It is considered the U.S. Governments official production record. M1903A3 production phasing out the M1903 "Modified" began in December 1942 with the first 1909 rifles included in the factory invoice to the Ordnance Dept. in the bolt action rifle's history, the introduction of the Pederson High number bolts have swept-back (or slightly rearward curved) bolt handles. Also, the Smith-Corona bolts had a distinctive scalloped profile to the sleeve and safety lug. The British desired certain modifications, primarily related to modifications required to utilize the standard .303 British cartridge. The recess on the Smith-Corona stocks had a rounded profile while the Remington stocks had a square profile. The Remington M1903 Rifles | An Official Journal Of The NRA using cheaper parts for speedy production, M1904 - The sniper version, x Unlike some Remington parts, which were stamped R, the majority of Smith-Corona parts were unmarked, although a few marked G have been observed. Most of the early production Remington M1903s were diverted to military aid requirements similar to Lend-Lease for our Commonwealth allies, and many of these rifles were sent to New Zealand forces. Most, if not all, of the scant grip stocks were utilized for replacement purposes, except for some that were used with M1903A4 sniper rifles (to be discussed later). 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The Remington component has a straight profile whereas the Smith-Corona part has a semi-circular indention. In addition to the straight grip stock, Remington also manufactured some stocks with semi-pistol grips, often dubbed scant or scant grip stocks today. Production slowly increased, and by December 1942, Smith-Corona had manufactured 5,540 03A3s. To learn more, visit www.northcapepubs.com or email ncape@ix.netcom.com. The barrel has two groove rifling sharp and very . SOLD FOR: $1876. g g g ! All original swept-back bolts are definitely high number. ! All parts are correct Remington "R" marked parts. 1903 Remington how original is it? - U.S. Militaria Forum Ordnance Department immediately contracted with Remington for M1903 rifles in order to arm the rapidly expanding U.S. armed forces. It has been reported that a number of Remington M1903s were utilized by the U.S. Marine Corps in some of the early Pacific campaigns. Some extractors found on original Smith-Corona bolts were marked S on the bottom. Caliber: .30-06 Springfield. The U.S. government ordered 134,000 M1903s from Remington the same day that the British contracts were canceled. They can be decoded to find out when your shotgun or rifle was manufactured. The second "block" of "03A3" numbers was used only to about 4168800 before cancellation of contract ended "03A3" production 28 February 1944. hO. f x The M1903, up until the United States involvement in World War I was Representatives from the Ordnance Department visited the factory and determined the company was spending too much time on unnecessary or cosmetic features of the rifles. By definition, a SN, For purposes of this Table, all M1903 Modified and M1903A3 receivers serially stamped before January 10, 1943 were believed to be assembled into and counted as complete rifles with little problem with SN, After January 10, 1943, Remington was directed to cease monitoring SN disorders since the Ordnance Department was no longer concerned about this problem. Caliber:.30-06 Springfield Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine Markings: The top of the receiver is marked "U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3 . U.S. World War II Remington Model 03A3 Bolt Action Rifle The receiver rings of the new Remington 03s were stamped U.S./Remington/Model 1903/Serial No., and the barrels were marked RA (Remington Arms) in addition to the month and year of manufacture. Introduction of improved heat treatment at SN800000 Introduction of nickel steel at SN1275767. 9-43 and 12-43 were VERY popular months for Barrels. Made from premium-grade, vegetable-tanned leather, the Burdette Custom Holsters Detective SA-35 holster is a custom outside-the-waistband (OWB) model for the Springfield Armory SA-35 semi-automatic pistol. N Remington 1903A3 Serial numbers, barrel date. 1903A4 receivers were all marked MODEL 03-A3, but the markings are offset to be readable when the Redfield Junior scope mount base is installed. Barrel Date: September, 1943. The very early rifles are almost indistinguishable from 1919-made Rock Island rifles. GunCollectionsOnline - Privacy Policy Co. of New Haven, Conn., for the production of 100,000 03 rifles. Numerous World War II vintage photos depict 03A3 rifles employed in overseas combat zones. The rebuilt examples can be identified by the arsenal rebuild stamps on the stock, the presence of parts with mixed contractor codes and Parkerized furniture (including bolts). Watch American Rifleman staff with the BFT47, a semi-automatic rifle chambered for the ubiquitous Russian cartridge, 7.62x39 mm, and its a rifle that is specd out by Americans, built by Americans, for the American market by Century Arms. Mint condition grey parkerized finish and new made Criterion barrels make this rifle true to the original, collector grade, and ready for competition! The last of the M1903 Modified rifles were turned out in May 1943. If you need assistance accessing any of our content