Quote Originally Posted by Calif-Steve View Post
The Army wants all of the older bolts guns turned in. They are issuing Garands, which they have a small parts float. There are no spare Krag bolts or '03 bolts around. I understand CMPicon is now supporting this program and they are very good about helping out Vet organizations. I am not so sure what is shameful, but if you say so, then I'll agree. Mind you, I served in Viet Nam and am rather pro-vet.
Calif-Steve: You miss the point, perhaps in your neck-o-the-woods the vets doing these burial services are content with the M-1 rifle, but many of the older vets have developed a real fondness for the 03/03A3. To them it is a ceremonial rifle that is much easier to use and to maintain. If there is a failure with an 03/03A3 it is usually much easier for these guys to clear and get it working during the ceremony than an M-1. Have you ever seen an older vet struggle with trying to work the bolt on an M-1? I have when I was looking for a place to bury my Dad. I watched a ceremony where the vets used a mix of Springfields and Garands, all personally owned I learned. One of the Garands jammed and they had a heck of a time clearing it so much so that I wanted to jump in and help but I didn't feel right doing that. My Dad served towards the end of WW II and he carried an 03A3 in basic at Fort Knox and was then given a Garandicon for a short time and when he went overseas he was issued an M-1 carbine. The one he really liked was the M-1 carbine because it was light and easy to carry around. He was a artillaryman serving a 105mm. Anyway, years later I showed him some of the rifles in my small collection and he would comment about how heavy the Garand was and that he must have been a lot stronger "back then" as he put it. He played heck trying to work the bolt on the Garand but when I gave him a 03/03A3 he instinctively knew how to work the bolt and to him the rifle felt much lighter than the Garand.

So you can feel the way you want on this issue but I firmly believe these burial units have earned the right to use the 03/03A3's if they want. Some like yourself will claim the Army owns them and can call them back anytime they want. No, the Army really doesn't own them, the taxpayers do. We paid for them and as long as they are not dangerous weapons capable of full auto fire, I think the vets doing this service should be able to make the call on keeping them. Somehow people always seem to forget who REALLY owns stuff our military buys. They buy it, but WE own it.

Lastly, I don't buy for a second they can't get spare parts. There are a ton of spare parts floating around for the 03/03A3's. True the Army may not have parts in the system for these rifles but they are readily available and I think replacement parts support could and would come from many, many sources to keep these ceremonial rifles working. It is also a lot more difficult to keep an M-1 running than an 03/03A3. Ask yourself which rifle is more accomodating in shooting blanks....the M-1 or the 03A3? That answer alone should take care of this issue. And I served in the military too and spent 30 years in law enforncement afterwards, but all that doesn't mean a thing because I am not the one doing these ceremonies.
Respectfully, Rick