Remington received ever-increasing orders for 03A3s, and the Ordnance Department sought an additional source. Specialists in Marketing Your Gun Collections. These were initially to have been given the M1903A1 designation, which would have required full pistol-grip (Type C) stocks. Reportedly, very early in production, High Standard (the maker of the barrels) acquired some unfinished barrel blanks from Savage Arms Co. Some of the earlier M1903 Modified rifles will have few stamped parts and later production will exhibit more stamped components. Checked for working condition 2. They can be decoded to find out when your shotgun or rifle was manufactured. Regardless, the majority of Smith-Corona rifles had four-groove barrels. Original, excellent condition with correct "R" markings and no rebuild or import marks. Barrel length Barrel length After using up the six-groove barrel blanks, High Standard began manufacture of four-groove barrels, which were used for the balance of production except for a few two-groove barrels that were used for about a one- or two-month period in late 1943. Even though the Remington 03 rifles evidenced a number of manufacturing shortcuts, they possessed a strong action, and all of them are in the high number category. Shortly thereafter Remington began updating its tooling and equipment to accommodate the changes required for production of the new rifle. Remington 1903A3 production started in 1942 at number 3348086. 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. U.S. MILITARY DATES OF MANUFACTURE U.S. Military M1903, & M1903A3 Rifle: Remington: Covering numbers: 3000001 - 5784000. only slight modifications. There were also some serial numbers used for M1903A4 sniper rifle production from this final block as well. Caliber: .30-06 Springfield. Interestingly, Remington over ran some of Smith-Coronas first block of serial numbers. Korean War in favor of the cartridge) occurred and modifications to the ammunition and sights were . All rights reserved.Site by West Edge Collective. "All Remington 1903A4 production was in 1943 and fell between serial numbers 3407088 and 4998320. 4, Mark I bayonet and modifying the grip of the stock to mimic the hook type pistol-grip found on the Lee-Enfield. }); Is this what you were referring to? does not have any markings on the rifle, as many were produced in haste to High Standard completed the machining of the barrels and marked them SC along with the month and year of manufacture. The U.S. M1903 and M1903A3 "Springfield" rifles are the greatest of all U.S. military issue bolt action rifles. There are myriad examples of this industrial versatility, not the least of which was the service rifle made by a typewriter company. device (which was used to allow the M1903 to fire the .30 caliber pistol The U.S. War Department agreed to lease Remington the somewhat worn Rock Island 03 manufacturing equipment and provided some 600,000 walnut rifle stock blanks also in storage. closest thing to a pistol grip stock that could be made using the older x 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. Caliber: .30-06 Springfield. h3 CJ ! The recess on the Smith-Corona stocks had a rounded profile while the Remington stocks had a square profile. sought other manufacturing sources for new 03 production. which it won resulting in the payment of $3,000,000 to Mauser from the US. Also during this early time As had been the case with Remington, some problems with procurement of rear sights from subcontractors resulted in the delay of initial deliveries. Representatives of the British government turned to the United States for the acquisition of new arms. This total Remington production includes 348,085 M1903 Modified rifles. The firm was assigned the serial number block of 3,000,000 to 3,599,999 for its initial production. Remington buttplates had 16 squares to the inch while Smith-Corona buttplates had 10 or 11 squares per inch. high speed projectile and its accuracy. barrel mounted sight like previous rifles. Ten trial production M1903 rifles were produced soon after the contract was granted, and the first 1,273 production rifles were delivered in November 1941. > 8 : 7 #` f bjbj . Remington (and Smith-Corona) turned out ever-increasing numbers of M1903A3s, and they provided valuable use for our rapidly expanding armed forces. The U.S. government ordered 134,000 M1903s from Remington the same day that the British contracts were canceled. The bolts from such rifles were often mixed during rebuilding, and did not necessarily remain with the original receiver. Still, this could be the barrel original to the receiver, as there was often some mixing and matching at the factory. 