Smith Corona 03a3, .308 caliber

I recently came into possesion of a 03A3 rifle. The specs are:
1. on receiver: U. S. Smith-Corona, model 03A3, 3704085
2. Top of barrel, below front site: S C, bomb burst symbol, 5 43
3. Bolt: number 4085 engraved on top of bolt
4. Right side of stock back: stamped into wood #4085
5. Left side of stock back: stamped into wood RIA EB in a square
6. Underside of stock, behind trigger guard: 3 stamps, all are P's, two in circles and one in a square
7. The stock in straight
8. Sights are peep on the rear, not the ladder type
9. The barrel appears to have 4 grooves, but not sure

I received this rifle packed heavily in cosmolin. After cleaning I noted the barrel was clean and shinney like a mirror. Not sure if it had been shot.
Based on the cosmolin, throughtout the rilfe, it appears to have been packed by the military.

It is possible a plug of some kind was put into the chamber to re-configure the rifle for the shorter .308 round vs. a 30-06. (not sure about this)

Can anyone give me any information on this rifle and why it may have been re-configured?

Thanks for the help.

Blue Ridge Ranger

You may well be looking at a Drill Rifle. Photo will help.

I'll get one asap, as soon as I figure out how. Thanks.
Not sure if a drill rifle as so filled with cosmolin and why rechamber for a drill rifle. But then I have no knowledge of the 03A3. Thanks again, and pic will come soon.
Blue Ridge Ranger

A 5-43 barrel should be .30-'06. A photo or two, please.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Ridge Ranger

I'll get one asap, as soon as I figure out how. Thanks.
Not sure if a drill rifle as so filled with cosmolin and why rechamber for a drill rifle. But then I have no knowledge of the 03A3. Thanks again, and pic will come soon.
Blue Ridge Ranger

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Welcome to the site Blue Ridge Ranger

I'd like to see it too. Instruction for both of the means of posting photos are in the 'sticky' section above the threads here.
They're made from screen prints to make them easier to follow.

Not a definitive answer, but-----we can tell this from the information you provided:
---A proof P was stamped after manufacture, & every time there was a US arsenal rebuild; so, it was rebuilt at least twice.
---RIA/EB = Rock Island Arsenal/Elmer Bjerke
---4 digits of the SN would only have been scribed/stamped by a FOREIGN military armory, never a US arsenal.
---All Greek lendlease return rifles sold by CMP about 10-15 years ago were packed in grease.
---Chamber adaptors were readily available commercially for many years; a gunsmith can readily confirm that's what you have with a borescope, & he can also easily remove it with broken case extractor if it is stuck.
---Peep sight is the most obvious change in the 1903A3 from the 1903.

you can convert it to .308 with a new barrel...but.why? not not gaining anything, other then spending 300.00 to turn a 700.00 into a 300.00 rifle..
buy a Remington 700 or a Model 70 thats already chambered in .308 ...save the headache, poor feeding, ect.
personally i love the .308, but your not gaining anything, ammo isntl cheaper anymore, if anything it costs more, just never understood the whole convert a 30-06 to 308 thing..

.308 chamber insert in 30.06 chamber to fire .308 blanks? The insert can be removed with an extraction tool.

the OP asked if you can convert the 1903A3 to fire .308 win, nothing about blanks, nothing about it being a drill rifle, plugged ect...everyone got side tracked..
the .308 case is fatter then the 30-06. yes...an insert will work, but like i said...why... just buy a rifle thats already in that cal, youll have a load of feed issues with the rifle,
if it were just an action, or a recovered drill rifle i can see that...but why re envent the wheel.?
years ago, they did this conversion do to the military .308 being a lot cheaper, thats not the case,...308 cost a little more then the 06...so i dont see the advatage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chuckindenver

the OP asked if you can convert the 1903A3 to fire .308 win, nothing about blanks, nothing about it being a drill rifle, plugged ect...everyone got side tracked..
the .308 case is fatter then the 30-06. yes...an insert will work, but like i said...why... just buy a rifle thats already in that cal, youll have a load of feed issues with the rifle,
if it were just an action, or a recovered drill rifle i can see that...but why re envent the wheel.?
years ago, they did this conversion do to the military .308 being a lot cheaper, thats not the case,...308 cost a little more then the 06...so i dont see the advatage.

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Hey Chuck,

Re-read it again. The OP didn't ask if it could be done, he asked why it would be done.

Quote : "It is possible a plug of some kind was put into the chamber to re-configure the rifle for the shorter .308 round vs. a 30-06. (not sure about this) Can anyone give me any information on this rifle and why it may have been re-configured?" : Un-Quote.

From his description he seems to have a Greek return rifle and can't chamber a round. He didn't describe what it is or is not doing so a reason for it not chambering would have to wait for more information from the OP.

FWIW,

Emri

Hey folks, here's the photos of my 03A3. Thanks to all who have helped. Will look forward to further comments.



