Smith Corona 03a3, .308 caliber

[Blue Ridge Ranger]

Hey folks, here's the photos of my 03A3. Thanks to all who have helped. Will look forward to further comments.



Blue Ridge RangerAttachment 29604Attachment 29603Attachment 29602

[Calif-Steve]

Looks like fresh parkerizing to me. Somebody had this before selling it on. Could well be .308 chamber insert in it.

[Chuckindenver]

like my sons says...my bad... lol...anyway....lets back up...looks like a rebuild A3,..remove the cocking assembly from the bolt and try a factory 30-06...does it feed? or not. if its just tight it could be a short chambered barrel that wasnt finished..if it wont come close...someone may have stuck a .308 adapter in it...or turned the shoulder back and converted it..
please advise...

[jmoore]

or turned the shoulder back and converted it..

It DOES appear that the barrel may be a skosh short.

Drop a cleaning rod down the barrel to the bolt face and mark or tape the rod at the muzzle. Then measure from the tip to the mark/tape.

Or try a bayonet.

I've seen '03a3 barrels cut back and rechambered more than once. Including one adapted to a Type 38 Arisaka in .308 Winchester. A friend also has an '03a3 in .308 that has had the front band moved back so it still will take a bayonet! Sneaky, them Bubbas- sometimes.

[Chuckindenver]

nothing suprises me anymore.. just had a guy walk into my place and ask if i can fix his stock... opens up his case, and a new Remington 700 in 2 pieces..
lucky i have a few replacement stocks... he actually thought id be able to epoxy the black plastic stock back together...ahhhh no.
said he slipped and fell and used the rifle to catch himself.

[Calif-Steve]

Looks like a recent re-build to me. Not US Army re-parkerizing. Perhaps a new 03-A3 barrel installed on the receiver. They always come with short chambers. A gunsmith will have to finish ream the chamber. Mind you this is just my best guess. It well could have a .308 chamber insert in it as well. Just not sure. Are you near Denver? Chuckindenver is the right guy for this one.

[techkya]

Blue Ridge Ranger, I was at the Oaks gun show in Pa a couple weeks ago...I pick-up a 03-A3 stripped reciever from James River....It has the exact same finish that is on your reciever...James River has done an outstanding job on filling in the welds...It appears to some sort of and industrial finish...I have some black CV joint grease on it now. I hope it comes out darker than what it was in the beginning...

[Neal Myers]

We could go on & on for a long time on this without being able to figure out what's going on here. Part of the problem is, you didn't tell us WHY you think the chamber is not for .30-06. Regardless, the best thing for you to do is have a gunsmith perform a "techinical inspection" so that you can know exactly what you have, & whether or not it is safe to fire.

FYI, CMP has sold many drill rifles, but they are not always easy to identify. (You can email CMP with the SN & they can tell you if it's a rifle they sold.) Drill rifles were sold by them as "unsafe to fire". Most have weld spots somewhere, but some enterprising folks clean them up & sell them to the unwary as "fresh from the arsenal"; liberal application of grease bolsters that claim.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Agree Niel, on every point.

Also, as Steve said, It's not a Military repark from a rebuild. The new repark 'could' be because it's a drill rifle that's had the welds cut off and the work hidden - There are many possibilities with an unknown milsurp and some can be catastrophic.

Regardless, I'd have it checked by a competent gun smith who is thoroughly familiar with 1903A3's, Blue Ridge Ranger before I did anything with it. I also agree with Steve as far as using Chuck to do the inspection - he knows everything to look for and check, and his prices are very fair. Plus he doesn't take a year to do the work like so many do.

[Calif-Steve]

1-2 close-up photos of the left side of the rifle. I want to see the cut-off area, up close.