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. Smith-Corona was eventually assigned two blocks of serial numbers. Large numbers were also utilized for stateside training and for supplementary use by sentries and other personnel. Remington agreed to pay for the stock blanks by manufacturing cartridges for the U.S. government under future contracts. After the Spanish American War in 1898, and some experimentation with the Actual assembled rifles in the Remington warehouse inventory awaiting Ordnance inspection as shown on the Planning Supervisors Accounting Summary dated March 9, 1943. By this time, the 03A3 was about to go into production, so the specifications were changed to develop a sniping version of this variant instead. SPRINGFIELD ARMORY US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER RANGES (Including Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 [Dated by calendar year: January - December] 1903 1 16000 1904 16001 67000 1905 67001 119000 1906 119001 269450 1907 269451 337861 1908 337862 358084 1909 358085 398275 The M1903A3s stock was similar to the straight grip stock previously utilized with the M1903 Modified but was inletted to accept the barrel guard ring necessitated by the longer handguard. The new rifle was marked U.S./Remington/Model 03-A3/Serial No. on the receiver ring. US Model 1903 Springfield Rifle Serial Number Ranges - Muzzle First. Action Type: Bolt Action with Internal Magazine. Although not used for overseas combat duty in the same numbers as M1 rifles, or even the earlier M1903 variants, some M1903A3 rifles did, in fact, see action. "Block" for these rifles and possible future orders were 49220015784000. The .38 Smith & Wesson Special, designed in 1898, rocked the handgun realm with its ballistic performance making it a cartridge for the history books. CMP also does not recommend firing any Springfield rifle, regardless of serial number, with a single heat-treated low number bolt. These changes included less machining to the rear sight fixed base, elimination of the bolt stop, replacement of some milled parts with stamped, sheet metal components and elimination of the grasping grooves on the rifles stock. inspection, they represent the earliest and most accurate base-data for approximate calculation of actual end-of-month production Serial Numbers (SNs) from the start of production through February, 1943. The new rifle was designated U.S. This early example (top) has a straight stock and grasping grooves in the fore-end. Some of these changes were not readily apparent while others were quite noticeablesuch as the elimination of the lightening cuts on both sides of the rear sight base, the elimination of the small gas escape hole on the right side of the receiver and the drilling of the rear guard screw hole completely through the receiver tang. a 2 piece firing pin, Mauser filed a lawsuit against the US government, In addition to the changes made in the rear sight, there was also more extensive use of stamped parts. The Ordnance Dept. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, "V" Is For Victory: The Smith & Wesson Victory Model Revolver, Rifleman Q&A: Why So Light With The M1 Carbine? All parts are correct Remington "R" marked parts. Remington 1903A3 Serial numbers, barrel date. 24 inches. By the year 1900, the Springfield Armory has its first Most 03A4s had full pistol grip (Type C) stocks but, as stated, some were also delivered with the scant grip stock. Remington was able to save production time by developing an adjustable rear peep sight with some stamped components. This rifle was mainly phased out of service before the Thereafter, all internal accounting controls were removed, and both. The year of manufacture for serial number 4168420 is 1942. Remington 1903A3 Serial numbers, barrel date Hello, My friend's Remington 03A3 has the serial number 4,097,XXX, and a Remington barrel dated 9-43. It had a 2.75X M73B1 Telescopic Sight and fired the powerful .30-06 cartridge. GunCollectionsOnline - Privacy Policy All low number bolts have the bolt handle bent straight down, perpendicular to the axis of the bolt body. The early Remington M1903 and M1903 Modified rifles (r.) were inspected by Col. Roy L. Bowlin, RLB, chief of the Rochester Ordnance District. One component that remained more or less unchanged from the earlier M1903 rifles was the Model 1905 rear sight. Visually they can be The Smith Corona M1903 rifle usually Model: 1903-A4 (Sniper Version of the 1903-A3) Serial Number: 3409163. Remington was initially assigned the serial number block of 3,407,088-3,427,087 for '03A4 production. 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). RLB represented Col. Roy L. Bowlin, Chief of the Rochester Ordnance District. 