Pictures of another "Correct" Near Mint Remington 1903A3... A little different.

i never thought buying fair, and selling fair giving the buyer room to make a couple bucks was de valueing...just being realistic , maybe im different..i dont try to sell at the top of the value scale..but someplace in the middle. example..i buy most 1903A3,s for 550.00 to 600.00 and sell them for 700.00 to 850.00.. a rifle in the DCM box i would pay more, and ask more.
iv broke even on a few on a buddy deal figure that most deals work out in the wash.. again..i usually dont respond to what is my gun worth type posts, have yet to really see someone lay out over 1000.00 for a 1903A3...not saying that it doesnt happen.. just not very often. im aware that values are high and low depending on what part of the US your in, maybe more then i think ?
and for the record im not a dealer...only a collector that has a bad addiction to clunky stuff, had this been a gunshow, i wouldnt have said a thing..only how much you were asking, and if it was more then i wanted to pay..id say no thanks.....and let you walk it around, if the price was ok, or a trade deal was in the works..then id do it..and be done...nothing more..i dont offer out my opinions on value to people that are trying to cash in, trade up, ect..unless they ask...i dont tell..saves alot of hard feelings.

Well, thanks for the education. I mean that sincerely.

Let's lighten this up a bit... Shall we?

The 1903A3 in this thread was the best buy I've ever come across in a 1903A3... But not my best buy in all Firearms purchases. This was:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/vsjsox-1.jpg

This Colt Model 1905 was my pride and joy for years and is completely original and right at 99% condition. It was born in 1907. But I had to sell it last year. Went to a collector. Broke my heart but I would have never shot it so I let it go.

What was yours?

agreed..iv been so lucky in buying weapons its hard to say, i guess the ones that really stand out, my 1941 Johnson rifle, i did a restoration for a private museum, the owners tab was about 145.00, i asked he id take trades for the tab...maybe..he pulls out the 1941 Johnson, though sporterized, its a Johnson..hell yes,..i just finished making a barrel for the rifle..
the other one. on the last small group of 1903,s available from the CMP i ordered a few rifles, one being a low numbered RIA. i opened the box, and to my suprise, a nice RIA with signs of being owned by the USMC..and one of my favorite 1903,s.
on a larger scale. i used to manage a local strip clup for many years, one the regular customes that knew im a gunsmith asked if id look at his late dads gun collection and give him a appraisal of them, said he has a few...well he had well over 400 long guns, and 200 handguns, 100 or so edged weapons as well, all vintage rifle and pistols,
took me a week after work to get the job done.. i didnt charge him, and he offered me money..
months later he called me and asked if i would like to buy the collection???well yea,.but i dont have that sort of cash..told me he and his sons picked out a few, but most were still there.
told me 6500.00 would buy what he had...so i got well over 400 weapons for 6500.00, i had to borrow the money from my boss..at 1000.00 interest.. paid back in 3 weeks lol.. i remember my short box Chevy truck loaded with guns like cord wood with a tarp to cover them. i sold 10% of the guns at a show that weekend and made my loan back.. i still have guns from that buy, and have got more from him...ones that stick out.. the Singer 1911, a Jap Paratrooper, and Gastrap Garand, and a in the box Remington Rand that his kept..and had customized ...yes it still happens...

Damn!... Just Damn!

More Close ups...
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../24mc09l-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2e4y9g6-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../33lpens-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2ue1kj7-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../20tmjcg-1.jpg

I think it is very collectable depending on your budget. I would by a nice rifle like that. Perfection is not always affordable is it? I have two Remington 1903 Modified (early serial numbers with milled floor plates and ladder sights) that I have collected. They may not be perfect but I like it that there were not many made in '42.

I agree with Johnny Peppers. Do the math. Shooting a nice original M'03-A3 costs about 25 cents per shot in wear and tear on the rifle. That can get to be some very expensive shooting!

On the other hand, shooting a nice arsenal-overhauled rifle is almost free. With this information, you can now make a wise informed decision.

J.B.

The M1903A3 rifles sold through the DCM / NRA in th early 1960s for $10.00 plus $4.50 'packing and handling, plus freight collect, were "unclassified (as-is)". Some were new, some were re-built, some were in less than good condition. I still have mine, but the box is long gone.

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Originally Posted by chuckindenver

iv owned 3 in the DCM shipping box, original A3,s with no wear, no rust, and shot all 3, one was a SC with 6groove barrel, all 3 came from the same guy, he got them in the 1960,s through the NRA, i cleaned them. and sold them..not one person ever asked about or thought about if they had been fired.
i did use a spare bolt on the SC. as the original had no wear marks at all.
FYI: i can blue a A3 part, and you wouldnt be able to tell if it were refinished or not.. not bragging...just stating a fact.
now.
if that were a early A3, say first 1000, in mint all correct, no rust, no wear, ect. then yes,..i would agree. sell it make the money and dont shoot it... but that rifle needs to be shot..just sayin..who you saving it for? the Dems will take em anyway...enjoy them.. shoot em, play with em. i dont have a museum..
best example i can use..
over the last 5 years a old man up the street gets his check on the 15th, and like many old guys, loves football and trashy women at the local bar, and like to by the house a round or 2...so by the 18th he,s broke..and usually pulls in my driveway, with a few guns..so far he,s sold me 5 1903,s 4 1903A3,s 3 1911A1,s and a few Winchesters, all of them he never shot, and got them through the NRA or other programs back in the 1960,s likely paid no more then 57.00 for any of the military weapons.. and no more then 120.00 for the model 70,s , he,s always told me...i wish id taken the time when i was younger to shoot all those guns..but i was busy workin and savin..now im too old to give a Sh%t.
he tells me how much he wants, i hand him the cash...i never try and wheel him down,
last rifle i got was a in the box Remington Rand 1911A1, never been out of the paper wrap, still full of grease, with the paperwork from Peublo dept. 550.00 , he paid 32.00 ,
same time, i picked up a pre war M70, in 30-06, mint 450.00. he paid 120.00 from a coworker..non had ever been shot..be him or anyone else for that matter.. iv shot all but the 1911A1..it was sold to a local collector and he uses it for his display.. so...SHOOT EM..thats what they are made for.

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Are you trying to give us all stroke. Geeez. Rub in your good fortune why don't you. Hehhehehehehhe I'm just giving you a hard time. But I think your points are valid. Life is too short. And memories with your kids shooting, or other people, or even yourself for that matter are far more valuable than possibly making so much more money on it down the road. IMHO, most people don't shoot enough to make that big of a difference. I have at times, but I have yet to wear out a barrel on anything. I know some serious shooters do. But most of us, a couple thousand rounds in a lifetime isn't going to be so bad. And even that is a lot for some. Meaning in one firearm. I just logged about 3300 on my M9 pistol and that's the most rounds through any weapon I have. And that's not going to be worth anything.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oneshot onekill

Well, thanks for the education. I mean that sincerely.

Let's lighten this up a bit... Shall we?

The 1903A3 in this thread was the best buy I've ever come across in a 1903A3... But not my best buy in all Firearms purchases. This was:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4/vsjsox-1.jpg

This Colt Model 1905 was my pride and joy for years and is completely original and right at 99% condition. It was born in 1907. But I had to sell it last year. Went to a collector. Broke my heart but I would have never shot it so I let it go.

What was yours?

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Interesting question - you might want to start this as a new "thread".