreciate the advice. You’re correct, I want to use dad’s 03a3 for hunting and target shooting. Just need to restock it to fit my oversized carcass.

Just looked up Richard’s Microfit. It appears that they can provide a 96% inletted stock for an 03a3. Boyd’s does make stocks for these, but their inletting gets lots of poor reviews. Good to have an alternative – I’ll look into Richard’s further.

The sites that I’ve seen show that the action was manufactured in 42, but then again, it’s the internet. You get what you pay for. The barrel was clearly manufactured in Nov 43. As long as it continues to shoot well, it doesn’t matter to me. I didn't know about the safety, trigger guard, and bold mods - thanks. Love the Timney trigger. He also had one on an Argentine Mauser - consistently crisp and light triggers.

No clubbing or bayoneting, just a whitetail or two. I do some woodworking, so this will be a fun project and, as you say, a labor of love. Dad lived to hunt and play golf. While I’m not a golfer, he taught me to shoot rifles and pistols pretty well.

Since this site is focused on military rifles, you might find this interesting. In early summer 1945, dad was 14 and his brother was 12. They lived in rural, desert NM (their town is now named Truth or Consequences) and slept on a screened porch to escape the heat. Early one morning, the “sunlight” woke them up. A minute later, it was dark again. Being boys of that age (we’ve all been that boy), they didn’t think much of it and went back to sleep. That “sunlight” was the first nuke being tested at Trinity Site (White Sands Test Range), about 70 miles and a mountain range to the NE.

Again, thanks for your information and advice. I’ll try to remember to post a picture once the project is complete, probably towards the end of 2021 (if the chicom virus doesn’t get us first).

Glen

That's a great story! You Dad and your uncle were involved in the Trinity test!

My story is less dramatic. I was seven and my brother was 12 that summer of '45 and in west Michigan. My father was a farmer and, among other things, he grew strawberries. Summer was berry picking. My Mother had a cousin, Joy, who would have been 15 or 16 then. A pretty, shy, blond girl; not at all conceited or worldly. She came out to stay at the farm to help with the strawberry harvest. There was a young soldier (I believe he was a relative of Joy's brother-in-law) who was very taken with Joy. He was on leave and came out to the farm just to be near Joy. Soldiers on leave were required to wear the uniform but, in the summer heat, he wore as little of it as he thought he could get away with. He helped with the farm work, picked berries, and did everything he could to make himself useful. What I remember especially is that he slept nights in the yard under a big maple tree. Of course, he was my hero, as were all servicemen when I was seven: They still are! I wish I could remember his name. I heard much later that he didn't make it through the war. Interesting, isn't it, when you compare the early 1940's, with the real threats and real dangers, to the "crisis" we have now.

You have your Father's A3 and you mentioned you also have your uncle's A3. In looking through some old American Rifleman magazines, I came across the purchase request form for "1903A3 Springfield Rifles" at $10 plus $4.50 packing and handling in the September, 1960 issue. In an issue a few months later, there was a note that 30,000 of the 53,000 requests had been processed. Among those 53,000 requests was mine and I think it's a safe bet that your Dad's and your uncles requests were in there, too.

Merry Christmas!

Gents - about a year ago, I posted my original questions on this thread and received some excellent feedback. At the time I didn't know that this site focuses on restorations, but you all graciously provided good information on restocking my dad's previously sporterized A3. I finished the project this week (except for bedding the stock which will have to wait until after deer season). Posting pictures of the final build after this note.

ssgross - I ended up going with a Boyds laminate stock. Their recent comments have been positive and I'm pleased with their product (as ugly as it is). Inletting was pretty accurate. I did have to whittle on it some to make room for the Timney trigger and milled 03 trigger guard. The barrel channel is amazingly precise.

ArtPahl - your insights about the 03 trigger guard saved me many hours of confusion and work. Still might inlet it a tad more, but getting enough clearance for the Timney was difficult, so it might just have to protrude 1/16". That's hard to take as a perfectionist. Also, I didn't return to this site / thread after my last post and just read your note about the soldier in the summer of '45. His death is especially tragic so late in the war. Mom had a cousin she was very close to who was killed by a kamikaze on the Bunker Hill and, at 96, she is still sad. Our kids just don't understand... Thanks for sharing that.

