New Member, restoring a sporterized M1903.

Hi Everyone, I'm a new member of this forum! In my search for the perfect rifleman's rifle, I think I found mine. I came across a sporterized M1903, serial number 12946XX. The rifle dates to 1928, has a star-gauged barrel marked SA 5-28, has an early Lyman 48 rear sight, and the bolt is nickel steel in the white with the serial number electro-penciled into the top of the bolt body. The rifle came bedded into a sporter stock with a cork-like material, and there was no butt-plate. The stock that the rifle came in was not like the NRA sporters, it has a plastic cap under the pistol grip and at the front, about 1/2 the way down the barrel where the stock ends, is a thin metal barrel band that is tight around the barrel, screwed into a metal block inside of the stock in which a sling swivel is screwed. The receiver of the rifle is drilled and tapped on the left side for a Griffen and Howe mount, and the sporterized stock has been originally inletted for that mount.
To restore the rifle to a somewhat original military configuration, and I say somewhat because I put an A3 hand guard on it, and use the Lyman rear sight as the only rear sight, I purchased a new Minelli walnut M1903 A3 C stock from Stocky's, along with all of the metal replacement parts from Numrich, and went to work on the stock with some "boiled" linseed oil that I heated up myself. I used my Swiss Army knife to carve the inlet for the Lyman sight. It's a real hack job, but I like it. I noticed that the Minelli stock was kind of soft and light compared to CMP walnut stocks of the same type, but it works. And here she is, the finished product. I purchased the Williams peep-sight disk, 3/8's of an inch and a 0.05 aperature hole from Midway, and it came in only 2 days with standard shipping! The stock fit like a glove. The only stock metal that came with the sporterized version of the rifle was the rear sling swivel piece, with it's two screws, one of which I replaced. The bore has an M.E. of 1.0 and is otherwise bright with no pitting. So far I love the way this rifle now looks and feels and it should be a great shooter. Has anyone else recently restored a sporterized M1903 closer to original military configuration lately?


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Very rewarding project. I have completed it sense the after photo.

Nice! Another 1903 brought back to life!
I saw original US Military scant stocks at Numrich for half the price of the Minelli C-stocks when ordering all of the metal parts, but personally I just like the C stock better, something about the grip feels better in my hands.

I think that the stock you have is much better than the cheap sporter stock. But if you can ever find an original NRA Sporter stock, it would really compliment the action.

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Originally Posted by martin08

I think that the stock you have is much better than the cheap sporter stock. But if you can ever find an original NRA Sporter stock, it would really compliment the action.

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Yes, I'll keep my eyes open for an original NRA sporter stock. I can get the NRA sporter stock barrel band now, but the stocks themselves are rare for a real one. The barrel of this rifle is beautifully blued with no marks on it from a rear sight collar.

mmontag,

Without a complete serial number I can't check your serial number against Springfield Research Service records but nearly every serial number between 1294600 and 1294646.
are listed as being sold as NRA Sporters. The serial number on the bolt, the Lyman 48S rear sight, the star gauge mark on the barrel are all characteristics of NRA Sporters.
The NRA Sporters were made and sold as new items in the Sporter configuration. I realize this is a Milsurp forum but I believe you are restoring the rifle to something it never was.
The star guage mark on the barrel on NRA Sporters was hidden under the fore end. It will be something like a letter above three digits.

Repro NRA Sporter stocks are available. Originals are much harder to find. 1922 stocks from Springfield .22's can be made to work and look authentic by putting the stock reinforcing crossbolts in them that did not come in the .22 stocks.

I collect the 1903 Sporters and found a repro stock at a gun show a couple of years ago. I suspect your rifle as found was the result of the original stock being broken
and the owner put it in the commercial stock it was in when you found it.

Congratulations on your find.

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Originally Posted by Herschel

mmontag,

Without a complete serial number I can't check your serial number against Springfield Research Service records but nearly every serial number between 1294600 and 1294646.
are listed as being sold as NRA Sporters. The serial number on the bolt, the Lyman 48S rear sight, the star gauge mark on the barrel are all characteristics of NRA Sporters.
The NRA Sporters were made and sold as new items in the Sporter configuration. I realize this is a Milsurp forum but I believe you are restoring the rifle to something it never was.
The star guage mark on the barrel on NRA Sporters was hidden under the fore end. It will be something like a letter above three digits.

Repro NRA Sporter stocks are available. Originals are much harder to find. 1922 stocks from Springfield .22's can be made to work and look authentic by putting the stock reinforcing crossbolts in them that did not come in the .22 stocks.

I collect the 1903 Sporters and found a repro stock at a gun show a couple of years ago. I suspect your rifle as found was the result of the original stock being broken
and the owner put it in the commercial stock it was in when you found it.

Congratulations on your find.

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Thank you! It was a great find. It's interesting to know that I'm actually putting it into military configuration for the first time. Haa haa, I'd love to find an actual NRA Sporter stock somewhere, maybe even a reproduction would do, depending on how good of a reproduction it is. The last 2 digit are 44 if you want to look it up.