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 M1903 was manufactured by Springfield Armory at varying levels of production from 1903 until the late 1930s and at Rock Island Arsenal from 1903 until 1913 and again from 1917 until just after World War I. From your pictures it looks like your stock has the M1903A3 handguard ring cut, you have a Remington '03A3 trigger guard, the bolt looks to be a replacement as well. SN calculations reflect the reality gaps as well as duplicates within the serial numbering process. A simplified receiver-mounted rear sight would reduce production time and have the added bonus of being a better combat sight. The milled upper band (top) was used on Remington M1903 and M1903 Modified rifles, while the stamped sheet metal upper bands (below) was employed on M1903A3s. Military Police (MPs) and other ostensibly non-combat military personnel were issued M1903A3 rifles, but they were also employed by front-line combat infantrymen. Initially, the new Remington 03s were very similar to the rifles made at Rock Island Arsenal in the late World War I period. You can also locate the serial number on the rifle's receiver and request an age approximation by emailing Remington support. Such rifles should be regarded as collectors items, not shooters.. Trick out or upgrade your firearm with the largest gun parts selection at eBay.com. fulfill the war demand. The only substantive difference between Remington and Smith-Corona bolts was that the Remington bolts were marked R at the root of the handle while the Smith-Corona bolts were usually marked with an X on top of the bolt handle, although some unmarked examples can be found. The factory shop-assembly process resulted in final rifle production in no particular SN order or sequence, therefore rifles with higher SNs than the number of rifles produced may exist for any given month. The Model 1903A4 was the first issued sniper rifle to all U.S. military services during World War II. The stocks were stamped with an Ordnance Department escutcheon (crossed cannons) and the initials RLB on the left side below the magazine cut-off recess. This sight, and its barrel-mounted fixed base, required a great deal of machining. It was built with an ever increasing number of stamped parts until sometime in 1942 by Remington. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ M1 Rifles but is still used by g g g ! Now you can dress up your office desk or man cave with a 1:3-scale replica of the best battle implement ever devised.. The number of six-groove barrels used in Smith-Corona 03A3 production is estimated to be about 5,000. 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. (RIA PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 190317500 1904750116000 19051600128000 19062800175000 190775001130000 1908130001165000 1909165001178000 1910178001201000 1911201001210634 1912210635217801 1913217802234830 1914PRODUCTION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED 1915PRODUCTION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED 1916PRODUCTION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED 1917234831257061 1918257062326935 1919326936348414 TOTAL: 346000 Introduction of improved heat treatment at SN285507. Remington Arms : Year: 1st Serial: Last Serial: Model: 1942: . Ordnance Department immediately contracted with Remington for M1903 rifles in order to arm the rapidly expanding U.S. armed forces. Remington only used a relatively few serial numbers from the final block, stopping at the very low 4,200,000 serial number range. It was suggested that the old M1903 production tooling in storage at Rock Island Arsenal be used to produce rifles for the British. All Springfields made after this change are commonly called high number rifles. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ Fast & Free shipping on many items! .30, Model of 1903A3 on May 21, 1942. Year of Manufacture: 1943 (Page 375 of Joe Poyer's book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). The 03A3 was the simplest 03 variant. His pump-action rifle, based on the dimensions of the . The left side of the stock was stamped FJA (for Col. Frank J. Atwood), RA (Remington Arms) and the crossed cannons Ordnance Department escutcheon. Model 03A3s, either Remington or Smith-Corona, found with all-Parkerized furniture can be safely assumed to have been overhauled. Remingtons started production in 1941 with serial number 3,000,000, it was Also, it is noted that final rifle assembly followed receiver serialization by an approximate average of 2 weeks. During World War II additional manufacturers were added The company offered to accept the contract if it would be permitted to manufacture only the barrels and subcontract the rest of the production, including assembly of the rifles, to the L.C. 