Springfield 303

[Calif-Steve]

I read a very good article on the .303 Springfields a few years back. Strictly by vague memory. "The British Purchasing Commission was a United Kingdom organization of the Second World War. Also known at some time as the "Anglo-French Purchasing Board", it was based in New York City, where it arranged the production and purchase of armaments from North American manufacturers."
IF I recall correctly these people visited Remington and asked for a .303 rifle. Remington did the work-up and made a very few toolroom samples. When the US Army heard of the .303 caliber they objected and stopped the caliber conversion. People remembered the P14/M1917 issues of WWI and did not want a repeat of that. Once that was settled the M1903 Remington production started flowing to England. I know during WWII the French asked for a Garand tool package, and the US refused. Too bad the British didn't get a Garand tool package, would have made sense.

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[John Beard]

I read a very good article on the .303 Springfields a few years back. Strictly by vague memory. "The British Purchasing Commission was a United Kingdom organization of the Second World War. Also known at some time as the "Anglo-French Purchasing Board", it was based in New York City, where it arranged the production and purchase of armaments from North American manufacturers."
IF I recall correctly these people visited Remington and asked for a .303 rifle. Remington did the work-up and made a very few toolroom samples. When the US Army heard of the .303 caliber they objected and stopped the caliber conversion. People remembered the P14/M1917 issues of WWI and did not want a repeat of that. Once that was settled the M1903 Remington production started flowing to England. I know during WWII the French asked for a Garand tool package, and the US refused. Too bad the British didn't get a Garand tool package, would have made sense.

If you recollection is accurate, the article you read is flawed. The British came shopping for a rifle in .303 caliber. But, that prospect was very quickly ruled out. Remington was then placed under contract for .30-'06 caliber rifles. And from that point on, it was full speed ahead for .30-'06 caliber rifles. The .303 model shop rifles weren't even a speed bump in the road to production. And there was no relationship with the P'14 and M1917 rifles.

J.B.