1903 #1294644 is a hit on SRS. It was sold as an NRA Sporter on 7-11-1929. You can get a copy of the sales record card from SRS at a cost of $65.00. It will show the name of the original purchaser and his city of residence. To qualify to get the SRS letter you must be a subscriber to U. S. Martial Arms Collector magazine. The annual cost of the magazine is
$35.00.

Check your email.

Hello,
I am also a new member wanting to restore a Remington M1903. Serial #3154565 with C-style grip. My dad bought the rifle out of the NRA magazine when I was a kid. As a teenager, I did the then popular sporterizing of the stock. The rifle is in excellent condition, but needs a new stock and hardware.
Is anyone familiar with the stocks available through SARCO? They are the most reasonably priced and available stocks that I have found.
Memory has failed me, did the rifle originally have a checkered or smooth butt plate?
any other suggestions for replacing hardware?
Thank you.

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Originally Posted by fourweight

Hello,
I am also a new member wanting to restore a Remington M1903. Serial #3154565 with C-style grip. My dad bought the rifle out of the NRA magazine when I was a kid. As a teenager, I did the then popular sporterizing of the stock. The rifle is in excellent condition, but needs a new stock and hardware.
Is anyone familiar with the stocks available through SARCO? They are the most reasonably priced and available stocks that I have found.
Memory has failed me, did the rifle originally have a checkered or smooth butt plate?
any other suggestions for replacing hardware?
Thank you.

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The SARCO C-stock is inletted incorrectly. You have to do some major reconstruction to make them work. The front area the receiver beds to the stock is cut about a 1/4” to low. You basically have to add wood and reinlet the stock. I have done a few. It is a very advanced stock work on top of the already detailed fitting of a 1903 stock.

If you want a C-stock, find a Minnelli. While they still require fitting and refinishing, you will have the wood where you need it.

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Originally Posted by mmontag

Has anyone else recently restored a sporterized M1903 closer to original military configuration lately?

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I did one last year that is now at Chuck's for parkerizing.
I have a thread going for my next one I just started this week - and A3 someone not only sporterized, but then beat it over a tree/table/telephone-pole/head and broke the stock in two.

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Originally Posted by bml

If you want a C-stock, find a Minnelli.

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I have fitted two of the Minelli stocks now. The inletting was nice and tight, with wood to work with - it was pretty easy to fit. The outer profile was very fat - the lower band wouldn't slide on even with the screw backed all the way out. Their "stain" is not very deep. a light scuffing will take it off. this was nice because the areas that didn't need worked were easy to take down to raw wood. It was easy, just tedious. What was nice about it was that I had plenty of material...lots really... in the wrist and palm, so I had the chance to customize the palm swell and wrist to my large meat hooks.
I'll be doing another Minelli next week on my new rifle.

The Minnelli stock is for a 1903 A3. Will it also fit a 1903?
thank you

yes. it will fit either a 1903 or a 1903a3. It has the groove already cut for the 1903a3 handgaurd ring, but also has the area milled out for the 1903 rear sight base. I have used the Minelli stock on both a 1903 and a 1903a3. It comes with an A3 handgaurd, so you may need to purchase a handgaurd.

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Originally Posted by ssgross

yes. it will fit either a 1903 or a 1903a3. It has the groove already cut for the 1903a3 handgaurd ring, but also has the area milled out for the 1903 rear sight base. I have used the Minelli stock on both a 1903 and a 1903a3. It comes with an A3 handgaurd, so you may need to purchase a handgaurd.

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Thank you. I'll look for both and certainly be back with more questions.

For new handgaurds, not all are created equal. I ordered one from Numrich...warped. Ordered one on ebay...not enough inletting but at least it was straight, so I resigned to grinding away...Then I was looking for something else at Fulton Armory, and they had NOS m1903 handgaurds, still in their USGI packaging. Those were perfect. It took a bit of hair dryer work to get the grease out...there is a greased paper wrap around the metal clips. But it came out nice and even, and after it and the Minelli stock were sanded together with perfect alignment, the color of the walnut matched pretty good after several treatments of raw linseed oil.

I have restored a sporter once a few years ago. Very rewarding and worthwhile if it is possible to do. Nice job!

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Originally Posted by ssgross

For new handgaurds, not all are created equal. I ordered one from Numrich...warped. Ordered one on ebay...not enough inletting but at least it was straight, so I resigned to grinding away...Then I was looking for something else at Fulton Armory, and they had NOS m1903 handgaurds, still in their USGI packaging. Those were perfect. It took a bit of hair dryer work to get the grease out...there is a greased paper wrap around the metal clips. But it came out nice and even, and after it and the Minelli stock were sanded together with perfect alignment, the color of the walnut matched pretty good after several treatments of raw linseed oil.

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I actually saw a beautiful M1903 C-stock, used but great condition, with all metal already on it, matching hand guard, all for only $149 on a site called Liberty Tree Collectors. By the time I checked again, it was already sold. I was going to post a link here in the forum, but it sold too fast.