So with the build complete, took it to the range today, just hoping to get something on paper at 100 yards. Shot an initial group about 8 inches wide while feeling out the trigger break and futzing with the tension on the back trigger guard bolt (if I tighten it too much, it binds the trigger, but that's just more tinkering to deal with). After that, I switched to a new target and shot a 3 inch group with one flinch / flyer (the guy next to me fired just as I was firing - that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Not bad for an 80 year old rifle with a well used 2 groove barrel and a new, stiff stock. With a better operator, that group could have easily been < 1.5 inches. We won't talk about the third group as the old girl kicks like a rented mule and I started flinching.

[side note: My wife inherited her father's 03a3 that had been sporterized by a professional, probably in the 60s. Since mine was in the middle of being restocked, I used hers on the first day of deer season and took a nice little whitetail with one shot. These are just outstanding rifles.]

So to end this long note, thanks again to each of you for your hospitality and advise. It's been a fun project and my new grandson will now get to inherit his great grandfather's rifle someday.

Glen

Attachment 121473Attachment 121474Attachment 121475Attachment 121476

looks real nice. The polished bolt handle gives it some pizzaz too.
After shooting a couple dozen rounds in a newly fitted stock, re-tighten the action screws. As the metal settles into the wood in it's first time out, the fit will change slightly. I should think a laminate stock would settle less than walnut, but I've never done one.

My 1940's copy of Howe's "Modern Gunsmithing" says the 1903 sporter still benefits from upward pressure from the forend. If your barrel is free floated, you might play with some business cards, or a piece of cork to to make a shim out of. There is a pdf copy of Howe in a sticky somewhere here on milsurps.com.

Handsome rifle with that stock.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ssgross

My 1940's copy of Howe's "Modern Gunsmithing" says the 1903 sporter still benefits from upward pressure from the forend.

---

Hmmmm... that's contrary to everything I've ever heard about free floating, but I'm certainly no expert. Will give it a try next time out - thanks. And will find Howes on the site and see what he has to say.

---------- Post added at 09:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 PM ----------

Thank you Daan - it was a labor of love. My dad loved that rifle.

I've had the opportunity to visit RSA twice in the past 8 years and would do so again tomorrow given the chance. Incredible place. Wish I could afford a hunt there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gentwocoog

that's contrary to everything I've ever heard about free floating

---

Some 1903's are reported to have benefitted from free floating the barrel, but these are exceptions. "Baffling" muzzle vibrations at certain points of the barrel is very common across many types of military rifles. Lot's of literature, classic and contemporary, about how the 1903 was designed to fit in the wood for utmost accuracy, and upward pressure from the forend was the design. Howe writes about the design in detail, and even goes in to the 1903-specific type of barrel whip that was noticed during testing and mitigated by fitting with upward pressure of the forend. Hatcher's books, and Campbell's 1903 book also have info. The topic of proper fit at the muzzle wasn't new to the 1903. Hudson's "Modern Rifle Shooting", published in 1903, discusses the topic with regards to accurizing the Krag (great description for doing trigger work an the trapdoors in there too). Good news is, most of these older sources are in the public domain and you can find pdf's for free - many on this site.

Your stock was likely inletted to be free floating. So you've done your due diligence by trying it out after proper fitting of the receiver. Now you are free to experiment and tune to perfection. It can only get better!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gentwocoog

I've had the opportunity to visit RSA twice in the past 8 years and would do so again tomorrow given the chance. Incredible place. Wish I could afford a hunt there.

---

Still is an awesome place. Best country in the world to live in I still believe.

It might be a good time for that hunt, prices should be highly negotiable in this Covid time.

Looks great and I'm sure your father would absolutely approve, well done.

I fitted a NOS Keystone 'C' to my A4 build a few years back and it took a lot of work to get the rifle bedded properly, from the exact right action to trigger guard gap to the right level of upward force at the muzzle.

Quite an education and it took three visits for me to get it right.

First time 'looked' correct, but recoil was horrible and accuracy not great.

Second effort had it mostly sorted and third visit had it sorted...

Unlike Enfields I've bedded in the past, the 1903 really has noticeably unpleasant recoil characteristics, if the bedding isn't right and they shoot 'so' well when you get it right.

I hadn't shot my Springfield for a while, but while putting 150 rounds through it against distant steel targets in the Cambrian mountains with a few fellow UK Milsurpers last week, I fell in love all over again!