New to Me Vintage 03
- Thread starter pmclaine
- Start date
That is a 1931 receiver. Are there any NM parts on it? Many of the builds that Springfield did during the 20s and 30s were for civilian match shooter.
No SRS hits. Barrel is SA 2-31. No NM parts.
Odd thing this one....
Runs an 8-31 barrel. They were just pulling receivers from the pile randomly and screwing on barrels
Last edited:
No SRS hits. Barrel is SA 2-31. No NM parts.
Odd thing this one....
Runs an 8-31 barrel. Just pulling receivers from the pile randomly and screwing on barrels
S/N 1393412 would be expected to have an SA 7-31 or 8-31 barrel, and is most likely original.
S/N 1396657, who knows... it might be a replacement barrel or possibly original. As long as barrels were servicable they were used. Stock stamps would provide some insight... if the stock is original to the rifle.
SA wasn't producing a plethora of rifles in this era... for example, the first serial number struck for 1931 was 1369761, and the first serial number for 1932 was 1404026. Please note that there was no attempt to use the receivers in numerical order, which accounts for variations in barrel date-receiver s/n correlations.
The middle rifle is a 1463694 SN
It wears a 8-32 barrel
It's the only one that bears any stock marking other than S in the mag cutoff notch. I think the 1.4 is actually S over O and it has a drawing number and a very faint rebuild stamp
The 1.4 has has numbered striker, no star gauge but I'll have to check the barrel someday for a star gauge number.
There are a lot of '32 dated barrels in that S/N range.
Those Springfield C stocks are really nice.
Those Springfield C stocks are really nice.
The trigger is serrated (NM), and not smooth. Is the bolt marked NS? The flaming Bomb is not proof punch. Checkering on the butt plate?
I think all three have serrated triggers. The 1.4 has a NS bolt, the 1.3 has a WL3 - less sticky than NS. The 1.3 that will get the scope has a punch under the handle with a possible J on the safety lug. No punches on the ordinance bomb. The sighted 1.3 and 1.4 butt plates have heavy checkering with door. I put the HC plate on the 1.3, the 1.4 came with it. I just put a fine checkered on the scoped 1.3 to replace a smooth. No signs of plumbers table marks on the barrel or stippling of the smooth plate
.Your rifle is almost correct for the year and if you drill and mount a scope to it the value gets cut in half.
That would matter if I ever intended to sell it.
Muzzle is a 1 or 1-. There is a scope going on this rifle. I plan on shooting it tomorrow in issue form to make sure its a shooter. If yes, unless I find out Bill Lee saved Chesty with it, it gets drilled.
It would cost more to get a beater than restore it to this shape. Ill preserve the other two.
Fired the new to me rifle today.....
The Good
It now has a Springfield top band to replace the Remington that was on it. I replaced the buggered up rear sight with another WWI era sight in better shape. I replaced the smooth BP with a fine checkered/door. Ill look for a coarse BP but they seem to have dried up.
The Good
It now has a Springfield top band to replace the Remington that was on it. I replaced the buggered up rear sight with another WWI era sight in better shape. I replaced the smooth BP with a fine checkered/door. Ill look for a coarse BP but they seem to have dried up.
Last edited:
First shots using some crappy Fed 150 grain I usually dont get to group that well. I got a little excited when I saw the first three shot group. My rounds are hitting black, very effectively with 46.5 Varget, at 100 yards using 21.5 MOA on the PJ OHare/SBS sales repro sight micrometer.
Once sure Id get something near the black I fired three different loads.
Once sure Id get something near the black I fired three different loads.
Last edited:
Now the BAD!
Saw this when I was performing my clean up prior to shooting. I was hoping it was superficial but I see oil weeping from it. Seems that the tang has enough clearance must have been an old wound.
Im hoping a brass pin or two can keep it going.
Saw this when I was performing my clean up prior to shooting. I was hoping it was superficial but I see oil weeping from it. Seems that the tang has enough clearance must have been an old wound.
Im hoping a brass pin or two can keep it going.
Last edited:
Now the BAD!
Saw this when I was performing my clean up prior to shooting. I was hoping it was superficial but I see oil weeping from it. Seems that the tang has enough clearance must have been an old wound.
Im hoping a brass pin or two can keep it going.
You're not alone. My 03A3 cracked open on a bear hunt last month in the exact same spot.
Curious, I really don't care what my stock looks like, can I backfill that gap between the receiver and the stock with Bondo, pin the stock together, and call it good?
