Springfield Armory Model 1903 .30-06 24″ WWII Bolt Action Rifle 1928 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1725
LSB#: 211002NI38
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 1280340
Year of Manufacture: 1928 (page 374 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition) Barrel Date: April, 1936
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903 / 1280340”. The top of the barrel is marked “S A / flaming bomb / 4 – 36”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The barrel band is marked “U”. The bottom of the bolt handle is marked with a punch dot and “7”. The top of the bolt handle is marked “N.S.” for nickel steel. The bottom of the wrist has a faint circled “P” cartouche and the left of the wrist has a faint “FJA” cartouche.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade atop a barrel-mounted base. It sits under a removable protective hood. The rear sight is a “U” notched blade attached to a fully adjustable sight ladder marked from “3-27”. When flipped up separate notches and an aperture on the ladder can be used for sighting. There is also a Lyman aperture peep sight screwed to the right side of the receiver.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two-piece hardwood stock has a straight grip, nosecap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The wood has been refinished. There is a notch on the right side of the stock to accommodate the rear sight. There are some compressions and little marks through the finish. There are a couple of scratches, most noticeable on the left side of the forend & handguard. The LOP measures 12 3/4 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some finish loss on the edges, little spots of oxidation, and some scuffs. The stock rates are about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to Rebuild
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the 4 groove rifling is sharp. There is some light surface erosion. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 85% of its metal finish. The receiver has some light wear including faint scuffs and faint thinning on the edges. The bottom metal has scratches, finish loss, thinning, and some spots of light oxidation. The bolt handle has some thinning and spots of discoloration from previous oxidation. The barrel has some scattered light wear including some finish loss on the front sight base and a couple of little scratches. The screw heads show use. Most of the markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about 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: Included is a leather sling and a cleaning kt in the butt.
Our Assessment: Our Assessment: When the U.S. Army was looking for a rifle design to replace their Krag rifles, they looked at the Spanish Mauser Model 93 they captured during the Spanish-American War. Other than changing the firing pin to a two-piece design and a few other minor alterations, the 1903 was, in fact, a Mauser design, and the U. S. Government ended up paying royalties to Mauser Werke. The rifle was well worth it though. It had a strong and reliable action and served the Army for over thirty years in two World Wars and would even be used in sniper variations in Korea and Vietnam. It’s fast .30-06 cartridge, adopted in 1906, continued to be the one cartridge that all others are compared against, whether it is for ballistics or felt recoil. This Springfield Armory Model 1903 was made back in 1928, it has a replacement barrel and likely saw use in WWII. There is some scattered wear but this historic rifle will still be a nice addition to your C&R collection. Please see our photos and good luck!