recommend some books please

[Rumpelhardt]

I am thinking seriously about getting a 1903 Springfield and to this end I am putting together a small research library. Could you fine gentlemen please recommend a few of the better books on the subject? Some thing along the lines of Ian Skennerton's "The Lee-Enfield" is what I have in mind.
Thank you for your time.

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[DeputyBill]

A good start would be:
"The Springfield 1903 Rifles"
by Lt. Col. Wm. S. Brophy

It's out of print but, can be found with a little patient perseverance.

My 2 cents...
-Bill

[browningautorifle]

I can't agree more with Bill. I lucked in finding my copy and I suggest you try. There's another that get's a lot of reference that has many errors in it. I won't say the name but Brophy seems to be the standard.

[Allen Humphrey]

An Illustrated Guide to the '03 Springfield Service Rifle. by Bruce Canfield

The '03 Springfield Rifle's Era by Clark Campbell

I've seen the above books referenced and recommended many times.

[tomwatts]

And while you are correct in that it has some errors, (maybe more than a few) but when its right its right, and it is a handy reference, as long as you double check anything really important.

I know others will tell you its bird cage paper, but just read it first as a logical introduction, (its like a 03 gun collector dictionary, just more error prone), then use all the other references for full authority.

(And just ignore the custom nomenclature "type 1 etc." crap)

My 2 cents...

[Rick the Librarian]

There is a real need for a good introductory i.d.-type book on the M1903 - but Poyer isn't it. I won't deny there are parts that are done pretty well. However, it is like walking in a barnyard - you have to look VERY carefully where you step! Not suitable for a newbie, IMHO.

Brophy is probably the best, but, 1) it is over 25 years old and is getting a little dated; 2) the sheer size can be daunting.

That being said, I've almost worn mine out.

[Jason60chev]

The Brophy book can be found on Ebay for about $75 -$80....Also....attend any decent sized gun show and there are bound (no pun) to be reference books available.

[Rick the Librarian]

Brophy's book can be found for considerably less than the above quoted above, and these are fixed prices below:

http://www.addall.com/New/compare.cg...itle=&state=WA

Used:

AddALL Rare Used and Out of Print Book Search

---------- Post added at 06:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:30 AM ----------

Bottom line: I'd start with Bruce Canfield's book and then, move on to Brophy. Canfield's book has some areas I don't agree with, either, but it is much for accurate than Poyer.

There are some excellent "specialized" M1903 books, as well. C.S. Ferris' book on the Rock Island M1903 comes to mine. John Beard and Ferris collaborated on a small but very good book on early M1903s, "Springfield Model 1903 Service Rifle: Production and Alteration, 1905-1910". It is out of print, but can still be found at used book sites.

[Kirk]

Canfield's book "An Illustrated Guide to the '03 Springfield Service Rifle" is pretty good & compliments Brophy's work.