or would like it in an alternative format you can contact us via our contact form, click here. In January 1943, the War Department contracted with Remington for 20,000 sniper rifles based on the M1903A3. Some of the bolt sleeves were marked G. Like the Remington 03A3s, original Smith-Corona bolts were blued. M1903 Springfield - Wikipedia distinguished easily by the smaller aperture rear sight instead of the In addition, any bolt marked N.S. (for nickel steel) can be safely regarded as high number if obtained directly from CMP (beware of re-marked fakes). However, the Remington rifles were every bit as valuable and serviceable as the 03s that were made by the government-owned and -operated entities of Springfield Armory or Rock Island Arsenal. Remingtons started production in 1941 with serial number 3,000,000, it was Rifles #34070883427087 (from the first "block" of numbers) were diverted, and the first "03A3" converted was delivered in February 1943. 24 inches. c Markings: The left side of the receiver is . The new rifle was designated U.S. All low number bolts have the bolt handle bent straight down, perpendicular to the axis of the bolt body. 6/26/18 - This is a1943 WWII US Remington 1903A3 Springfield Rifle in 30-06 caliber. To this end, in 1941 the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. Model 03A3 rifles were used in combat in virtually all theaters of the war, including the European, Mediterranean, and China-Burma-India (C-B-I). began negotiations with High Standard Mfg. In view of the safety risk, the Ordnance Department withdrew from active service all low-number Springfields. Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine. All sales are AS-IS with NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES. Trick out or upgrade your firearm with the largest gun parts selection at eBay.com. The M1903 Modified (center) was a transitionary variant between the 1903 and the 03A3 and 03A4. U.S. Springfield Model 1903 Production - National Park Service By the year 1900, the Springfield Armory has its first Accepted. CMP does not recommend firing any Springfield rifle with a low number receiver. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Although nearly identical in configuration, there are several rather subtle differences between the Smith-Corona and Remington stocks. The .38 Smith & Wesson Special, designed in 1898, rocked the handgun realm with its ballistic performance making it a cartridge for the history books. Military 98 Mausers were made all over the world in vast numbers, sometimes by factories not so concerned about fit and finish, and even some gunsmiths in Germany made Springfield sporters. (REMINGTON ARMS PRODUCTION OF M1903, 1903A3, 1903A4 194230000013348085 (M1903) 194233480863607999 (M1903A3) 194237080004707999 (M1903A3) 194249920015784000 (M1903A3) 194334070883427087 (M1903A4) 194349920014997045 (M1903A4) 1943Z4000000Z4002920 (M1903A4) TOTAL: 1084079 (SMITH CORONA PRODUCTION OF M1903A3 194336080003707999 194447080004992000 TOTAL: 234000 On 18 January 1943 Remington directed to divert from production 20,000 M1903A3 rifles for conversion to the U.S. Rifle M1903A4 (Sniper's). was reluctant to agree to such a proposal and, logically, took the position that Smith-Corona should be named prime contractor with High Standard serving as the subcontractor for barrel production. Typical receiver ring markings for the main three Remington 03 variants are shown above (left to right): M1903; M1903 Modified and M1903A3. Remington Fed Ord 1903-A4 03A3 Sniper .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1943 C&R The first pilot batch of 20 Smith-Corona M1903A3 rifles was completed in October 1942, and mass production began in November, a month ahead of Remingtons initial delivery of 03A3 rifles. The rifles with the changes were termed the M1903 Modified although, as stated, there is some indication that this term was in use as early as November 1941. Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine Rifleman Q&A: CMP M1903A3 Sling Modifications? The M1903A4 was a sniper version of the Springfield M1903A3 fitted with a Weaver 330C scope. Answer: Your rifle is a nice sporter made up from a U.S. 1903A3 military rifle. Inspectors cartouches are found on the left side of the stock. Remington began deliveries of the new variant in December 1942. Remington (and Smith-Corona) turned out ever-increasing numbers of M1903A3s, and they provided valuable use for our rapidly expanding armed forces. does not have any markings on the rifle, as many were produced in haste to It was suggested that the old M1903 production tooling in storage at Rock Island Arsenal be used to produce rifles for the British. Now you can dress up your office desk or man cave with a 1:3-scale replica of the best battle implement ever devised.. I don't recall which ones. The stamped parts included the lower barrel band (and band spring), butt swivel, magazine follower and, eventually, a one-piece trigger guard/magazine assembly. As with the preceding Remington 03s, the barrel had the RA and flaming bomb markings as well as the month and year of production. