WWII Remington 1903A3 U.S. 03-A3 .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1300
LSB#: 220218RW021
Make: Remington
Model: 1903A3 (03-A3)
Serial Number: 4138524
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (page 375 of Joe Poyer’s book, The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition).
Barrel Date: July, 1944
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3 / 4138524”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 7- 44” and the bottom is makred “P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The underside of the bolt handle and many of the metal parts are marked “R” for Remington.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade. 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 buttplate shows scrapes. The wood shows scattered scrapes and scratches. The most prominent are on the handguard. The LOP measures 13 1/8 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good Plus to Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to Rebuild
Bore Condition: The 2 grooved bore is bright. The rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.3.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish. The metal shows scattered scuffs, light scrapes, and small scratches. The receiver and bolt show light operational wear. The screw heads show moderate use. The markings are deep. 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: None
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. We don’t know its service history but it was most likely put to good use on or near a battlefield. It has nice Remington markings on the receiver and barrel as well as lots of little “R” stamps onthe metal parts. At some point the rifle was rebuilt. This service rifle is almost 80 years old and looks impressive. It will add to your WWII or Military collection. Good luck.