What about a Remington Model 03-A3. New Acquisition.......

[Mikej]

How about this deal on 30-06 ammo....

Meridian .30-06 (7.62x63) 150GR FMJ 200rd PLUS an Additional 60 Rounds for FREE to Cover 20% Dud Rate

Anybody ever seen anything like that before?

 

[BSG 75]

Got it fully down, took the bolt apart and cleaned the dark brown smelly stuff out of it. It doesn't have many markings on the metal. Nothing really distinctive. Couldn't find any other manufacturer markings besides "R" on the parts. considering it's age, 4-43, the bolt shows very little wear through in the, bluing? Not sure what the finish is? Parkerizing is rough isn't it?

The HO 15 marking at the root of the bolt handle means the bolt body was made at Springfield Armory. The R marked parts were made by Remington. The bolt bodies were originally blued. So were other parts like the barrel bands, buttplate, and trigger guard. The receiver was always Parkerized and often has a greenish tint. Your rifle was made relatively early in the production run - May 1943 - so it originally had several blued parts. Later in production the blued parts (except the bolt body that was always blued) were replaced with Parkerized parts. If the rifle was arsenal refurbished after the war the blued parts were Parkerized.

The best place to get .30-06 ammo for your rifle is the CMP Sales & Services - Civilian Marksmanship Program

 

[MilitantBEEMER]

Love the rifle. CONGRATULATIONS!! I am anxious to hear about all the markings on the gun and stock, they always tell a unique story.
Enjoy!!

 

[Mikej]

The HO 15 marking at the root of the bolt handle means the bolt body was made at Springfield Armory. The R marked parts were made by Remington. The bolt bodies were originally blued. So were other parts like the barrel bands, buttplate, and trigger guards. The receiver was always Parkerized and often has a greenish tint. Your rifle was made relatively early in the production run - May 1943 - so it originally had several blued parts. Later in production the blued parts (except the bolt body that was always blued) were replaced with Parkerized parts. If the rifle was arsenal refurbished after the war the blued parts were Parkerized.

The best place to get .30-06 ammo for your rifle is the CMP Sales & Services - Civilian Marksmanship Program

The CMP site say it's under maintenance. A guy at the show looked up the CMP ammo and it was crazy expensive, near/over a $1.00 a round. I went ahead and ordered the PPU at .47 cents, though shipping was rather steep it still beat SG ammo.

I was told it was an early model due to pins in the stock rather than screws.

Love the rifle. CONGRATULATIONS!! I am anxious to hear about all the markings on the gun and stock, they always tell a unique story.
Enjoy!!

That's the thing that had me pausing on this for three months. No markings on the stock. If you look real hard you can almost see the circle P behind the trigger guard. It doesn't look like it's been sanded though? And under the stock there's very few markings. Nothing that stands out much. Nothing like the Enfield for sure.

 

[BSG 75]

I was told it was an early model due to pins in the stock rather than screws.

That is an early feature.

That's the thing that had me pausing on this for three months. No markings on the stock. If you look real hard you can almost see the circle P behind the trigger guard. It doesn't look like it's been sanded though? And under the stock there's very few markings. Nothing that stands out much. Nothing like the Enfield for sure.

If there are no markings then the stock has been sanded, but at least it is the correct stock: straight wrist (Type S) and with pins. Some 03-A3 rifles I have seen have "scant" stocks with a semi-pistol grip, or Type C stocks with a full pistol grip. Those are replacement stocks.



Your stock originally had these markings on the left side of the wrist:



RA for Remington Arms, FJA for inspector Frank J. Atwood, and the Ordnance acceptance mark.

There should be a circled P proof mark on the bottom of the wrist behind the trigger guard. There should be 4 small inspection stamps on the bottom near the front of the trigger guard.



I haven't bought .30-06 ammo from the CMP for several years but they used to have literally tons of surplus M2 Ball ammo, cheaper than commercial ammo. I guess they finally sold it all.