I'm thinking of sanding down the grip and rawhide wrapping it to give additional strength too. It's gonna be my "Bust around the brush with a WWII battle Rifle and slay bears" stock, so I'd be fine if it looked totally Mad Max'ed out (and I'll have a beautiful C-stock standing by for when she needs to be handed down to the grandkids)
Thoughts?
Sorry to see the old girl cracked her butt!
Just a thought but a similar thing happened to a mate Paul's 1903A4. Turned out that someone had fitted a Krag action screw at some point in the past and it was barely holding on by one thread. When the rifle fired it didn't hold under recoil. result = cracked butt.
Maybe worth checking?
Frank Green posted some pics of cracks he'd repaired in my 1903A1 thread. Maybe PM him for some tips?
Hope you can get it sorted out soon and it's not going to need a replacement!
Just a thought but a similar thing happened to a mate Paul's 1903A4. Turned out that someone had fitted a Krag action screw at some point in the past and it was barely holding on by one thread. When the rifle fired it didn't hold under recoil. result = cracked butt.
Maybe worth checking?
Frank Green posted some pics of cracks he'd repaired in my 1903A1 thread. Maybe PM him for some tips?
Hope you can get it sorted out soon and it's not going to need a replacement!
You need the gap between the receiver tang and the stock. Lack of gap is usually what causes the problem.
There are some stock doctors on the CMP forum and I have a post seeking info. A brass pin or two will make it good as new for the pampered life this rifle will live under my stewardship. Just adding history to the history.
Thank you for the good wishes Basra.
I replaced the action screws with NOS and tourqued to 40 inch pounds, snugging the rear last.
The crack was in the stock when I bought it. While cleaning last week it was exposed as the years of grime were removed. I was kidding myself it was a surface feature but as I fired yesterday it weeped old cosmoline/oil indicating it was deeper.
Yep steel bushing.
Crack was in the stock prior to me firing. It stood up to 50 rounds yesterday but wouldnt expect it to not get weaker with time.
Im sending the gun out to get scope blocks installed to mount the Unertl. Ill be checking with that smith if he does stock repairs.
The Ordnance Department used two different sized reinforcing screws:
Screw, Reinforcing, large 3/32-in Dia FSN 1005-523-0954
Screw, Reinforcing, Small 1/16-in Dia FSN 1005-719-0954
I'd call Bill Ricca @ 610-298-2748 ...he probably has some billricca.com
ETA: Brownells has a similar system, but the pins are held in place with acraglas
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...repair-pins/stock-repair-pin-kit-prod617.aspx
Screw, Reinforcing, large 3/32-in Dia FSN 1005-523-0954
Screw, Reinforcing, Small 1/16-in Dia FSN 1005-719-0954
I'd call Bill Ricca @ 610-298-2748 ...he probably has some billricca.com
ETA: Brownells has a similar system, but the pins are held in place with acraglas
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...repair-pins/stock-repair-pin-kit-prod617.aspx
Last edited:
Bill doesnt have them and a Google only references your post above.
The Brownells repair was what I had in mind for repair originally. The NSN repair would be preffered though.
Those FSNs are from the M14 Depot Level Maintenance Manual.
They are basically the same screws from the '03/M1 era. The SMLE also a brass stock threaded screw wire for repairs... not sure if that would be any easier to find than the US part.
ETA: there is a segment of this on ebay from Australia right now with 8 days left. I can't get it to open on my POS work computer but it is the real deal.
They are basically the same screws from the '03/M1 era. The SMLE also a brass stock threaded screw wire for repairs... not sure if that would be any easier to find than the US part.
ETA: there is a segment of this on ebay from Australia right now with 8 days left. I can't get it to open on my POS work computer but it is the real deal.
Last edited:
I guess the good news is that if it is a "legacy" issue then, provided it is fixable and the action is torqued down with the correct screws, all should be good
Do try to look out Frank's post as he seemed to have a good way of doing near invisible fixes.
I guess the good news is that if it is a "legacy" issue then, provided it is fixable and the action is torqued down with the correct screws, all should be good
Do try to look out Frank's post as he seemed to have a good way of doing near invisible fixes.
Spoke with the smith that will be mounting my blocks. He says as long as Im not concerned about as issued matches (and Im not) its an easy fix. Ill probably end up with part of the action bedded which wont be a bad thing.
Good to hear!
Hope the purists don't kick off about partial bedding!!
Eh, with a 10X scope, later scope mounts, non star gauged barrel and a bunch of other details the purists have plenty to point out. I just think it will be great fun to pop a target at greater than 600 yards and look all 1903/Unertl badass doing it.
