WWII Remington 1903A3 U.S. 03-A3 .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1200
LSB#: 220516RY009
Make: Remington
Model: 1903A3 (03-A3)
Serial Number: 4005048
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (page 375 of Joe Poyer’s book, The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition).
Barrel Date: October, 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 / 4005048”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 10 – 43” and the bottom is marked “P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The underside of the bolt handle, right rear of the bolt body, safety lever, nosecap and stacking loop, and sling loop are marked “R” for Remington. The left side of the stock, above the trigger, is marked “RA” (Remington Arms), with a “crossed cannons” cartouche and with an inspector cartouche “FJA in a box”. The bottom of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof. The belly of the stock is marked with inspection stamps.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop 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 with bayonet lug, stacking loop, 2 barrel bands, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The wood shows scrapes, scratches and compression marks. The most prominent marks are on the belly of the stock. Some of the marks have damaged small portions of the surface wood. The stock has been oiled. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good Plus overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The rifle uses a 2 grooved bore. The grooves near the muzzle are semi bright. There is fouling in the grooves near the muzzle. It should clean up some. There is no erosion. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.0.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish. The metal shows scattered scuffs, scrapes and scratches. The most prominent marks are on the front sight band and bottom metal. The screw heads are intact. The markings on the metal are deep. Some of the markings on the wood are faded. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus to 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: A plastic oiler tube is stored in the butt. The dripper is on one side (no oil) and a pull through thong is stored on the other side.
Our Assessment: When the US Army was looking for a rifle design to replace the 1898 Krag rifle, they looked directly at the Spanish Model 1893 Mauser. This was due to the fact that the performance of the Model 1893 Mauser was far superior than that of the 1898 Krag during the Spanish-American War. The Model 1903 is basically a redesigned Mauser clone. A U.S. Patent Court eventually found that the U.S. Army had violated Mauser’s patents and required the U.S. Army to pay the German Mauser manufacturers patent royalties. Payments were stopped once WWI started. The 1903 has a strong reliable action that served the Army for over thirty years in two world wars. The 1903A3 is an improved version of the 1903 rifle that was introduced in 1942. The most significant change was the switch to a receiver bridge-mounted rear aperture sight.
This Remington Model 1903-A3 was made back in 1943. The rifle looks great for being almost 80 years old. It has nice Remington markings on the receiver and barrel as well as small “R” stamps on many of the metal parts. There are also markings on the stock which add to the rifle’s history. This Remington Model 1903-A3 has a strong bright bore so it should do well at the range. It will add to your WWII or Military collection. Good luck.