 

[Olderguy]

Awesome score Mikej, sweet rifle!
I have always had a soft spot for the 1903, and especially the A-3. Often considered the best varient, and certainly the easiest to use accurately. I still say the 03-A3 was the greatest bolt action fighting rifle of all time!
A well trained soldier armed with a 1903 was truely a formidable force to be reckoned with!
And, for those who claim the Garand was the rifle that won WW2, tell that to the Marines in the south pacific!

or the Marines at Belleau Wood in WWl

 

[Ruger Rich]

Your enthusiasm is as cool as the rifle. Thanks for sharing both

 

[Mikej]

Your enthusiasm is as cool as the rifle. Thanks for sharing both

Thank you! But this makes me sad all over again looking at the picks. I traded the 03A3 off, + some cash, for a Garand in August of '19 at the big OAC show. It went to a well known Garand builder/guru with the OAC. The recoil of that gun killed me. Couldn't stop the flinch. I think time to time that I wish I'd kept the rifle. But I don't have room or money to have guns I don't shoot. So...here I am, thinking about it again.

 

[solv3nt]

Ha! Someone revived this thread, here I thought Mike bought a new toy. Then I got really confused that he traded this off for an M1, which I know he picked up fairly recently. Y'all got to stop reviving old threads.

 

[JuglansRegia]

I did the opposite, l traded an H&R Garand for my 03A3

 

[Mark W.]

In the top 5 rifles I deeply regret ever selling is a Smith Corona 03-A3 with its original stock in very good condition. I paid $150 for it did nothing to it but shoot and clean it and one day the electric bill had to get paid so it went by by at the Portland gun show for $175.00 I have been pissed about that for over 25 years. But such is the life of a full time Custom Knifemaker. Glad I drive dump truck now I Haven't sold a firearm in 20 years. I have traded but I got the better of those deals in my opinion.

 

[orygun]

Thank you! But this makes me sad all over again looking at the picks. I traded the 03A3 off, + some cash, for a Garand in August of '19 at the big OAC show. It went to a well known Garand builder/guru with the OAC. The recoil of that gun killed me. Couldn't stop the flinch. I think time to time that I wish I'd kept the rifle. But I don't have room or money to have guns I don't shoot. So...here I am, thinking about it again.

The last time I shot the 03-A3 I have, I was probably 20 years old and it was Dad's. I don't remember it kicking all that much, but I was young, dumb, full of... Well, I was a pretty tough guy. Anyway, I don't remember it kicking all that much, but I also don't remember shooting from the bench.
Dad got this one from the CMP and I have all of the paperwork. Unfortunately he tossed the shipping box during a house cleaning in the 90's. I've got some appropriate ammunition.
If I remember, @Mikej , I'll take this old warhorse out next time we shoot and I'll tell you what I find, 39 years later.

Back left is some armor piercing ammo.

And right side is a couple boxes of ball.

If you're gonna shoot vintage guns, it's kinda cool to use some of the "right stuff".

 

[RVTECH]

little to no experience with the '03 - A3 rifles but a friend of mine has one and it is literally one of the most accurate rifles I have ever shot.

It is capable of nearly one hole groups at 100 yards.

 

[Mikej]

The last time I shot the 03-A3 I have, I was probably 20 years old and it was Dad's. I don't remember it kicking all that much, but I was young, dumb, full of... Well, I was a pretty tough guy. Anyway, I don't remember it kicking all that much, but I also don't remember shooting from the bench.
Dad got this one from the CMP and I have all of the paperwork. Unfortunately he tossed the shipping box during a house cleaning in the 90's. I've got some appropriate ammunition.
If I remember, @Mikej , I'll take this old warhorse out next time we shoot and I'll tell you what I find, 39 years later.
View attachment 1166563
Back left is some armor piercing ammo.
View attachment 1166570
And right side is a couple boxes of ball.
View attachment 1166573
If you're gonna shoot vintage guns, it's kinda cool to use some of the "right stuff".

