How Did I Do?

[reed12b]

I picked up the 1903A3 below at a gun show here in the St. Louis area last week. I paid $600 for it, just wondering how I did on the price? There were others at the show that were up to $1,200, but they did not seem to be in a lot better shape. But my goal is to use this as a shooter in the JCG matches, not as a collector.

Please take a look and let me know your thoughts.

Edit: I removed my pics as I can not figure out how to post them without allowing a viewer to see all my photos on Photobucket. I have seen many other posts with photos that this did not occurr. Any information on what I am doing wrong would be helpfu.

Information

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[Kirk]

Please post details! Make; s/n; barrel date; bolt markings; stock markings, bore & muzzle condition, as a start.

Presuming it's a Remington or Smith Corona (vs. a commercially made one with a cast receiver) and that it is not a recovered drill rifle and that the stock, bore, muzzle are in good shape and headspace is OK, $600 is a very good price.

[Emri]

Go to your photo hosting site. Open the pic you want to show. Right click on the pic. Copy the URL that shows under "properties". Click on the little picture icon at the top of your posting and put the URL in the proper place when the window opens.

Be sure to copy the URL from the picture you OPEN. Do not copy the properties from clicking on the thumbnail.

HTH,

Emri

[reed12b]

Ths is a test photo.

[reed12b]

Thanks for the info, I will add the photos now. I don't have a guage to check on the wear, but it must not be too far gone. I shot a 92 out of 100 in slow fire prone which was better than my M1 the same day.









You can not see in this photo but there is a JA in a stamp on the left side of the hand grip area. Also note there are 2 brass pins in the stock instead of the latter bolts.

Barrel is dated 2-43 with a RA and flaming bomb stamp. There is also a P behind the TG on the bottom. T
The bolt is marked with a C 9 on the part that is straight up when the bolt is opened.

[delloro]

Edit: I removed my pics as I can not figure out how to post them without allowing a viewer to see all my photos on Photobucket.

put some clothes on

but seriously check your PMs.

[John Beard]

I picked up the 1903A3 below at a gun show here in the St. Louis area last week. I paid $600 for it, just wondering how I did on the price? There were others at the show that were up to $1,200, but they did not seem to be in a lot better shape. But my goal is to use this as a shooter in the JCG matches, not as a collector.

Please take a look and let me know your thoughts.

For $600, you made a very good buy. But, I have some reservations about your rifle as a shooter.

Your rifle is fitted with a pin-reinforced stock. The Army found that these stocks were prone to split when fired. And I have seen a number of them split. The Army, subsequently, ordered the manufacturers to revert back to bolt-reinforced stocks to reduce the incidence of splitting.

Your rifle also appears to be fitted with a straight handle bolt. Straight handle bolts are casehardened and are generally regarded as being less safe for shooting. Should that be the case, you should perhaps consider re-fitting your rifle with a bolt having a curved handle, i.e., a rearward sweep in addition to the downward bend. This can be done relatively inexpensively.

And, finally, the photos show why your rifle was perhaps priced less than the others. Your rifle has been arsenal-overhauled, refinished, and re-assembled from mixed parts. But do not despair. Arsenal-overhauled rifles are valuable also, especially as shooters. But for obvious reasons, they're just not worth as much as nice originals.

Hope this helps. Congratulations!

J.B.

[Kirk]

As John Beard says, pinned stocks are known to split. Check yours for any splits at the tang (should be about .05" separation between tang & wood) and inside the stock where the recoil lug seats. If the stock is undamaged, consider replacing it. The CMP is selling original WWII mfg walnut stocks.

If there are spits present, you can repair the stock with epoxy or acraglss. If you need to do that, let us know. A properly repaired stock will be strong enough so that it does not need to be replaced & will make a good shooter. The stock has nice color & figure, by the way.

When the rifle is out of the stock, check the bottom of the receiver ring for any sign of welding. 1903s were converted by the Army to Drill Rifles by welding the receiver to the barrel; driving a plug into the chamber; welding the cut off switch closed & welding up the bolt. Your cut off looks fine but double check to see what's underneath. A weld may show bubbling; discoloration & at the barrel/receiver joint, bright metal like stainless steel as shown in the pics. Some people convert DRs back into firing shape & don't bother to tell buyers.

Attachment 15274Attachment 15275

I'd also check the headspace, especially if you replace the bolt. The Army never withdrew the straight handle bolts (most of which received the "Single Heat Treatment" and may be somewhat brittle. A few received the "Double Heat Treatment" and are fine. At Camp Perry, shooters with SHT bolts were advised to bring a spare bolt for their rifle that was already headspaced. That way, if the lugs failed (safety lug held), the shooter could remove the failed bolt, insert another & keep going. John has a Bolt Heat Lot chart at http://www.vishooter.net/m1903.html Match the marking on your bolt (on the root of the handle or safety lug) & you can date your bolt. If the bolt has a straight handle, it may be a desirable collectors piece & you can buy and headspace an A3 bolt & then sell the straight handle bolt.

Also, avoid the fish-based lubes; the cat may get a whisker stuck in the action & they get upset if they loose one.

[reed12b]

Thank you both for the feedback, that is exactly what I was looking for as I am fairly new to this type of rifle. The stock is not an issue as I have a new CMP one I purchased for my other 1903, but it will be used for this project. I need a different handguard, as the CMP one does not have the cutouts for the two clips. The bolt issue does concern me, I will have to do some research on the site above to deternine what year that bolt is and if I have to I can use the other one from the 1903. I basically understand the headspacing concern, but how does the average guy check this without an expensive guage?

The crack about the cat is very funny, I forgot to crop his face out of the picture. He kept wanting to smell it all over, I guess the previous owner had an animal of sometype.

Thanks again. I am happy to see I didn't pay way too much for what I bought, but it really is not that important. I don't sell my guns, I still have every one I purchased. It just takes me a long time of research and looking before I buy what I want and then keep it.

[Kirk]

There is no good substitute for headspace gauges. There are a very few thousandths of an inch between a Go gauge & No Go gauge. If none of your acquaintances have a set, take it to a competent gunsmith.

What kind of hand guard do you need? 1903 or A3?