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. While Smith-Corona was in the process of procuring the necessary manufacturing equipment, the M1903A3 rifle superseded the M1903. The demand for sniper rifles was too great to permit lengthy delays in developing a M1 Garand-based new arm, so the War Department contracted with Remington for a sniping version of the M1903 rifle. By the time that the M1903-A4 was the Army's first members and stamped with NRA logo, M1903 Air Service - had a 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. (Based in part on documents obtained by Clark Campbell from the Ilion, NY Remington Plant Manager files, circa 1955). Recently, the Civilian Marksmanship Program obtained a sizeable quantity of M1903s, including a number of Remington M1903, M1903 Modified and M1903A3 rifles, and offered them for sale to qualified individuals. Several avenues were explored, including discussions with Remington Arms Company for the production of rifles under British contract. Restricted 18+ in CA in compliance with CA State Assembly Bill 2571 prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors in the State of CA. ,* q h3 CJ j h3 5CJ h3 5CJ NO ONE has any idea when production stopped for the M1903 or what the last serial number was, or when the first 1903A3 came off the line. The British desired certain modifications, primarily related to modifications required to utilize the standard .303 British cartridge. In addition, large numbers were shipped to various ordnance facilities for inspection and overhaul prior to being placed in long-term storage, typically after being coated in cosmoline. Authorization was also granted to eliminate the grasping grooves on the stock and other features to reduce production time for the stock and handguard. Great deals on Remington 03a3 In Rifle Parts. Your friends barrel sounds correct. Stamped metal components were used wherever possible, such as on the trigger guard (l.). The last of the M1903 "Modified" rifles was completed the following March 1943. Rifleman Q&A: CMP M1903A3 Sling Modifications? As Remingtons production continued, an increasing number of changes were made to the original specifications in the interest of reducing production time. And while it has produced everything . f $ | $ 2 h ! The Springfield M1903 can trace its design roots to the Spanish Mauser With the adoption of the 03A3, simplification of the M1903 was taken as far as feasible without adversely affecting the accuracy, strength or efficiency of the rifle. Rock Island Arsenal and about 850,000 were produced up until that point. In October 1942, Remington was given permission to produce two-groove barrels for the M1903A3 as prior testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground revealed that satisfactory accuracy could be obtained with them. Serial number ranges for the production years of M1903 Springfield, including Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production . . To solve this problem, the Ordnance Department commenced double heat treatment of receivers and bolts. LSB#: 210609MW64 Make: Remington Model: 1903A3 (03-A3) Serial Number: 3925869 Year of Manufacture: 1943 (page 375 of Joe Poyer's book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). SPRINGFIELD ARMORY US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER RANGES (Including Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 [Dated by calendar year: January - December] 1903-1-16000 1904-16001-67000 1905-67001-119000 1906-119001-2694501907-269451-337861 1908-337862-358084 1909-358085-398275 A circled P proof mark was stamped on the grip behind the trigger guard, and various cryptic Remington internal inspection markings were stamped on the stock forward of the trigger guard. 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). A gas escape hole was drilled into the left side of the receiver as had been done at Springfield Armory since 1936. inspection report data used for monthly invoicing for services rendered under contract. However, the large supply of stock blanks acquired by Remington were primarily suited for fabrication of the straight-grip type of stock, so the M1903 nomenclature was not changed. These early production Remington M1903s were very similar to the 03s turned out by Rock Island late in World War I, including finely finished straight-grip (Type S) stocks with grasping grooves and handguards with a prominent sight-protecting hump. They were well-crafted, finished in black-tinted Parkerizing and utilized the same type of heat treatment as found on late production Springfield M1903s. Original M1903A3s had Parked barrels/receivers and most other parts were a blue/black. The U.S. M1903 and M1903A3 Springfield rifles are the greatest of all U.S. military issue bolt action rifles. stock, M1903 A 3 - was the version It should be recognized that the production shortcuts were phased in over a period of time. Please enter a serial number and click the submit button. The M1903 Modified (center) was a transitionary variant between the 1903 and the 03A3 and 03A4. For example, the Remington 03A3 rifles were stamped with a 7/16-inch circled P proof firing mark on the bottom of the grip (behind the trigger guard) while the Smith-Corona rifles had a 1/2-inch proof stamp in this same location. The 03A3 stocks were also inletted for the M1905 sight as well. 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. 