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The markings on the stocks were identical to those of M1903A3s of the same vintage, and the only real difference was the inletting for the concave bolt handle. All parties concurred with the proposal and on Feb. 25, 1942, Smith-Corona was granted a contract for M1903 rifle production. CJ( = * = P c v }); Korean War in favor of the granted the company a waiver for use of these non-standard barrels as their utilization would permit High Standard to deliver barrels to Smith-Corona sooner than would otherwise have been possible. Look up a Remington serial number by using Remington Serial Number Lookup. US Model 1903 Springfield Rifle Serial Number Ranges - Muzzle First. Plans were made to increase M1 rifle production at Springfield Armory, and the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. was granted a production contract for the Garand. Many of the rifles were utilized for training purposes stateside, but a number were shipped overseas for issue as supplemental service rifles. The barrels were marked SC and the month/year of barrel production. Consequently, there were an estimated 3,600 Remington 03A3 rifles produced with numbers initially assigned to, and used by, Smith-Corona. This series of rifles was originally issued to the many proud and selfless Americans that answered freedoms call during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. .30, Model of 1903A3 on May 21, 1942. A total of 120,000 SNs were reassigned from M1903 Modified and M1903A3 SN allocation as follows: M1903A3 production phasing out the M1903 Modified began in December 1942 with the first 1909 rifles included in the factory invoice to the Ordnance Dept. Model: 1903A3 (03-A3) Serial Number: 3974271 Year of Manufacture: 1943 (Page 375 of Joe Poyer's book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). Also during this early time Remingtons started production in 1941 with serial number 3,000,000, it was during this time that the finger grooved walnut stock was replaced by cheaper versions and the M1903-A3 was born. On 20 June 1943 an additional 8,365 M1909A4 rifles were ordered. The front sight was omitted on 03A4 rifle barrels, although the milling cut was present in the event that the barrel did not prove suitable for sniping use. Total production was 1,056,276 rifles, which included about 345,000 M1903 and M1903 (modified), about 711,276 M1903A3, and just 26,653 M1903A4 (short of the 28,365 ordered) = > G 9 : X 5 6 7 j k S T U y a e f hO. This article was first published in American Rifleman, November 2002.Few arms have served the U.S. military as long or as well as the famed U.S. Some of the Type C stocks were supplied by Springfield Armory (stamped S in the cut-off recess) and some later stocks were procured from the Keystone Company (stamped K in the same location). Any bolt found on a Smith-Corona rifle, other than one marked X on top of the bolt handle, or unmarked, is a replacement and not a factory original component. rifle so closely that many say that it is actually a Mauser design with Barrel Date: September 1943. 2023 Civilian Marksmanship Program. overhaul. Changes were made to speed production without compromising the accuracy strength and efficiency of the rifle. Cold Shower Face And Body Wipes | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Review: Taurus G3 Tactical | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Video Review: Browning Citori Hunter Grade II Over/Under Shotgun | NRA Family, Video Review: Savage 93 Minimalist Rifle | NRA Family, Video Review: Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP in 10mm Auto | NRA Family, Make Mine Metal: The Alloy-Frame KelTec P15 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Preview: Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Competitor | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, NRA Women | New for 2022: 20-Gauge Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Preview: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Double-Stack 9 mm Pistol Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. Rifle, Cal. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. The first Remington M1903A3 rifles were delivered in December 1942. Also, it is noted that final rifle assembly followed receiver serialization by an approximate average of 2 weeks. And while it has produced everything . The M1 Garand: Recent Developments in Auto Loaders, NRA Gun of the Week: Springfield Armory M1 Garand Rifle, Review: Savage Model 110 PCS | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Mauser Celebrates 125 Years With Limited-Edition Mauser 98 Rifle | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, 7 Simple Follow-Through Tips to Improve Your Accuracy (Right Now!) (Based in part on documents obtained by Clark Campbell from the Ilion, NY Remington Plant Manager files, circa 1955). cartridge) occurred and modifications to the ammunition and sights were Such was the situation at the beginning of World War II. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. 9 In any event, the M1903 Modified designation has come into widespread use today to differentiate the Remingtons that incorporated the manufacturing modifications from the original, finely crafted 03 rifles that were turned out during the first few months of production and will be used in this article to identify this variant from the earlier and later variants. Despite the shortcuts employed in the manufacture, the M1903A3 rifles were every bit as serviceable as the better-finished earlier production rifles.
