Remington 1903A3 03-A3 .30-06 WWII Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1943 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1158

LSB#: 210312DW20

Make: Remington

Model: 1903A3 (03-A3)

Serial Number: 3974271
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (Page 375 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). Barrel Date: September 1943

Caliber: .30-06 Springfield

Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine

Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3 / 3974271”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 9- 43”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The bottom of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof and “H”. The bottom of the forend is stamped with boxed and circled numbers in front of the bottom metal. The right side of the front sight base, magazine cut off, left of the nosecap, stacking loop, front sling loop, safety, right rear of the bolt, and underside of the bolt handle are marked marked “R”. The right side of the front sight blade is marked “C”. The left side of the stock has a boxed “FJA” Frank J. Atwood cartouche, an “OG” cartouche, and an “RA” cartouche. There are a few other small markings on the rifle.

Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set in a raised base. The rear sight is a fully adjustable aperture sight marked from “2-8” on the top and “0” with hash marks on the rear.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a straight grip, metal nose cap, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 reinforcing bolts, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The refurbished stock has some little dings and light compressions, some of the most noticeable are on the top of the handguard and on the belly at the toe. There are a few oil marks, most noticeable by the “OG” cartouche. There are a few faint scattered draglines. The LOP measures 12 ¾ inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some scattered light marks, finish loss on the edges, and a few little spots of frost. The stock rates in about Fine overall condition.

Type of Finish: Parkerized & Black

Finish Originality: Original to Arsenal Refurbishment

Bore Condition: The 2 grooved bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. The bore has an M.E. of about 0.2.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its metal finish. There are some little nicks and scratches, on the bottom metal, barrel, nosecap, and front sight base. The front sight base has some large scrapes. There are a few spots of light surface frost, mainly on the bottom metal with lighter hardly noticeable spots on the receiver. There is standard operational wear. The screw heads show light use. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. 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 an Uncle Mikes sling. The sling has had stain applied and has some scattered minor marks and a few creases. The sling is in about Fine condition.

Our Assessment: The M1903 Springfield rifle is a clip-loaded 5 round magazine-fed bolt-action service rifle. It was adopted as the standard United States military bolt-action rifle in 1903 and served our country through two world wars even after it was “replaced” by the M1 Garand in 1937. It continued to serve as a sniper rifle through the Korean war and into the early days of the Vietnam war. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, historical collector’s piece and also sees use as a military drill rifle. This one was made by Remington in 1943 and has nice markings and some wear to the metal. It still looks great, has nice markings, and a great bore. This will be a nice addition to your C&R or military surplus collection. Please see our photos and good luck!