03-a3 remington

[03a3carbine]

Any help here would be greatly appreciated. In possession of a Remington 03-a3, made in 1943. This rifle appears to be in new parkerized condition, Has a 16 in barrel, looks original non cut, stock has also been modified, it is not a "bushmaster" as pictured on internet and most would say it is privately modified but one reliable source says these were made for the Philippine campaign with 16in barrels. Does anyone have any info on this? Could this be an experimental version? It came from a very highend gun collector who recently passed away. Thank You Mark

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Got pics of this one? What one thinks is original often isn't and it will appear when looked at by others...verbal is hard to determine.

[rcathey]

Would very much like to see pictures of this. Sounds pretty cool.

[03a3carbine]

Thank You will try to download some pics

[browningautorifle]

With a flash and report like an anti tank gun...

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:56 PM ----------

We already did a thread about these some time ago. I wouldn't get a bank account ready yet for this one's gleanings... https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=4607

[CINDERS]

I would not like to be beside that rifle when it went off would be deafened from the report then burnt by the great flash from the muzzle.......!

[03a3carbine]

Thanks for the info Jim, already aware of the previous thread you refer to, however....info received on this rifle never said to be a "bushmaster" but one that was specifically made for the Philippine campaign with a 16 in. 4 twist barrel. Was this info totally bogus? Can you redirect to a more knowledgeable source? Thank You Mark

[rcathey]

I think perhaps the more pertinent question would be who is the "reliable source" that said, "these were made for the Philippine campaign with 16in barrels?"

[browningautorifle]

Can you redirect to a more knowledgeable source?

Matter of fact with a statement like that I'll just bow out. Have fun...

[Sunray]

U.S. military Parkerizing was manganese based for one. That'd be black. And whoever did it some how missed the last half inch of the barrel too. With a 16" barrel I suspect it was done by 'some guy'. One of the guys on another forum says all of the "bushmasters" were recalled and dumped in the ocean in 1945. There were an unauthorised modification.
No chance the U.S. Ordnance Dept. would make a special run of barrels in the middle of a war. Especially as the Filipino troopies had been using the 1903 with its 24" barrel and 16" bayonet long before there was such a thing as an '03A3. Plus BAR's, Pattern 17 rifles and Thompson SMG's. Philippine Scouts had '03s from 1907.