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.