Springfield 1903 Receiver with Remington Barrel

Have a chance to get a M1903 Sporter from a friend. The rifle has a Springfield receiver with a s/n date of about 1934 and a Remington barrel dated 7-43. The receiver and bridge have been drilled for a scope rail (not buy my friend he got it that way) and my friend pulled the sporter stock off and stocked the rifle in a scant stock to look like an M1903a4. What I'm wondering is if I can return the rifle to its M1903 config. with the 7-43 dated Remington barrel. My friend doesn't want to take the stock off to look at the barrel so right now I only have the barrel date to go by.

Thanks in advance...CaptMandrake

Is the existing barrel an 03 or 03A3? If it is an 03A3, there is no provision for the rear sight, so configuring the rifle as an 03 would be problematic.

Yep that's the problem my friend just doesn't have the time to remove the stock and hand guard to look at the barrel. I would assume that it's an 03 barrel since the receiver is late Springfield but not sure if Remington made 03 barrels with that late a production date.

The rear sight base should be visible on the top of the barrel just in front of the receiver.
I suppose that Remington could have made replacement 03 barrels.
I suspect, though, that the barrel is for an 03A3.

I have a 1270xxx SA receiver (1930's) with a new, 4 groove, RA 6-44 03A3 bbl, ("tell" is the 03a3 front sight), but all the old 03 hardware, only the bbl and stock are not original.

The bbl must have been turned down in diameter, to fit the old style scalloped '03 rear sight sleeve and a slate gray parkerizing. The gun also wears a mint K marked 03A3 pistol grip stock.

I surmise that was put together by a rebuild facility at some point in its history; seems to be in line with many other period rebuilds that wear 1940's bbls. Plenty of old '03's got Sedgley USMC marked bbls or RA marked bbls.

"...assume that it's an 03 barrel..." Where is the rear sight? Like tiriaq says, an 03A3 barrel has no rear sight base. The rear sight is on the receiver. An '03 barrel will have a place to install the rear sight. And there's no putting one on.
To restore any 'sporterized' milsurp to military configuration is prohibitively expensive these days. It's not so much the stocks(a used, fair to good condition walnut stock with no metal runs $118 at Gunparts. A new hand guard runs $12.45. Nothing will come close to matching.) and barrels as it is all the wee metal bits(screws and barrel bands) that go on 'em. A new repro front sight band runs $11.75. A butt plate screw runs $5.40 each and you need 2. All that stuff adds up in a hurry.

Well I know when my friend got the rifle there was no rear sight base collar on the barrel also no front sight. I know there was a front sight installed at one time because you could see the marks on the barrel left by the front sight band. The 1903 receiver had already been drilled and tapped for a one piece scope base and was wearing a sporter stock.

I only assumed the barrel might be an 03 because why would someone put an 03A3 barrel on a 1903 receiver, but then again they might have already planned for the scope and just didn't care.

The date makes it a M1903A3 barrel.

Thanks.

Why would somebody put an 03a3 barrel on an 03 reciever? Lots of reasons. The most likely is when the rifle was sportered in probably the 50's or 60' that was the cheapest way to get a new barrel. Secondly, they were easier to come by because all the 03 barrels got put on shot out Krags in the 20's and 30's.:D
And if you think an 03a3 barrel on an 03 reciever is odd my cousin has budget sporter that has an 03a3 barrel on a German K98k reciever. Probably done up in the 50's or 60's like yours.

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Originally Posted by CaptMandrake

What I'm wondering is if I can return the rifle to its M1903 config.

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Unless your returning the rifle to the original configuration for fun and are not worried about the cost I would say it's not really worth the cost. With what you will end up paying you could buy a really nice original 1903. I did two that I use as my shooters and was not cost effective but FUN and rewarding.

I'm not saying it is odd, just that it wasn't done by the military - obviously, a civilian post-military job. The military had plenty of M1903 barrels to use as replacements. M1903A3 barrels used to be dirt-cheap and if you wanted a shooter and had a little gunsmithing expertise (or knew someone who did), it wasn't a big deal.

I've seen quite a few.

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Originally Posted by usabaker

Unless your returning the rifle to the original configuration for fun and are not worried about the cost I would say it's not really worth the cost.

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After the post from Rick the Librarian, about the barrel, I was beginning to think the same thing. Not even sure I could find a WWII dated 03 barrel for it and my friend still hasn't figured out if he wants money or trade for something I have.

[QUOTE=Rick the Librarian;453831]I'm not saying it is odd, just that it wasn't done by the military

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Originally Posted by Rick the Librarian

I'm not saying it is odd, just that it wasn't done by the military - obviously, a civilian post-military job. The military had plenty of M1903 barrels to use as replacements. M1903A3 barrels used to be dirt-cheap and if you wanted a shooter and had a little gunsmithing expertise (or knew someone who did), it wasn't a big deal.

I've seen quite a few.

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I had hoped that wasn't the case but seems it was. Could turn the barrel down to 03 specs but that would cost to much and why screw up a good barrel that someone down the road could use to restore an 03A3 with.

