M1903A3

[ArcticLight]

W;hat's a good going price on a "Decent" to "Nice" 1903a3 running these days?

I just saw one at my local gunshop, 2 groove barrel but looked to be in pretty great shape, original stock (Slant?)....4/43 Rock Island datestamp on it.

They are asking $495 for it.

 

[oneshot onekill]

Re: M1903A3

That seems fair to me. If it's pretty much correct and doesn't have that "powdery" Parkerized look to it I'd probably think hard about that price. Maybe check the headspace with a Go No-go gage.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: M1903A3

Good ones are going for a heck of a lot more then that, If it was orginal,(meaning as issued), I'd jump on it.

 

[oneshot onekill]

Re: M1903A3

Hmmm. I just re-read the OP. I don't think Rock Island made 03A3's. I believe they only made 03's. Makes me think something might be fishy. Hopefully someone with more knowledge or some reference handy can chime in. Here's something I pulled from a Rock Island History page:

" The Model 1903 rifle, a .30 caliber, bolt-action rifle, was first manufactured at Rock Island Arsenal from 1904 to 1913. Approximately 234,000 rifles were produced. Production was reestablished in September 1916. During the First World War, nearly 114,000 Model 1903 rifles were manufactured in whole or as repair parts.

A wide variety of personal equipment, such as 1,512,190 bacon cans (or mess kits), 354,770 mess knives, 649,457 canteen covers, 858,344 haversacks, and 400,256 pack carriers were produced at the arsenal during the First World War. Until August 1, 1918, all artillery harness supplied to U.S. forces was manufactured by the arsenal, and a total of 24,212 sets were made and 74,207 sets were assembled.

Recoil cylinders and complete artillery carriages were manufactured for the Model 1906 4.7-inch gun and the Model 1902 3-inch gun. When the French 75mm field gun was adopted for U.S. use, the arsenal was assigned the task of developing and producing its hydropneumatic recuperator.

The only time that the arsenal was involved with ammunition production was during the First World War. During the war, 167,195 155mm howitzer shells were loaded.

Between the wars, Rock Island Arsenal concentrated on its dual missions of tank and artillery development. At the beginning the Second World War, emphasis was placed on artillery production. Production of artillery carriages reached 600 per month. Almost 25,000 recoil mechanisms for various artillery pieces were manufactured."

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: M1903A3

RIA never made 03A3s. Which "date stamp" are you referring to?

Look on the barrel up by the front site - that will tell you who made the barrel. You want it to match who made the receiver if possible to show that the rifle is an original barrel/receiver combo.

No such thing as a "slant" stock - what does it look like in the grip area? Straight, a little bump (scant), or a true pistol grip (C stock)?

A lot of rifles passed through the Rock Island Arsenal and were inventoried there (getting an RIA stamp on the stock) but that does not mean it was torn apart and rebuilt there. Since O3A3s came in so late for WWII and used little post that time, many good specimens are floating around.

To answer the value question, the last complete correct lightly used Remington that I brokered for a friend was $800.

A good working rifle with a barrel that gauges well in that price range of $500 is about right - but you need to verify the barrel is good and the headspace is good. A lot of them had the bolts swapped.

If it is all there, worst case is you need to barrel it with a new CMP barrel. Pick it up for $400, rebarrel it, and you'll have a heck of a shooter for $700 or so. Put a CMP C stock on it and you'll have a CMP Games vintage winning capable rifle.

 

[emmagee]

Re: M1903A3

IIRC, 03A3's were only made by Remington and Smith-Corona.

 

[ramrod14]

Re: M1903A3

Uh sorry, but 1903A3s where used extensively through out WWII. In fact the Marine Corp used the 1903A3s up till 1942 when the Corp was convinced to replace them with the M1 Garand. But a majority of the 1903A3s were issued to rear echlon(sic?) troops and especially stateside troops. But i will look in my original Field Manual for 1903s and it's variants. It has a list of all manufacturers' of 1903s and it's variants with dates of manufacturing. So stand by.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: M1903A3

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ramrod14(winkie)</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Uh sorry, but 1903A3s where used extensively through out WWII. In fact the Marine Corp used the 1903A3s up till 1942 when the Corp was convinced to replace them with the M1 Garand.
</div></div>

Interesting - the 1903A3s did not go into production with Remington until mid-year 1942 and the start of 1943 by Smith Corona.

Where did the Marines get these 1903A3s you speak of?

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: M1903A3

OK Le me correct myself the BARREL is datestamped as posted above. It has a scant stock (I forgot the terminology).
The Scant stock bothers me as I thought that it should have had a C stock but early 03a3's maybe?

I'm not sure but I thought it was a Remington like mine.
I'll have to go back and look.

I'm not in the market for another so I'll get details and if someone is interested we'll work something out.

I have a 1942 or 1943 M1903 Modified, 5/43 RA stamped barrel/Remington receiver. I'm quite happy with mine.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: M1903A3

OK - sounds like it has an RA on the barrel not RIA; the R and A usually have a gap between them that you could have interpreted an "I" in between. RIA stopped producing rifles in 1919 and I am not aware of them supplying barrels in the 1940s. Doubtful it is a RIA 1903 barrel as the profiles are different (due to the placement of the front sight on the 1903 versus 03A3).

This is most likely a Remington 03A3 of 1943 vintage. It should have a straight stock on it, but check the stock on the left side of the wrist for a boxed about 7/8th of an inch cartouche with two rows of letters in it. Also check the stock around the trigger guard for several smaller marks imprinted into the wood, assuming it has not had the heck sanded out of it.

I know you said you already had an 1903, but at that price if the barrel is good you could give it a mate in the 03A3 and be way ahead $$-wise. I used to be down on my 03A3 accuracy-wise until I started running the Hornady match ammo through it the CMP issues rather than the Talon processed M2 LC1968 Ball. The Hornady stuff shoots about MOA out of mine Smith Corona, helped me get a gold medal at the CMP games with it this summer, and racked up a 478-?X in a local 200 yard vintage match this fall. It's a heck of a shooter.

Grab it!