Info on Short barreld Springfield M1903-a3's

[cbrown]

Dear Fans of the Springers.

New member here. with a single Remington 1903a3.

Was visiting my local dealer last year and he had just got in several Remington 1903-a3's including a 'short barrel' M1903a3 (sorry no pix or sn info). He didn't know any info about it, and I went looking on the web and found references to a WW2 Army National Guard unit assigned to the Panama Canal Zone, that shortened 1903's for jungle use, but no further information.

A little research at M1903.com mentions that there was a Panama Canal Ordnance Depot that *may* have rebuilt or made modifications to 1903-a3's during WW2.

Does anyone know anything about short barrelled M1903-a3?

Thanks in advance.

R. Brown

Information

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[mark1]

Remington M1903A3's did not have short barrels as issued from the Government. If he had a Remington with a short barrel than the gun was sporterized. The Panama Canal rifle you are referring to would be a Springfield not Remington. Remington manufactured rifle's were issued during WWII.

[Tom in N.J.]

All of the Panama Canal Zone "Bushmaster" carbines ( shortened M1903 rifles) were turned in to Raritan Arsenal, in NJ. They were stripped of usable parts and the barreled receivers dumped into the Atlantic ocean.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Tom and Mark1 are correct, cbrown

In Bruce Canfield's book, '03 SPRINGFIELD SERVICE RIFLE' on page 137-138 it says 4,725 1903's with serial numbers as low as 6383 to as high as 1467501 with no blocks to ID or records of which were modified had barrels cut down to 18 inches and stocks and handguards cut correspondingly, and they had no other distinguishing features to positively ID them - Judging by the few photos that exist they were just cut off rather crudely. The rifles were ordered sent to Raritan Arsenal where they were destroyed - War Department memorandum dated May 1945 says they were dumped into the ocean.

[Chuckindenver]

SRS does have a few listed..when you could search on line for free, i did some digging...found more then a few 1903 Bushmaster carbine listed rifles...
but no...no short barreled A3,s were made by Remington or Smith Corona

[Cosine26]

Pictures of these rifles were published in the AMERICAN RIFLEMAN during WWII. I copied pictures of them and posted them on this forum a couple of years ago. They were definately 03's not 03A3's