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. From its establishment in 1794 up to 1968, the Springfield Armory was the primary R&D and manufacturing facility for the small arms used by the armed forces of the United States. The serial numbers used by the company went only into the 4,870,000 range. The last of the M1903 "Modified" rifles was completed the following March 1943. The U.S. Also different was the configuration of the stamped and welded trigger guard/magazine assembly behind the front screw hole. Interestingly, some internal Remington documents during this period refer to the rifles as M1903 Modified.. Remington was initially assigned the serial number block of 3,407,088-3,427,087 for 03A4 production. google_ad_client: "ca-pub-5708522835464660", 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. Caliber: .30-06 Springfield. According to a recent Federal Emergency Management Agency report, fewer people are "prepping" today compared to previous years. be used with or without the Pederson Device, M1903 with Scant Stock - The 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. 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. 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. Mint condition grey parkerized finish and new made Criterion barrels make this rifle true to the original, collector grade, and ready for competition! or Best Offer. My 1943 1903a3 Stock Stamps The stamps were put on the rifles to show that 3 things had been done: 1. prototype of the 1903, but it had not been adopted by the military until Year of Manufacture: 1943, C&R (page 374 of Joe Poyer's book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition) Barrel Date: December, 1942. Some extractors found on original Smith-Corona bolts were marked S on the bottom. The British were pressing for new rifles as soon as possible, and passage of Lend-Lease legislation opened up other avenues of arms procurement. The substantially modified rifle was standardized as the U.S. The use of some stamped components to replace costly and time-consuming milled parts was also instituted. Many were subsequently sold via the auspices of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) and given away to allied nations under various military aid programs. Model: 1903A3 (03A3) Serial Number: 4743824 Year of Manufacture: 1943 (page 375 of Joe Poyer's book, The 1903 Springfield Rifle - 3rd Edition). High Standard was interested in the contract, but it was already operating at near peak capacity with existing contracts and would be unable to serve as prime contractor on the new project. Another difference between Remington and Smith-Corona rifles was the checkering pattern on the buttplates. These rifles are at least 70 years old and were not designed for max loads and super heavy bullets. The stock furniture (one-piece upper band assembly, lower barrel band, band spring, sling swivel, buttplate and trigger housing/floorplate assembly) were constructed of stamped sheet metal. Numerous World War II vintage photos depict 03A3 rifles employed in overseas combat zones. 9-43 and 12-43 were VERY popular months for Barrels. The .38 Smith & Wesson Special, designed in 1898, rocked the handgun realm with its ballistic performance making it a cartridge for the history books. Barrel Date: July, 1943 Caliber: .30-06 Springfield Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine Markings: The top of the receiver is marked "U.S. / SMITH-CORONA / MODEL 03-A3 / 4743824". These had six grooves and were initially produced for commercial rifles before being diverted to the 03A3 production program. Even though large numbers of M1917 American Enfields were manufactured and issued during World War I to supplement the supply of M1903s, the Springfield 03 remained the standard U.S. military service rifle until the adoption of the semi-automatic M1 Garand rifle in 1936. For Remington 03A3: Is it correct to have all of the parts parkerized, or should some be blued? M1903A3 rifles are among the most common variant of the 03 available to collectors, and examples can usually be found without too much difficulty, although prices for pristine examples are steadily rising. The M1903, up until the United States involvement in World War I was This so-called last SN is an approximated end-number only. Generally speaking, low number bolts can be distinguished from high-number bolts by the angle at which the bolt handle is bent down. Many of the rifles were utilized for training purposes stateside, but a number were shipped overseas for issue as supplemental service rifles. The company was permitted to reduce the amount of metal polishing prior to finishing, reduce or eliminate unnecessary machining and to relax many non-critical tolerances. It is sometimes forgotten that Americas true secret weapon of World War II was its awesome industrial might. The early production Remington 03 rifles resembled late World War I production Rock Island 03s, as they were produced on the old Rock Island tooling. LSB#: 210324DL76. c Description: This is an excellent example of a WWII production rifle as manufactured by the Remington Arms Company. Always wear hearing and eye protection when firing an M1 Garand, 1903 and/or 1903A3 rifle.
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