Want yo buy a nice '03 Springfield - suggestions?

self | 8 March 2019 | Eric Pode of Croydon

[DCBryan1]

First get a Type 03 FFL (Curio and Relics).. Cheap, easy, and can ship C&R guns RIGHT to your front door. Second, check gun broker for 1903s as comparison. Great shooter. Pick up some M2 AP (black tip). Fine rifle for punching armor.

[DesertRhino]

The receiver problem was well known long before the interwebs. It is real enough that the Ordinance Dept withdrew them. This is from the CMP website and is not simply internet rumor.

“M1903 rifles made before February 1918 utilized receivers and bolts which were single heat-treated by a method that rendered some of them brittle and liable to fracture when fired, exposing the shooter to a risk of serious injury. It proved impossible to determine, without destructive testing, which receivers and bolts were so affected and therefore potentially dangerous.

To solve this problem, the Ordnance Department commenced double heat treatment of receivers and bolts. This was commenced at Springfield Armory at approximately serial number 800,000 and at Rock Island Arsenal at exactly serial number 285,507. All Springfields made after this change are commonly called “high number” rifles. Those Springfields made before this change are commonly called “low-number” rifles.

In view of the safety risk the Ordnance Department withdrew from active service all “low-number” Springfields. During WWII, however, the urgent need for rifles resulted in the rebuilding and reissuing of many “low-number” as well as “high-number” Springfields. The bolts from such rifles were often mixed during rebuilding, and did not necessarily remain with the original receiver.

Generally speaking, “low number” bolts can be distinguished from “high-number” bolts by the angle at which the bolt handle is bent down. All “low number” bolts have the bolt handle bent straight down, perpendicular to the axis of the bolt body. High number bolts have “swept-back” (or slightly rearward curved) bolt handles.

A few straight-bent bolts are of the double heat-treat type, but these are not easily identified, and until positively proved otherwise ANY straight-bent bolt should be assumed to be “low number”. All original swept-back bolts are definitely “high number”. 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).

CMP DOES NOT RECOMMEND FIRING ANY SPRINGFIELD RIFLE WITH A ”LOW NUMBER” RECEIVER. SUCH RIFLES SHOULD BE REGARDED AS COLLECTOR’S ITEMS, NOT “SHOOTERS”.
CMP ALSO DOES NOT RECOMMEND FIRING ANY SPRINGFIELD RIFLE, REGARDLESS OF SERIAL NUMBER, WITH A SINGLE HEAT-TREATED “LOW NUMBER” BOLT. SUCH BOLTS, WHILE HISTORICALLY CORRECT FOR DISPLAY WITH A RIFLE OF WWI OR EARLIER VINTAGE, MAY BE DANGEROUS TO USE FOR SHOOTING.
THE UNITED STATES ARMY GENERALLY DID NOT SERIALIZE BOLTS. DO NOT RELY ON ANY SERIAL NUMBER APPEARING ON A BOLT TO DETERMINE WHETHER SUCH BOLT IS “HIGH NUMBER” OR “LOW NUMBER”.”

[taxcontrol]

I found mine in a pawn shop. Had to clean up some rust and spend some extra time on the after market sight that was added, but it was a great buy.

[Clay Moore]

There is a good summary of the receiver problem in Hatcher’s Notebook by General Julien Hatcher.

[NFHale]

Check these out:
https://www.usarmcorp.com/rock-ridge/M1903-A4-rifle

Beautiful, and new build.

[NFHale]

Annnnnd.... never mind... big yellow box says:

NOTE: FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY – THESE RIFLES ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

[M1903A1]

Some on the interwebs have been declaiming the safety issue as either overwrought, or an outright conspiracy to keep Springfield Armory afloat after WW1. What they don’t understand (or outright ignore) is that the fault is in the design as well as the steel alloy and heat treatment...the later steel and heat-treat will still handle a case failure better.

Also, there were more receiver failures than those documented in Hatcher’s Notebook...a fellow on the old Jouster page had uncovered National Archive photos of rifle failures from the 20s, maybe even into the 30s.

I used to argue with those fools...now I just block them, and give other 03 shooters on the range a wide berth.

[damper99]

I’ve always found it interesting that the USMC fought WWI with low numbered Springfields.

[M1903A1]

I’m waiting for the days of cheap surplus SCAR17s....

[M1903A1]

You mean WW2? All the rifles that went over to the AEF would have been low-number.

WW2, yes they did...as with the Brewster Buffaloes, it was because they had to, as the Marines got the hind teat for Navy funding. They did made them work, from all indications...they rebuilt them to stringent specs (like replacing bolts with new ones, regardless of condition) and banned them from firing rifle grenades.

Many a star-gauged USMC National Match rifle was rebuilt for service or sniper duty and used up on Guadalcanal....

[waterhill]

TTIUWP!!!!!!!!!!!!

[damper99]

No, I mean WWI. The Marines had 03’s and most of the Army was armed with 1917 Enfields.

[M1903A1]

Do we know if the Marines specified only 1903s for its forces, or was it more a matter of the size of the Corps versus the expanded Army? Like the much-smaller Corps could be supplied from 1903s on hand, while the Army would need vast numbers of new rifles anyway so give ‘em the 1917s?

[sarge83]

They had a pristine 03 in the local gun/pawn shop a few years back and it was reasonable priced and I was about to purchase it and ran the serial numbers. They ran in the range of the brittle receivers. I was dejected and passed.

I did manage to snag a really nice one made in 1931 from CMP that is a great shooter and an Enfield 1917 as well before they sold out of both. About your best bet now is a pawn shop and then you just have to get lucky and you will pay if the shop knows what it has.

[sarge83]

I have some SKS’s I paid $100 for and some Mosins even less, some with the hex receivers and now they are pushing $300+ or more in some cases.

I hate the Yugo SKS with the grenade launcher, ugly things and the barrel is not chrome lined. I had a couple and traded one and some cash for a pristine S&W model 19 nickel finish .357. Good trade, as I love the Model 19.

[NFHale]

Check this one out:

http://www.miltecharms.com/rifles.htm#M1903

[Celtic Conservative]

J&G sales has a whole bunch listed in their curio & relic category right now. Several look to be good shooters. FWIW.

CC

[archy]

I'd be willing to drive anywhere in the OH-KY-WV area.

If you're willing to expand your travel list a bit, you might give the Indy 1500 Show a try. So-named due to the 1500 tables of all sorts of guns, used, new, military, sporting, collectible and defensive and accessories of all sorts as well, you'll want to wear comfortable shoes. It's held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis [I-70] and you'll find the show dates here.

If you need an Indiana licensed dealer who can make a no-fee transfer for you, give me a FReepmail.

Additionally, Simpson, Ltd in Galesburg IL often has some pretty fair Springfields for sale. They're on an Amtrak route, which can simplify travel, or can be dealt with via the internet.

[Bayou City]

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