New Guy with a New (to me) Rifle

[awq134]

I recently was given what was thought to be just a run of the mill 30-06 hunting rifle. After further inspection i realized that it was a Springfield Armory Model 1903. The barrel and receiver was put into a montecarlo style stock. The barrel has the flaming bomb stamp with 6-44 date stamp on it. The finish of the barrel is extremely smooth and has a descent amount of bluing left on it.

So far i have been told that the barrel was a replacement and that it was polished and blued at some point. I have no intentions in returning it to it's original condition with a period correct stock. I plan on using it as a hunting rifle for my wife, if i can ever convince her to go.

Here are a few pictures, any and all information about it would be greatly helpful and appreciated.

thanks,

Q.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[madcratebuilder]

A high number 1903 that has been sporterized. very common back in the day. Nice job on the wood and metal. A guy could build a damn good hunting rifle for not a lot of cash back then. $50-60 bucks total.

[LeagleEagle]

OOH I'd love to restore that one!

[2aimtrue]

Very nice old rifle. And someone just gave it to you?
Glad to see it is mostly unmolested (except for the nice metal finishing). It would be bee-u-tiful in uniform and it wouldn't take much to get it there. I am doing that with a similarly sporterized 03 so I can have a "convertible".
Shoot that sucker. Be sure to learn how to use the battle sight - the open (notch) sight is set for 300 yards or so.
2

[awq134]

[QUOTE=2aimtrue;203965]Very nice old rifle. And someone just gave it to you?
Glad to see it is mostly unmolested (except for the nice metal finishing). It would be bee-u-tiful in uniform and it wouldn't take much to get it there. I am doing that with a similarly sporterized 03 so I can have a "convertible".
Shoot that sucker. Be sure to learn how to use the battle sight - the open (notch) sight is set for 300 yards or so.
2[/QUOTE
Yes, my father came into 4 guns, 3 rifles and one pistol sort of like an inheritance, but not really. One was a civil war rifled muzzle loader that was later converted into a trap door breech loader that shoots a 50-70 round and the other two were 1903's, mine was a SA and the other one was a remington. He gave my brother the remington and myself the SA.

Any suggestions on what grain of bullet would be good for deer hunting and/or target shooting?

I recently downloaded the user/owners manual from the above sticky thread and have been reading up on it a little

[vintage hunter]

The sights on your rifle are graduated for use with the M2 ball round that shoots a 150-152 gr bullet at around 2800 fps. Almost any bullet in the 150 to 180 gr range is effective on deer. Assuming you plan to keep the rifle as is and use the iron sights any standard velocity commercial 150 gr hunting load will be closest to P.O.A. With the ladder folded down the battle sight is set for something like 550 yds, or so I've been told, so keep that in mind or else you'll shoot right over your deer. I did that once, plundered right up on a real nice buck bout 100 yds off and forgot to hold low. Stayed mad at myself for a whole week.

[awq134]

i did read that about the sight being in the down position was for your mentioned range whish is kind of disappointing. If i have to put the sight leaf up i'm going to be paranoid that it will never be set to the correct position. I guess i'll just have to take it to the range and let the gun speak for itself!

[supercub]

If only they were all done like that. Nice.

[gsimmons]

M1866 2nd Allen Conversion. The M1865 1st Allen Conversion were in .58 RF.

[awq134]

thanks for the correction.