Talyn
Emissary
Except for the several versions based on the AR platform, the Model 1903 Springfield served the United States Armed Forces longer than any other rifle. It was adopted in 1903 and served in several forms until the Korean War of the early 1950s, wherein scoped ones were used for sniping. I’ve read unofficial reports that stated some scoped M1903s were put back in service during the Vietnam War, but that could be hearsay.
Based on Peter Paul Mauser’s Model 1898 action America’s ’03s was turn-bolt design feeding from a five-round integral magazine. Cartridges were inserted into the magazine via stripper clips, but in a pinch, they could be fed to the magazine singly.
Stocks were oil-finished walnut, steel buttplate and finger grooves in the forearm. A most useless addition to Mauser’s ’98 design was a magazine cutoff lever at the left rear of the action. That blocked total bolt retraction so cartridges would not feed from the magazine, in effect, making the rifle a single shot.
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With American engagement in World War II almost certain, standard Model 1903s using straight grip stocks were put into production again in 1941. However, the manufacturer was Remington Arms Company.
Remington’s firearms engineers deemed M1903 production unnecessarily difficult and again asked for and received permission for changes. Open sights were dropped in favor of a sliding peep sight with a maximum elevation setting of 800 yards. It was also click adjustable in 4-MOA increments for windage. The front sights remained blades. Metal crafting of those peep sights along with trigger guards, floorplates and barrel bands, changed from machined forged parts to stamped ones. Also, Remington had a large supply of leftover stocks; asked for and received governmental permission to use them. They had a mere bump of a pistol grip so they were deemed “scant-C” stocks. This time, rifle stamping changed. On the front receiver ring these were marked “Model 03-A3.”
Not only did Remington make M1903A3s, but the Smith-Corona typewriter company was put to work making them. The first M1903A3 Springfields were delivered to the government in December 1942.
By early 1943, the U.S. Army decided it needed a dedicated sniper rifle. Model 1903A3s were pulled at random from production lines. Rear and front iron sights were not installed. A rear scope mount was fitted on the peep sight’s pedestal with the front receiver ring drilled and tapped for the front scope base. The scopes were Weaver 330C 2.5x, which in the beginning were pulled from dealer’s shelves. These new sniper rifles were designated M1903A4, although none were so marked – all were still stamped “Model 03-A3.”
Based on Peter Paul Mauser’s Model 1898 action America’s ’03s was turn-bolt design feeding from a five-round integral magazine. Cartridges were inserted into the magazine via stripper clips, but in a pinch, they could be fed to the magazine singly.
Stocks were oil-finished walnut, steel buttplate and finger grooves in the forearm. A most useless addition to Mauser’s ’98 design was a magazine cutoff lever at the left rear of the action. That blocked total bolt retraction so cartridges would not feed from the magazine, in effect, making the rifle a single shot.
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www.riflemagazine.com
With American engagement in World War II almost certain, standard Model 1903s using straight grip stocks were put into production again in 1941. However, the manufacturer was Remington Arms Company.
Remington’s firearms engineers deemed M1903 production unnecessarily difficult and again asked for and received permission for changes. Open sights were dropped in favor of a sliding peep sight with a maximum elevation setting of 800 yards. It was also click adjustable in 4-MOA increments for windage. The front sights remained blades. Metal crafting of those peep sights along with trigger guards, floorplates and barrel bands, changed from machined forged parts to stamped ones. Also, Remington had a large supply of leftover stocks; asked for and received governmental permission to use them. They had a mere bump of a pistol grip so they were deemed “scant-C” stocks. This time, rifle stamping changed. On the front receiver ring these were marked “Model 03-A3.”
Not only did Remington make M1903A3s, but the Smith-Corona typewriter company was put to work making them. The first M1903A3 Springfields were delivered to the government in December 1942.
By early 1943, the U.S. Army decided it needed a dedicated sniper rifle. Model 1903A3s were pulled at random from production lines. Rear and front iron sights were not installed. A rear scope mount was fitted on the peep sight’s pedestal with the front receiver ring drilled and tapped for the front scope base. The scopes were Weaver 330C 2.5x, which in the beginning were pulled from dealer’s shelves. These new sniper rifles were designated M1903A4, although none were so marked – all were still stamped “Model 03-A3.”
