?'s about Dad's 03 and 03A3

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  • 1bid_1kill
    • Oct 2009
    • 264

    ?'s about Dad's 03 and 03A3

    Hi all,
    I know only a basic level of info regarding the 03 and 03A3 rifles so I'm posting some pics of a couple of rifles my father picked up at auction a cpuple of years ago. Any info that can be provided is appreciated. 1st the 03A3:



    Last edited by 1bid_1kill; 12-25-2009, 07:20 AM.
  • 1bid_1kill
    • Oct 2009
    • 264

    #2



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    • 1bid_1kill
      • Oct 2009
      • 264

      #3
      Sporterized 03 w/ Redfield rear sight and SA barrel dated 5-19:



      Last edited by 1bid_1kill; 12-25-2009, 07:15 AM.

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      • 1bid_1kill
        • Oct 2009
        • 264

        #4
        Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!

        Comment

        • Edward Ludwig
          • Oct 2009
          • 368

          #5
          The 03 is a Mark 1, cool find.

          Ed

          Comment

          • 1bid_1kill
            • Oct 2009
            • 264

            #6
            Originally posted by Edward Ludwig View Post
            The 03 is a Mark 1, cool find.

            Ed
            Yes,
            I thought that finding such a nicely sporterized low number gun was pretty cool. I would have preferred to have found it in its original configuration. Is this in the shootable serial number range? Could the 5-19 dated barrel be the original?

            Comment

            • wgandy
              CMP Customer
              • Oct 2009
              • 593

              #7
              1bid,

              The high number 03's that are considered safe to shoot start at around 800,000 so your mark 1 is well above that number. Poyer's book states that the 1919 beginning production number was 1,055,092 and the beginning for 1920 was 1,162,525. That would make your receiver dated to mid 1919. My guess is that a May 1919 barrel could be origianl...BUT I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON 03's. Maybe Rick the Librarian or some of the other more knowledgable on the 03's will see your question and give you more definitive information.

              Poyer also shows that 03-A3 production for the end of 1943 and the beginning of 1944 was right around 4.2M. I would guess that the 12-43 RA barrel could be original to your reciever. "Most" of the parts on your Remington 03-A3 should be marked with an "R" somewhere on them. They should be stamped parts and not forged like the 1903.

              Nice rifles!

              -wg
              Last edited by wgandy; 12-25-2009, 03:56 PM.

              Comment

              • Edward Ludwig
                • Oct 2009
                • 368

                #8
                The Mark 1 would make a good Deer or Elk rifle the way it is set up now. It looks like some one did a good job sporterizing it.

                Ed

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                • Joe O
                  • Oct 2009
                  • 15

                  #9
                  It looks like the O3A3 has a 03 triggerguard ?
                  Joe O

                  Comment

                  • Rick the Librarian
                    • Oct 2009
                    • 7652

                    #10
                    Yes, the M1903A3 has a earlier M1903 milled trigger guard. It was pretty common to do so, since to the newbie gunowner who was not a collector, the stamped TG lookedkind of rough.

                    I generally don't trust Poyer's book in a lot of things, but in these two cases, he was correct. The last known serial number for Remington M1903A3s was the 4,209,000 range.
                    Last edited by Rick the Librarian; 12-26-2009, 07:26 AM.
                    "We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."
                    --C.S. Lewis

                    Comment

                    • sniper1
                      • Dec 2009
                      • 11

                      #11
                      dot under ser.#

                      on the 03-A3. the dot under the ser.# was put there when it was rebarreld. this came from an armor at camp perry NM.the mark1 has the orignal. have fun with them.
                      Last edited by sniper1; 12-26-2009, 08:37 AM. Reason: to add title

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                      • 1bid_1kill
                        • Oct 2009
                        • 264

                        #12
                        Gentleman,
                        Thank you for all the replies and information. Since the bolts are unnumbered I assume there is no way of telling whether they are original to the rifles; am I wrong? One last question; is there any significance to the numbers stamped in the 03A3's stock or are they just rack/inventory numbers? Was stamping like this a common practice?

                        Thanks!

                        Comment

                        • Rick the Librarian
                          • Oct 2009
                          • 7652

                          #13
                          You can tell whether the bolts are original or not by the markings found on the top and/or bottom of the bolt handle. The bolt on the Mark I is a replacement, though.

                          Rack numbers were quite common on M1903s and other U.S. military rifles.
                          "We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."
                          --C.S. Lewis

                          Comment

                          • wormans
                            • Dec 2009
                            • 35

                            #14
                            Rick can you comment on the post by "sniper1" regarding the punch mark. I have an A3 less than 1000 numbers away from the one referenced in this post and it has a 12-43 barrel as well, yet no punch mark. I looked at my three other rifles, a mid 30's SA1903, a RA 1903 (Red Star) and a RA #3544418 A3 with a 6-43 barrel which I believe is correct. The last one is the only one that does have the punch mark?? I did find a reference but it just states that at various times the receiver was punch marked below the serial number.
                            Sorry for the long post/question.

                            Comment

                            • John Beard
                              • Oct 2009
                              • 4386

                              #15
                              Prick Punch Proof Mark

                              Originally posted by wormans View Post
                              Rick can you comment on the post by "sniper1" regarding the punch mark. I have an A3 less than 1000 numbers away from the one referenced in this post and it has a 12-43 barrel as well, yet no punch mark. I looked at my three other rifles, a mid 30's SA1903, a RA 1903 (Red Star) and a RA #3544418 A3 with a 6-43 barrel which I believe is correct. The last one is the only one that does have the punch mark?? I did find a reference but it just states that at various times the receiver was punch marked below the serial number.
                              Sorry for the long post/question.
                              Season's Greetings!

                              The punch mark below the serial number is a proof mark that was placed on rifles beginning in 1928. The punch mark indicates that the receiver was proof tested as part of an assembled rifle. The punch mark was placed on all rifles of new manufacture was well as overhauled rifles. But, not all ordnance overhaul facilities applied the punch mark. So, some rifles don't have it.

                              With the exception of early Remington rifles (such as your Red Star rifle), all Remington and Smith-Corona rifles have the punch mark.

                              Hope this helps. Happy Holidays!

                              J.B.

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