Thursday, September 6, 2007

This one is for the memories



My Dad always loved a Springfield 1903A3. It was the first weapon he qualified with in the Army, and I believe the rifle he carried on D-Day. He used to tell of breaking marbles with his at a distance I found hard to believe, but I've seen him shoot and wouldn't want to lay heavy cash on it. This one I found in a pawn shop. The sights are military peep in the rear, and sporter ramp in the front. The barrel is a hunter profile with a funny looking thing threaded into the front. Flash suppressor maybe? If you know please let me know.

This action is actually the better 1903, the A3 changed to a cheaper ladder type rear sight.The classic 30-06 round fits the chamber. The stock is an after market job with white caps, which are not ivory. I've fired it a few times, you really wouldn't want me to shoot at you with it, but not enough to say if the sights are truly zeroed in.

This is the classic rifleman's weapon. Years ago shooters would come to Camp Perry and draw a weapon, scrub the comsmoline out of the barrel and proceed to shoot 1000 yard bulls eyes with iron sights and issued ammo. They had to use some after market micrometer adjusters for the sights, but I can forgive them that because they were using iron sights instead of a scope.

The action is a direct rip off of the Mauser, close enough to incur a lawsuit for patent infringement that Mauser won.

3 comments:

none said...

From reading all my 60 year old American rifleman magazines, sporterizing 03's was a big business back then.

It was the perfect rifle that with some tweaking became an excellent game getter.

Now I can't even find an orginal beater for under $500 some models are going for upwards of $2500.

HollyB said...

This is completely off topic, please excuse me.
I have an email account for my new Social Work blog. PLease feel free to use that the next time Flo goes MIA. If you come over to my main Blog, in my links you'll find "No BS from a BSW" and up in the top right corner is a Contact Info box. The email is listed there. Please use it the next time you're worried about our Favorite MPD.

Anonymous said...

That thingy on the end is called a Cutt's Compensator. Basically an early version of a nuzzle brake. Nice old stock. The lines look like maybe mid 50's to early 60's styling. I love Springfields in any configuration.
Thad