The Wait is Finally Over...

[Low & Slow]

Splendid what a bit of 0000 steel wool and some patient attention can achieve.

[oldfoneguy]

Now it's the 03-A3's turn.

Aside from the front receiver screw being stuck and soaking in kroil for 2 days to loosen it up this rifle seems to be in exceptional condition. Barrel and receiver are parked every other part is blued. I don't know if it came out of the factory this way or ended up like this after a refurb but it presents beautifully. It's all in such great shape with zero corrosion anywhere so no boiling needed. A wipedown with lacquer thinner and oiling everything and the metal will be done. I don't feel the need to remove the sight blade to get the bands off as they're fine. I'm only going to remove the trigger assembly to oil all of it.

The stock is a different story. While also in excellent condition it hasn't been oiled in decades it seems. The surface is coated in petrified oil and the only way to remove it is with a 4/0 steel wool buff. If you look at the handguard in the pictures you can see the difference as its already been buffed. Unlike the stock on the 1903 there is no excess oil below the surface. Buff this one and it's dry as a bone so after the initial buff it's going to get some coats of BLO. Stand by for the final results.

[oldfoneguy]

So it's come to my attention while cleaning the parts everything that's maker marked on this 03-A3 is R for Remington. As in outstanding condition as this rifle is it's also proving to be a 100% matching piece if there is such a thing for an 81 year old milsurp. I'm completely elated to this point.

Once clean I did find 2 tiny blooms of rust hiding in there. One on the magazine spring and the other on the back side of the butt plate. That has been corrected.

[oldfoneguy]

Ok, now I have to admidt my mind is completely blown. I removed the trigger group to oil it completely and this is what I found.

Virtually no wear anyplace that usually does wear in these areas. To the best of my knowledge refinishing of these areas is not part of the refurb process but I could be wrong. The underside of the receiver, the top of the trigger and sear, the the cocking piece contact area of the sear and the same contact area of the cocking piece. Even the sear pin shows no loss of finish on it anywhere.

Anyone who knows more than me about this which is practically everyone please chime in if I'm wrong.

[oldfoneguy]

Well here it is cleaned oiled and fully dressed. It a beautiful piece and up there as close to the very top in condition of my collection. The United Fork and Hoe bayonet I ordered for it is in like new condition and a perfect match.

It was nice when I bought it but has exceeded expectations once I had delved into it. There are some minor storage and handling blemishes but it seems to be a nearly new or freshly rebuilt rifle. Personally I'm leaning towards nearly new based on the condition of the functional internal parts and the bore. The rifling reads as new condition with maybe a couple of boxes of rounds through it. Maybe I should do a barrel break-in? LOL.

The reciever serial dates to September 1943 according to the Remington Society and the barrel date is 4-43. They must have made tons of barrels in April of 1943 because most of Remington 03-A3's I've seen have the same barrel date. Here is a little milsurp porn for you guys. Enjoy.

[John Beard]

John I'm going to ask you a purely speculative in your opinion question.

With no arsenal stamping for it to be an official replacement stock would this have been done as a field repair or post government ownership?

I had no illusions that the rifle was all original an untouched and i didn't pay that kind of money for it either. I certainty didn’t realize that the stock was that old. I saw a JS Adams cartouch and figured it was legit to the rifle because he was with Springfield at the time the rifle was made.

I concur with your reasoning. Since the stock is devoid of both an arsenal overhaul stamp and a configuration update, the stock was likely fitted as a field replacement.

J.B.