Springfield Armory Model 1903 .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1919 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1100
LSB#: 211002NI94
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 863029
Year of Manufacture: 1919 (page 369 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). Barrel Date: July 1918
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903. / 863029”. The top of the Springfield barrel is marked “S A / flaming bomb / 7- 18 / A”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The right side of the barrel band is marked “U”. The bayonet lug is marked “H”. The nose of the stock is marked with a “flaming bomb”. The right side of the buttstock is marked “BW 176″. The bottom of the wrist has a circled “P” cartouche.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics:The front sight is a pinned blade atop a barrel-mounted base.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.”
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two-piece hardwood stock has a straight grip, metal nose cap, stacking loop, 2 sling loops, barrel band, 2 through bolts, and a metal buttplate with a hinged door for storage. The buttplate has been refinished. The wood shows scattered scratches, scuffs, nicks, and dings. Some of these marks have removed small portions of surface wood, most noticeable on the bottom. The majority of the defects have darkened with age, maintaining a consistent finish throughout the stock. There are some heavier scratches, the most noticeable are located on the left side at about the receiver. There is a chip loss repair on the left side of the heel. The LOP measures 12 3/4 inches, from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some scattered little nicks, thinning on the edges, and some light erosion under the finish. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to Arsenal Refurbishment
Bore Condition: The four groove bore is semi-bright, the rifling is well defined. Our gauge shows an M.E. of 1.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains approximately 85% of its metal finish. There are some tool marks under the finish, some of the most noticeable are on both of the sight bases. There are some areas of erosion under the finish, most noticeable on the left side of the rear sight base and receiver bridge. There is what appears to be a little weld mark on the top of the magazine cutoff mount, visible when looking down at the top of the receiver and the cutoff in the OFF position. There is some light thinning on the edges. The bolt has some scattered spots of dark discoloration from previous oxidation. There is standard operational wear. The screwheads show light use. The markings are mostly clear, some on the barrel and stock are worn. 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: None
Our Assessment: When the US 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. 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 1919. With the original barrel, this weapon is still in the same configuration as it was when it came off Springfield Armory’s assembly line over a hundred years ago. With a serial number placing it’s production after the 800,000 mark, this particular rifle also benefits from the double heat treatment of both bolt and receiver. (Poyer 366) With some scattered wear, this historic rifle will be a nice addition to your C&R collection. Please see our photos, and good luck!