Correct Handguard for Remington M1903?

[John Beard]

OK, the relief cut for the front metal clip is present, but the profile doesn't look like the other example above.

Your handguard has a CONVEX profile. A Remington handguard has a CONCAVE profile. Your handguard is not a Remington handguard.

J.B.

[RBruce]

So, what is the explanation for the relief cut at the front clip? Perhaps a replacement?

[John Beard]

So, what is the explanation for the relief cut at the front clip? Perhaps a replacement?

The relief cut at the front clip was not unique to Remington handguards. Other handguards had the relief cut as well. But, all Remington handguards had the relief cut.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[RBruce]

The handguard pictured in #15 seems to be less concave than the right most photo in #19. Were there variations of the Remington 1903 handguard? What is the length of the sight cut? --TIA

[Bill Ricca]

This post has nothing to do with the Remington Hand Guards used on the production of rifles, but I figured it would add to the information out there.

There are different Remington hand guards, but from what I have been told from the advanced collectors, these were never used on the rifle production. I do not know that based upon my research, as I am not a rifle collector. I am going on their knowledge of the rifles.

About 30 years ago I purchased about 4 thousand hand guards and found a few Remingtons labeled. As I started to research contracts (WWII to 1970's) I kept trying to find my example of the Remington WWII contract for hand guards.

Finally a few months ago I dug up a few that have been buried for years. They are 2 to the pack.






The Remington Spare Parts contract for Hand Guards was not individual. I suspect it was part of a larger contract for other parts. The hand guards vary in characteristics. All have the notch cut instead of the circular cut. There are slightly different size grooves, different wood, and different sized notches. I am sure a lot of this is just due to different tooling set ups and the fact that we were fighting a war and not trying to please weapons enthusiasts like all of us.

As far as overall hand guards (Remington and other makers) I have somewhere between 9 and 12 different patterns, due to tooling differences.





As far as the Remingtons compared to others I have, they are a lot better quality. The wood appears stronger, the wood cuts are sharper, and the wood is more consistently straight grain. Unfortunately compared to the other makers, I do not have nearly as many Remingtons.

[rayg]

The photo of the Remington handguard I show is on a minty and correct 03 Remington I have. I also had two other Remingtons in the same condition and the handguards looked basically the same, similar contour and sharp raw cuts as opposed to the more finished look of the Springfield one. Ray

[John Beard]

The handguard pictured in #15 seems to be less concave than the right most photo in #19. Were there variations of the Remington 1903 handguard? What is the length of the sight cut? --TIA

The right-most photo in #19 is a Springfield handguard, not a Remington handguard. The Remington handguard is in the second photo from the left.

Slight manufacturing variation exists in the Remington handguards, but not much. They're reasonably consistent.

I don't know the length of the sight line clearance cut. I don't identify handguards by that feature. Too much variation.

J.B.

[Bill Ricca]

John: Please clear up the slotted cut hand guards from Remington. Were they ever used on rifle production? I have been told no by many collectors.

So I have assumed they were only a replacement contract.

[John Beard]

John: Please clear up the slotted cut hand guards from Remington. Were they ever used on rifle production? I have been told no by many collectors.

So I have assumed they were only a replacement contract.

The slotted cut Remington handguards were manufactured on a spare parts contract. I have seen Remington M1903 rifles all the way out to the tail end of production and they don't have the slotted cut handguards. All Remington M1903 rifles I have seen had the same "high hump" concave profile handguard.

Thanks for the pictures! I have a wrapped set of Remington handguards like those in my collection, as well as a loose one.

J.B.