JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
The barrel and action channels are full of dust about 1/16" thick. The 1903 stock has a very greasy, tacky, cosomline feel to it. The 03a3 stock has a normal dry wood feel. I am not cleaning or changing this wood at all. Just blowing it off with compressed air and wiping it with a dry cloth.
 
There are well done sporters and there are kitchen table jobs. Some deserve to stay as sporters, as they tell a great story to, often as depression era meat getters and custom rifles at a time when no one could afford complete bespoke custom guns. Outfits like G&H, Sedgley, etc. all would reshape stocks into sporter styles from guns people could buy relatively inexpensive from the gov.

But I find myself wanting to save all of them that were butchered in the 80's, 90's, and especially the 70's, mainly because I hate the look of 70's stocks. The only saving grace of a 70's era sporter stock is that there is enough meat to reshape it to something not quite so... ugly...

This ugly, Monte Carlo style, white-line monstrosity was reshaped and restyled...

3847ED73-19D9-4B33-96DD-A6542D10F524.jpeg

Into the second from the left. All of these are what I would consider well done sporters.

D3EB3CE5-250E-47C8-9E11-6ADCE2469233.jpeg
 
TWO rifles on my wish list, with money sitting and waiting....a 03a3 and an Endfield. My problem is I don't know enough about them to make an informed purchase. Turns out the Swede Mauser was fairly easy to research and purchase. And I did well! Not so much with the current rifles on the wish list.
 
The barrel and action channels are full of dust about 1/16" thick. The 1903 stock has a very greasy, tacky, cosomline feel to it. The 03a3 stock has a normal dry wood feel. I am not cleaning or changing this wood at all. Just blowing it off with compressed air and wiping it with a dry cloth.

Cheese cloth and BLO will do wonders for cleaning a gunked up stock without ruining the original finish. The debate over which oil to use is long and vicious amongst the hard cores at sites like the CMP forums.
 
I agree with you about a well done sporter being left alone. The ones I appreciate saving are like you said, 70's and 80's low skill, cut down stock conversions.
 
If you ever decide those stocks need a home @M37, please let me know. I have things that would fit it them nicely! ;)

And you're right, you stole them! Glad they were saved. I just salvaged a Smith Corona stock that had been put up in a similar manner.
 
TWO rifles on my wish list, with money sitting and waiting....a 03a3 and an Endfield. My problem is I don't know enough about them to make an informed purchase. Turns out the Swede Mauser was fairly easy to research and purchase. And I did well! Not so much with the current rifles on the wish list.

Any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them for you. I'm not an expert, but I am well read and have a good reference library.
 
I will keep you in mind should I ever have to sell. My plan is to put each one on rifles I presently have. Both rifles are original other than cut down stocks.

I should post a few pictures of my Remington 03a3 I bought from the Marine. It is beautiful!
 
I guess that means I'll have to post pictures of all of the carbines and M1's as well..... bubblegum, and I had plans today!
 
This has a barrel dated for 5 - 43. The finish is grey green parkerizing. The stock has a rebuild stamp from RRA, Red River Arsenal. I don't think they did anything to it. All parts are Remington. The stock still has a very faint factory FJA acceptance stamp too.

0812181408.jpg 0812181408a.jpg 0812181409.jpg 0812181409a.jpg 0812181409b.jpg 0812181410.jpg 0812181411a.jpg 0812181411.jpg 0812181411c.jpg 0812181412a.jpg 0812181412b.jpg 0812181413.jpg
 
Any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them for you. I'm not an expert, but I am well read and have a good reference library.

I appreciate the offer. At some point I'll probably be coming to the membership with questions about one or the other when I see on for sale somewhere.

I guess that means I'll have to post pictures of all of the carbines and M1's as well..... bubblegum, and I had plans today!

Pictures are good. With descriptions making it even better!
 
This has a barrel dated for 5 - 43. The finish is grey green parkerizing. The stock has a rebuild stamp from RRA, Red River Arsenal. I don't think they did anything to it. All parts are Remington. The stock still has a very faint factory FJA acceptance stamp too.

View attachment 487940 View attachment 487941 View attachment 487942 View attachment 487943 View attachment 487944 View attachment 487945 View attachment 487947 View attachment 487948 View attachment 487949 View attachment 487950 View attachment 487951 View attachment 487952

That's just beautiful...What kind of price would a person, clearly not in their right mind, be asking if they were selling a rifle like that one?
 
I am not sure today. I paid the hefty sum of $250 dollars for it in 1997. Today it could be anywhere from $750 to $1200. On an auction site like gunbroker or at a gun show they tend to ask crazy prices. I hate looking for guns like this at either place because they are available out there for less. These guns are still in closets across the country. Of you can educate yourself on what to look for you can be ready to strike when the deal comes up.
 
Mostly correct, in good shape, with arsenal rebuild marks, built by Remingon, expect to pay north of $700. For mixmasters and well rebuilt drill rifles, between $600-$700. Smith Coronas go north of $800.

If a gun has provenance or something special, they can go higher.
 
I am not sure today. I paid the hefty sum of $250 dollars for it in 1997. Today it could be anywhere from $750 to $1200. On an auction site like gunbroker or at a gun show they tend to ask crazy prices. I hate looking for guns like this at either place because they are available out there for less. These guns are still in closets across the country. Of you can educate yourself on what to look for you can be ready to strike when the deal comes up.

Mostly correct, in good shape, with arsenal rebuild marks, built by Remingon, expect to pay north of $700. For mixmasters and well rebuilt drill rifles, between $600-$700. Smith Coronas go north of $800.

If a gun has provenance or something special, they can go higher.

Thank you guys....Yeah, just went to look at gun broker and the both of you look to be spot on. And specimens @ 2-6 thousand dollars are floating around in there too! Like M37 says though, reading and watching!
 
I have a, '53, i think, Enfield, if i could find a nice war time No.4 Mk1 that was colony built, i'd sell my current one.
 
Totally new to 03s and I almost hate to ask about the black cloud. I'm guessing something about earlier production rifles that cannot take the pressure of modern ammunition. I know i can look it up on the net but you all seem like a knowledgeable bunch of guys. I've had a smith corona 03a3 on layaway for awhile that I've fooled around about paying off so I'm definitely curious.
Your O3a3 is fine. A small number of 1903's had issues and have been weeded out of the system. I would gladly accept and shoot any resonantly cared for early 1903.
 
Yeah, there was a post in the rifle section (now sans sub-sections) about someone's first rifle build. Imagine my disappointment when I opened it up find out they'd built...

an AR.

So depressing. Nothing wrong with AR's to be sure, and the builder should be happy with themselves.

I've worked hard to have just wood and steel in my safe. With all the "rifle" threads now co-mingling, I think I'll have to frequent the C&R section instead.

And just to make sure the thread stays on topic, here's a repost of an older picture I've shared before...

F71684B6-4195-47A7-9725-C313C5CB2B54.jpeg
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top