Late Remington 1903

[ArtPahl]

I would like to call members attention to a rifle listed on GunAuction (not GunBroker); their #16958616. The rifle's serial number is 3357655. Like the 03A3, it has the flat tang and the absence of the contoured milling cuts on the cut-off boss. I have one, #3285588, with the flat tang but mine has the contour cuts on the rear of the boss but not the front. What I find different about the GunAuction rifle is the flats front and rear on the bridge. I haven't noticed that on other 1903's. Any comments?

[m1903rifle]

The milling cuts on the rear bridge appeared on late Remington M1903 receivers when there was trouble in developing the 03-A3 rear sight. In order to meet production schedules, Remington starting making the M1903 again, and they used the receivers that had already been milled for the 03-A3 sight ( actually for the 03-A3 sight that they had trouble with ). At some point, Remington M1903-A3 rifles can be found with LOWER serial numbers than Remington M1903 rifles. Must have been a confusing time.

[ArtPahl]

I hadn't heard that about the rear sight. Makes sense: With the hurry-up production, Remington wouldn't have done an extra step without purpose. One of my reference books states that the first 03A3's were produced in 12/42 and the last of the 1903's were assembled in 3/43. It makes me wonder if milled trigger guards were ever originally assembled to A3's, or if stamped guards to 1903's.

[John Beard]

It makes me wonder if milled trigger guards were ever originally assembled to A3's, or if stamped guards to 1903's.

Milled trigger guards were never originally assembled to M'03-A3's, but stamped trigger guards were definitely assembled to later production M1903's, indeed several months before M'03-A3 production commenced.

J.B.

[P51Mustang]

JB Thanks for the wealth of knowledge as usual.