Springfield Armory Model 1903 .30-06 WWII Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1919 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1675.50
LSB#: 211001TP03
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 833259
Year of Manufacture: 1919 (page 374 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition) Barrel Date: May 1938
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903. / 833259”. The top of the barrel is marked “S A / flaming bomb / 5- 38”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The nosecap is marked “H” on the bayonet lug. The bottom of the bolt handle is marked with a punch dot. The right rear of the bolt is marked “R” and the left rear is marked with a boxed “3”. The firing pin lug is marked “N”. The base of the rear sling loop is marked “RP” and the front sling loop is marked “R”. There right side of the front sight is marked “R”. There is an “RA-P” cartouche on the left of the stock.
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 pistol grip, nosecap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts, and a metal buttplate with a hinged door for storage. There are some scattered compressions and draglines. There are some dings into the wood, some of the deepest are marked on the comb. There are a few scratches. Most of the marks have colored with age. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has nicks, dings, scratches, and finish loss. The stock rates are about Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to Rebuild
Bore Condition: The rifle has a four-groove bore. The bore is gray and the rifling is worn but well pronounced. There is scattered erosion and patches of pitting. he bore has an ME of about 1.50.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 92% of its metal finish. There are some scuffs and rubs that have caused some smooth spots to the matte finish. There are a few oil stains. There are a few little nicks and scratches, the majority are on the barrel and front sight base and nosecap. There is some thinning on the bolt handle. There are a few spots of oxidation, mostly on the stock hardware. There is standard operational wear. The screw heads show light 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: A leather sling is included.
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 four decades 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 1931 and has since been installed with a replacement barrel and likely saw use in World War II. This will be a nice addition to your collection and will also be tremendous fun to shoot. Please see our photos and good luck!