Smith-Corona 1903A3 .30-06 24″ Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,525.00
LSB#: LSB260627TM011
Make: Smith-Corona
Model: 1903A3
Serial Number: 3679407
Year of Manufacture: 1943 / C&R
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt action rifle with an internal box magazine.
Markings: The receiver is marked “U.S. / SMITH-CORONA / MODEL 03-A3 / 3679407”. The barrel is marked “SC” and “4-43”. The left side of the stock is stamped “C-S.AA” and “OG”, with proof and inspection stamps on the underside of the wrist.
Barrel Length: 24″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade on a raised base with a protective hood. The rear sight is a receiver-mounted aperture adjustable for windage and elevation.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The smooth wooden stock has a straight grip and comb, an upper handguard, barrel bands, sling swivels, a stacking swivel, and a checkered steel buttplate with a storage trap. The wood shows scattered scratches, dents, and compressions, with worn finish along exposed edges and handling areas. There is a small chip at the left toe. There are no cracks. The LOP measures 12 3/4″ from the front of the trigger to the rear of the buttplate. The stock is in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is pronounced. There is light erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 6.5/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish. There is light wear on exposed edges and contact surfaces, with minor scratches and scattered discoloration. The bolt shows cycling wear. The buttplate has wear at its edges and on its checkering. The screw heads show light tool marks, and the main receiver markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good 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 bayonet with ribbed dark grips and a green scabbard, a bill of purchase, and a shipping document are included. The bayonet shows finish wear and scuffs along the blade. The scabbard has surface wear and oxidation on its metal throat and hanger. The paperwork is creased and age-discolored, with tears and edge losses. The shipping document lists a different rifle serial number.
Our Assessment: Syracuse had been known as the Typewriter City long before Smith-Corona began turning out service rifles. The company’s factory on East Washington Street was part of an industrial community built around office machinery, but its wartime work soon extended to rifles, bomb primers, and other military components. The connection with firearms also reached deeper into the firm’s family history: L.C. Smith had entered manufacturing through shotguns in the nineteenth century before concentrating on typewriters. By the Second World War, the business associated with his name was applying its manufacturing capacity to a new set of demands. The resulting 1903A3 thus connected two different periods of the Smith name in American firearms.
This rifle carries a 1943 receiver and an SC-marked barrel dated April 1943, placing those components in the company’s principal year of rifle production. Its receiver-mounted aperture sight and military stock follow the standardized A3 pattern, even though the name stamped into the receiver came from the office-equipment industry. At peak output, the Syracuse factory produced about 23,000 rifles a month, according to the Onondaga Historical Association. The same company’s war work included portable cipher machines, showing how widely its mechanical expertise could be applied. The Smith-Corona marking therefore represents more than a surprising brand on a rifle: it identifies a civilian manufacturing organization whose tools, workforce, and experience could be redirected across the very different requirements of communications and armament. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids! -N.P