That would have been a good price. I have bought and tried to fit 2 used stocks before. Thankfully was able to sell them and break even. You have no control over the bedding areas, or how much shrinkage in the wood over the years and these. While they looked pretty with all the right markings and would have fooled an "average" person, the rifles would not shoot to their potential in them without shimming everywhere...without shims the magazine was pressed hard all along the receiver.
If you want something to shoot and shoot well, my advise is still to fit new wood. The minelli stocks come fat enough that just about any handgaurd which isn't warped will end up matching because you will sand to bare wood to make all flush.
Nothing wrong with an old stock and shims, except you can't use it in the "games". I personally prefer to hold a perfectly fitted stock in my hands at the firing line, knowing it was me, because every time I caress my hand down the side into position, I crack a slight smile from the satisfaction that it is indeed MY rifle, and there are no others like it for me. Games are irrelevant. My satisfaction was worth the extra money for new wood. Not everyone is the same.

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Originally Posted by ssgross

That would have been a good price. I have bought and tried to fit 2 used stocks before. Thankfully was able to sell them and break even. You have no control over the bedding areas, or how much shrinkage in the wood over the years and these. While they looked pretty with all the right markings and would have fooled an "average" person, the rifles would not shoot to their potential in them without shimming everywhere...without shims the magazine was pressed hard all along the receiver.
If you want something to shoot and shoot well, my advise is still to fit new wood. The minelli stocks come fat enough that just about any handgaurd which isn't warped will end up matching because you will sand to bare wood to make all flush.
Nothing wrong with an old stock and shims, except you can't use it in the "games". I personally prefer to hold a perfectly fitted stock in my hands at the firing line, knowing it was me, because every time I caress my hand down the side into position, I crack a slight smile from the satisfaction that it is indeed MY rifle, and there are no others like it for me. Games are irrelevant. My satisfaction was worth the extra money for new wood. Not everyone is the same.

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Yes, that's definitely a good point. I guess for that low price, it might have been worth the try, but if you want a perfect fit, the Minelli is currently the way to go. I had purchased a CMP C-stock long ago and it turned out to be slightly canted in the barrel channel, to the side. The Minelli that I recently purchased was straight as an arrow, and after putting the rear bushing in, and pulling the recoil lug against the stock, the rear receiver was nicely and minutely close to the wood, but still not touching it. Also, the magazine dropped right in and after tightening everything down, the barrel pressed down against the front of the stock just like it should. The only thing that I had to carve out was the inlet for the Lyman 48. Before purchasing this rifle, I had bought and sold an M1903 with serial number 15277XX, I forget the last two digits. The rifle has a beautiful C-stock, the barrel was an S.A. 4-39, and the serial number came back to being made in 1939. The bolt was a nickel steel, labeled N.S. but parkerized. The whole rifle was parkerized. It was a beautiful rifle, but it just didn't sit well with me because the barrel pressed up against the front barrel band metal. Rather than pressing down, it pressed up with about 5 lbs. I didn't want to mess with the stock since the rifle looked like it was directly from the arsenal. So I sold it. Glad I found mine. Is there a specific order that one should tighten the action screws? I've always tightened the front screw just snug, then the tang screw, then repeat until tight.

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Originally Posted by mmontag

Is there a specific order that one should tighten the action screws?

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Tighten the front first, 30-35 inch*lbs, then the rear to no more than the same. If you play around and tune for accuracy, you may find that the rear screw likes to be a bit (~5 in*lbs) less than the front. The exact torque will depend on how your stock was fit. you want the wood to be lightly compressed, not crushed. a poorly fit stock may require more to achieve proper contact, but could also add stresses or an uneven twisting force in the metal while firing.
I had one cmp/boyds stock with the same barrel channel off as you reported. The barrel channel looked straight, but the bottom inletting did not run parallel to the top. Took a lot of work to fix that one. With a good stock, it's not hard to get your inletting perfect, and proper bedding really does make a big difference at the range. even the minelli stocks come vertically thick...just take a look at the gap between magazine and receiver. it should be less than the width of the rear of your follower to avoid being stuck in the gap. I just finished fitting another one and posted the steps required in detail.

Numrich now has M1903 C stocks for $247. It says, "U.S. Military" production, but I would think they are modern?

Stock, Walnut, Type C, Full Grip w/ Reinforcing Bolts & Nuts | Gun Parts

-Mike

Wording actually is indicating that the rifle it fits was manufactured by/for "U.S. Military" - just reflecting how Numrich organizes their website. Detail copy clearly indicates it's a reproduction.

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Originally Posted by Parashooter

Wording actually is indicating that the rifle it fits was manufactured by/for "U.S. Military" - just reflecting how Numrich organizes their website. Detail copy clearly indicates it's a reproduction.

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Oh, I see. So I wonder what kind of a reproduction this is, relative to the Minelli C stocks, and the CMP C stocks?

-M

Let us know if you get one of the new Numrich ones. I'm interested in how it compares to the others we have talked about. Given the price point, and the picture, I wouldn't be surprised if they contracted Minelli to make a run just for them.