Remington Model 1903A4 03A4 .30-06 WWII Bolt Action Sniper Rifle 1943 C&R

SOLD FOR: $6,025

LSB#: 201215FH03

Make: Remington

Model: 1903A4. Sniper Version of the 1903A3

Serial Number: 3407169

Year of Manufacture: 1943 (page 375 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition) Barrel Date: January, 1943

Caliber: .30-06 Springfield

Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine

Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3” and the right side is marked “3407169”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 1- 43”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “1 / P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The underside of the bolt handle, the rear of the safety lever, the right rear of the bolt body, magazine disconnect lever, nosecap, stacking loop and front sling loop are all stamped “R” for Remington. The right rear of the bolt body is marked with encircled “26”. The bottom of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof. The left side of the stock above the trigger is very faintly marked “RA” (Remington Arms 1942-1944).

The plate on the rear of the scope is marked “MODEL 330 / PATS. PEND. / W.R. WEAVER CO. / EL PASO, TEX., U.S.A.”. The plate next to the adjustment knobs is marked “UP / arrow” and “L / arrow”. Each adjustment knobs is also marked “0 5 10”. These markings are consistent with the text on page 356 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition.

Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches

Sights / Optics: The front and rear sights have been removed to use the scope. The top rear of the receiver has an integral base. A one piece scope mount is secured to the integral base and screwed to the receiver. The mount has two scope rings attached. There is a metal shim between the base and receiver at the front. The rings & base show a couple scrapes and handling marks. The screws show light use. Overall the rings and one piece base are in about Fine condition. The rings hold a 2.5 fixed power Weaver model 330 scope with a crosshair reticle. The view through the scope is clear. The adjustment knobs turn. The tube shows some light scrapes & a few small scratches. Overall, the scope rates in about Very Good Plus condition.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The two piece oil stained hardwood stock has a pistol grip, metal nosecap, stacking loop, barrel band, two sling loops, two through bolts, cutout for the bolt handle, scallop under the magazine cutoff and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The cutout for the bolt handle is slightly swept to the rear to match the 1903A4’s modified bolt handle. The wood shows various scrapes, small scratches, light scrapes, & compression marks. The most prominent are on sides of the butt, forend near the barrel band retainer, and right side at the action. There is a small sliver of material loss at the barrel band retainer. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Fine overall condition.

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The four grooved bore is semi-bright. The rifling is sharp. There are a couple freckles of faint surface erosion. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.5.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish. The bottom metal shows a few scrapes & scratches, mainly on the trigger guard. The barrel shows some light scrapes and scuffs. There are a few light handling marks on the remaining metal. The screwheads show use wit lightly worn slots. The markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine Plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The safety lever works but does not turn past the rear of the scope. This is a design flaw due to the expedited implementation of the 03-A4 Sniper Rifle during war time. This condition is common for 03-A4 Rifles and not unique to this rifle. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with a scope assembly; see above. It also comes with a leather sling that shows scrapes, cracking, some damaged stitches, and some surface loss. The sling is in about Good condition.

Our Assessment: This Remington Model 1903A4 Sniper is a Nice example of a WWII Military contract sniper rifle. The rifle is in the correct 1903A4 sniper configuration and has the correct serial number to fall within the 1903A4 serial number range (see page 357 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). It has lots of Remington marked metal parts and its receiver markings are offset to read them with a scope base installed. The handle is slightly bent upward in an outward curve and excess metal has been trimmed away to allow the bolt handle to fully open with the scope mounted (page 205-206). The rifle has a nice metal finish, strong bright bore and a stock with nice markings. The 2.5 power Model 330 military scope is still in Very Good Plus condition. The scope is marked correctly and mounted to a one-piece base. This rifle has a 4 grooved bore. According to page 352 to 353 of “The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations 3rd Edition” by Joe Poyer, Remington sniper rifles were made with 2 and 4 groove barrels depending on availability. This rifle is one well worth collecting. Good luck.