I'll look forward to you posting about the experience. When I shot mine I was told they shot the same stuff the M1 did so that's the ammo I bought. "PPU .30-06 For M1 Garand". I don't know if modern hunting ammo is appropriate for the 03-A3. I do know it's not a good idea to shoot it in the M1.

 

[Olderguy]

I have a restocked 03 hunting rifle that i shoot 220 grain handloaded Nosler partitions in, as well as 180 grain factory and handloads and they work fine. You do need to check the serial numbers on 03's to make sure they are double heat treated however, but the A3's should all be in this category, I would think.

 

[orygun]

I'll look forward to you posting about the experience. When I shot mine I was told they shot the same stuff the M1 did so that's the ammo I bought. "PPU .30-06 For M1 Garand". I don't know if modern hunting ammo is appropriate for the 03-A3. I do know it's not a good idea to shoot it in the M1.

I have a restocked 03 hunting rifle that i shoot 220 grain handloaded Nosler partitions in, as well as 180 grain factory and handloads and they work fine. You do need to check the serial numbers on 03's to make sure they are double heat treated however, but the A3's should all be in this category, I would think.

Yes, there can be questionable strength to the early '03s (serial numbers lower than 285k for Rock Island and 800k for Springfield) due to problems in the hardening stage (single heat treat vs. double), but that was long since overcome by the time they were making 03-A3s. Somewhere around 1.276k the steel used was improved, too.
There is no issue with hotter loads in an 03 as there are with an M1 because the gun doesn't have an operating rod to overload. I mentioned this gun to one of my ex-bosses friends, who was a gunsmith. He wanted to help me turn it into a 300 Win Mag!
These days, I'm just happy knowing it's tucked into the back of the safe.

 

[Mikej]

There is no issue with hotter loads in an 03 as there are with an M1 because the gun doesn't have an operating rod to overload. I mentioned this gun to one of my ex-bosses friends, who was a gunsmith. He wanted to help me turn it into a 300 Win Mag!

I guess at that time I wasn't thinking. I knew the Garand barrel and receiver is plenty robust. And it's the op-rod that will show battering, or breaking, from higher pressure in the gas tube.

I think a person that would bastardize a correct 03-A3 just might have a special seat in hell reserved for them.

I've done some reading on those early 03's. Mostly on gunboads.com. There are a lot of warnings, but very little written/photo proof of many breaking. I'd still steer clear of the low serial numbers specimens myself though.

 

[orygun]

I think a person that would bastardize a correct 03-A3 just might have a special seat in hell reserved for them.

I've done some reading on those early 03's. Mostly on gunboads.com. There are a lot of warnings, but very little written/photo proof of many breaking. I'd still steer clear of the low serial numbers specimens myself though.

I agree with the first statement, especially at this point in time (2022). In my defense it was 30+ years ago that the rechamber was an idea. These days I'd just find another "sporterized" one to screw up the way I wanted one screwed up. I like buying "screwed up" rifles. I don't feel guilty about violating them. It's a fun hobby.
If I stated how long I've been shooting I'll sound real old, but throughout that time I've never seen/heard/read of any '03's going KaBoom. Yes, it happened. But it's always been a rare event that appears to be mostly in the past. Like you, @Mikej I'd probably not be the owner of an early 03, and this issue is just one of the reasons. If I shot a Garand I'd be cautious about proper ammo for the gun, too. No reason to abuse that fine tool. The rifle I have seems to be a fairly low mileage rework on a 43 (I believe), and we've shot it enough over the years that I have no concerns. I have a bunch of ammo loaded with 180gr Sierra GameKings over a load of RL22 that pretty much duplicates Remington CoreLokt velocity (2760 out of my 22" Ruger and slightly over 2800fps out of my 24" Model 70).

 

[Olderguy]

Not sure about the term bastardize but the two sporterized 03's that I've owned are/were fine hunting rifles. One great feature is the easy take down of the bolt for cleaning lubing etc.