I have a similar project. Sporterized M1903A3 in a cut down C stock (really nice one too...) $150. Blued, drilled and tapped (almost, one of the two front receiver screw holes was not tapped) and t came with an issue two groove barrel NOS that could go on but parked and blued, not a good combo. Four groove barrel was cut down and had Williams front and rear sights installed. Still had the original M1903a3 rear sight too. The bolt was NOT bent. Real mess. A scant stock fell in my lap for $45, not great but OK condition. All the parts and handguard came to about $100. I put on a Leupold one piece scope base and the rear and one front 8-40 screw are holding well. With Leupold extra high rings I was able to make a Weaver 6X work without bending the bolt! Had a "Tactical" black nylon cheek pad that works to get my head up to the scope. Wood color not a good match, stock is really dark and the handguard stain did not match all that well. Kind of fugly but it shoots pretty good as a faux (lots of imagination here) A4. All in about $350 but not close to any condition other than it shoots and looks vaguely like a sniper 03A4. Fun project but only a shooter and not anything else.

Dave

In the final days, 03A3 barrels were selling through the DCM for $0,99. I bought several and some were 4 groove SC's. I still have one 4 groove SC and one Remington 2 groove still in the wrap. If one were building a "sporter" the 03A3 barrels did not he the groove for the spline of the FRSD. It made a nicer conversion

FWIW

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Originally Posted by Cosine26

In the final days, 03A3 barrels were selling through the DCM for $0,99. I bought several and some were 4 groove SC's. I still have one 4 groove SC and one Remington 2 groove still in the wrap. If one were building a "sporter" the 03A3 barrels did not he the groove for the spline of the FRSD. It made a nicer conversion

FWIW

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Wish I could find barrels like that but when I went looking around for 03 barrels the cheapest new one I found was $200 and you still have the cost of install for barrel, rear sight and front sight. Think if I get the rifle I'll leave it as is. From what I'm told it shoots great, has a 3x weaver scope and looks really great dressed to look like an 03A4.

The post about the 98 with the A3 barrel reminded me of the one I have. It's a 1940 German 98 with a Remington 4-groove on it. I bought it mail-order from an outfit in CA that advertised in the American Rifleman. I think I paid around $30 for it as a barreled action. In those days, there was a Gunsmith in the area that was an artist (note the capital "G"!). I had him forge the bolt, cut the barrel to 19", d&t for a Redfield base, polish & blue. I fitted it with a Fajen mannlicher stock and, when I learned to checker; did that. It looked great, shot very well, and was my deer rifle. Several years ago, I changed the scope from the Weaver K2.5 to a Redfield 2-7X. I still have that rifle and, now that I am reminded of it, I'm going to get it out to the range soon. I have another 98 with a 2-groove A3 on it. That one started out as an FN made for a South American Country, chambered for 7x57. I mail-ordered that one, too, and it was a junker! I paid about $15 for it, the bore was rotted out, the receiver was pitted, etc. The Gunsmith cleaned up the receiver and fitted one of my 2-groove A3's to it. (I, too, bought some 99 cent barrels from CMP.) I guess it's time to get that one out and shoot it, too. I'm sorry if I hijacked this thread but I guess my point is that those 2-groove A3 barrels have done a lot for us shooters. Origionally we looked down on them and changed them out for 4-grooves when we could but we learned that they shot well. I'm not sure, anymore, how many 2-groove A3 barreled rifles I have: I think those 2 are the only Mausers--the rest are '03's and A3's.

Hi
I believe that those were Peruvian Mausers. I bought two, one was OK, but the other had a hole rusted through the receiver ring. I was going to return it but some guy wanted it and I sold it. He built a rifle on it and shot it. As I remember it, the barrel shank on the Peruvian's were smaller than other M98 actions and the receiver tings were thicker
FWIW

This discussion about barrels prompted me to do some research. I dug out some of my American Rifleman magazines from the old days and browsed around. Parts for 1903's and A3's were plentiful in 1960. To give some idea of the opinions on A3 barrel quality, I ran across an ad from an outfit called Warshal's located in Seattle. 2-groove A3 barrels were $1.25, SC 4-groove, $4.95, and Rem. 4-groove, $6.95. I did not remember that Remington barrels were held in higher regard than Smith Corona. In a 1963 issue, an ad from Flaig's of Pennsylvania listed barrels in several chamberings fitted to your action and test-fired for $29. I have several rifles with Flaig's barrels and they shoot just fine.

Cosine26: I have no Peruvian Mausers and am not familiar with them but the 98 Mausers that I have with A3 barrels on them are the standard large ring with the typical 1.100x12V T.P.I. thread. The A3 barrels have enough "meat" on them that the threaded shank can be cut off, a new shank can be turned down and re-threaded. The chamber would then have to be re-cut to the proper depth. Apparently, that is what was done to mine. That doesn't sound like it would be cost-effective considering the $29 cost of a new barrel completely set up. But, with A3 barrels being essentually free, the labor was the only expense involved. I wouldn't be surprised if the Gunsmith that did mine had a dozen or so A3 barrels already threaded for 98's and just took my barrel in trade. In the '60's, guys (including me!) were doing a lot of things with WWII surplus military rifles and, due to corrosive priming, replacing barrels was a common thing.