Blue Ridge RangerAttachment 29604Attachment 29603Attachment 29602

Looks like fresh parkerizing to me. Somebody had this before selling it on. Could well be .308 chamber insert in it.

like my sons says...my bad... lol...anyway....lets back up...looks like a rebuild A3,..remove the cocking assembly from the bolt and try a factory 30-06...does it feed? or not. if its just tight it could be a short chambered barrel that wasnt finished..if it wont come close...someone may have stuck a .308 adapter in it...or turned the shoulder back and converted it..
please advise...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chuckindenver

or turned the shoulder back and converted it..

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It DOES appear that the barrel may be a skosh short.

Drop a cleaning rod down the barrel to the bolt face and mark or tape the rod at the muzzle. Then measure from the tip to the mark/tape.

Or try a bayonet.

I've seen '03a3 barrels cut back and rechambered more than once. Including one adapted to a Type 38 Arisaka in .308 Winchester. A friend also has an '03a3 in .308 that has had the front band moved back so it still will take a bayonet! Sneaky, them Bubbas- sometimes.

nothing suprises me anymore.. just had a guy walk into my place and ask if i can fix his stock... opens up his case, and a new Remington 700 in 2 pieces..
lucky i have a few replacement stocks... he actually thought id be able to epoxy the black plastic stock back together...ahhhh no.
said he slipped and fell and used the rifle to catch himself.

Looks like a recent re-build to me. Not US Army re-parkerizing. Perhaps a new 03-A3 barrel installed on the receiver. They always come with short chambers. A gunsmith will have to finish ream the chamber. Mind you this is just my best guess. It well could have a .308 chamber insert in it as well. Just not sure. Are you near Denver? Chuckindenver is the right guy for this one.

Blue Ridge Ranger, I was at the Oaks gun show in Pa a couple weeks ago...I pick-up a 03-A3 stripped reciever from James River....It has the exact same finish that is on your reciever...James River has done an outstanding job on filling in the welds...It appears to some sort of and industrial finish...I have some black CV joint grease on it now. I hope it comes out darker than what it was in the beginning...

We could go on & on for a long time on this without being able to figure out what's going on here. Part of the problem is, you didn't tell us WHY you think the chamber is not for .30-06. Regardless, the best thing for you to do is have a gunsmith perform a "techinical inspection" so that you can know exactly what you have, & whether or not it is safe to fire.

FYI, CMP has sold many drill rifles, but they are not always easy to identify. (You can email CMP with the SN & they can tell you if it's a rifle they sold.) Drill rifles were sold by them as "unsafe to fire". Most have weld spots somewhere, but some enterprising folks clean them up & sell them to the unwary as "fresh from the arsenal"; liberal application of grease bolsters that claim.

Agree Niel, on every point.

Also, as Steve said, It's not a Military repark from a rebuild. The new repark 'could' be because it's a drill rifle that's had the welds cut off and the work hidden - There are many possibilities with an unknown milsurp and some can be catastrophic.

Regardless, I'd have it checked by a competent gun smith who is thoroughly familiar with 1903A3's, Blue Ridge Ranger before I did anything with it. I also agree with Steve as far as using Chuck to do the inspection - he knows everything to look for and check, and his prices are very fair. Plus he doesn't take a year to do the work like so many do.

1-2 close-up photos of the left side of the rifle. I want to see the cut-off area, up close.

Good idea Steve - that should probably tell if it is.

Try to get a close-up (macro) similar to this if you can, Blue Ridge Ranger -

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2Medium1-1.jpg

Attachment 29700

Here's a close up of the left side. Hope this helps.

Blue Ridge Ranger

Steve/Harlan: One additional comment: I did hear from CMP.
They said "Rifle is probably a rifle sold by CMP awhile back based on the markings and condition."

Blue Ridge Ranger

Cut-off looks nice. Well could be a new, short-chamber barrel. Chuckindenver is the guy.

Yes, as Steve says, it looks fine. Very nice. The color of parking and blued cut-off lever look like it's probably an original finish too. If it had been welded and ground off, the colors would never look this much like original after refinish, and everything would have most likely been parked.

Are all the other parts the correct mix of parked and blued parts? Here's some photos I put together to check -

Remington 1903A3 (displaying original configuration and finish)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Ridge Ranger

Attachment 29700

Here's a close up of the left side. Hope this helps.

Blue Ridge Ranger

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The cut-off area has not been welded in the past. The machine lines would not be there, in a continous line, had it been so. Looks Good !!

FWIW,

Emri

Harlan, I checked all parts against your photos and they all match. Looks like I did get a nice rifle. Know to check with the guy in Denver to confirm. However, I will try to find a gunsmith here in phoenix first who knows 03A3 rifles.

Thanks to all. Great web site with so much knowlege.

Blue Ridge Ranger

Smith Enterprises is by you. They know M1s and would be familiar with the .308 convesions used. They could tell you what's been done and if it's reversable .
Chris