M1903 Build project (shooting results now up!)

[Claven2]

So here is the single-heat-treat (low S/N) barrelled action I picked up. I have 95% of the missing parts to restore the rifle to a WW2 era rebuild clone, but before I start, I AM still chasing up a lead for a double-heat treat stripped receiver here in Canada - hopefully that pans out as it would likely be preferable as a shooter.

Receiver seems to be a 1909-made Springfield. I need to re-use the barrel's rear sight base, too bad someone staked it when it spent its life as a 1940's era sporterized rifle (grr...). It should mostly clean up though and most ppl (except me) won't notice it used to be staked.



The bolt looks to be around 1918-1919 if my guess is right. It likely came off another rifle and has the punch-mark on the underside to show it was re-proofed after being fitted to (likely THIS) new/refurb receiver. Single small gas hole, swept bolt, not NS marked and no 03/A3 type relieve cuts. I *think* I'm right on its vintage but am open to others' interpretations.







There's a little bolt stop peening, but I don;t think it's that bad.



Barrel has a soldered-on front sight (I think it's silver solder and not worth removing) over the markings. I can see two "2" digits, so I'm thinking February 1942. This is backed up by the rear sight adjustable base being a Remington-made part and the parkerized finish on the barrelled action. What seem odd to me though is that Remington was supposed to have removed SHT receivers from circulation when they did refurbs of earlier rifles. Odd to me that this one slipped by. IMO this barrel is not a post-war civilian replacement. The rear sight base is properly installed and indexed and the rifle has other evidence of a WW2 era refurb (e.g. mix of 1905-1919 parts, Remington rear sight, re-proofed bolt, stamped Remington follower, etc.) What do you guys think? Barrel isn;t salvageable though, it's silver-soldered, drilled and tapped for the front sight, and the barrel is bulged with a noticeable ring 6 inches back from the muzzle. (Note that the receiver didn't grenade - lol) I have a 1943 RA 03/A3 bbl I'm going to convert to an 03 bbl to get past this hurdle.





Since I'm using NOS straight-grip wood and it's going to be a Claven2-assembled mongrel, I will be following Brophy's instructions on which parts to parkerize, oil black or blue. Why not, eh?

What do you guys think?

Some more random parts pics from the rifle:

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Rick the Librarian]

The bolt is an L9 (they used an upside down "7" as an "L"). It dates from about 1919-1920.

[Claven2]

The bolt is an L9 (they used an upside down "7" as an "L"). It dates from about 1919-1920.

It looks more like an "L2" to me...? I'm hoping the bolt is NOT a single-heat treat bolt. Will make the build easier if I find a better receiver.

Anyone have thoughts as to how a SHT receiver was overhauled in WW2 at, apparently, Remington? I had thought if it was USMC it would have an SA or Sedgeley barrel and a second hatcher hole added along with a punch-mark prefix to the serial number. This has none of those features.

[Rick the Librarian]

Oops! I think your right! Kind of looked like a "9" at first. - in any case, still 1919-1920.

[Claven2]

Right - that should still make it a double-heat treat, right?

[Rick the Librarian]

Yes, correct.

[Claven2]

Excellent, but I just hit a small snag. I checked the bbl I was planning to convert and, of course, it has an 03A3 front sight base. Darn. Now I need to find an M1903 dovetailed front sight base, pin and screw and maybe a slotted spline too for the sake of ease. A converted bbl just won't look right with an A3 front sight assembly

Would also be nice to find an affordable rear sight base that does not have a bunch of staking marks on the zeroing shelf.

If anyone's got one on a duff barrel they would like to offer up (for $) to my project/cause, just shoot me a pm

I checked numrich and am leery about ordering repro parts (!)

[Chuckindenver]

the front sight that attached on it in the picture, looks to be a Remington 788 Front sight..check your headspace, that bolt has a little set back.

[Kirk]

I'm hoping the bolt is NOT a single-heat treat bolt.

Your bolt has a curved handle and all such bolts are either DHT or NS; no SHT, curved handle bolts were made by the government.

John Beard posts his comprehensive bolt chart on ViShooter's M1903 website. http://www.vishooter.net/slc6_2008.html Your WL2 bolt was made in 1919.

[Claven2]

the front sight that attached on it in the picture, looks to be a Remington 788 Front sight..check your headspace, that bolt has a little set back.

I think you may be right. If the bore were ok (it's not - bulged and ringed) and if I could get it off, I would. It's silver-soldered on though and the clown who drileld the retaining screw drilled into the bore.

Bbl is a write-off, but I have a new-in-wrap replacement A3 bbl I can convert if necessary. I also might have a line on a decent original 03 bbl.

The visible setback on the bolt does not appear to be on the bearing part of the lugs, but rather the area that hits against the bolt stop/cutoff. The cutoff is glass-hard, so the bolt peened first. Either way, it should not be much of an issue because if I re-barrel with a new tube, I have to ream the chamber to final dimension anyhow.