Remington 03-A4 Sniper 1903A4 .30-06 Sprg. 24″ Bolt Action Rifle 1944 C&R
SOLD FOR: $3585
LSB#: 210217RW01
Make: Remington
Model: 1903A4. Sniper Version of the 1903A3
Serial Number: 4994441
Year of Manufacture: 1944 (page 375 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition) Barrel Date: December, 1943
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3” and the right side is marked “4994441”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 12- 43”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The right rear of the bolt at the rear, magazine cutoff, stacking loop, rear sling loop base, and front sling loop are all stamped “R” for Remington. The right rear of the bolt is marked with a faded boxed number and the underside of the base of the bolt handle is marked “2”. The bottom of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof. The left side of the stock above the trigger is marked “RA-P”. The left side of the wrist is marked with a very faint “FJA” cartouche. There are a few faded stampings on the bottom of the stock in front of the bottom metal.
The left side of the scope is marked “THE LYMAN GUN SIGHT CORP. / MADE IN U.S.A. MIDDLEFIELD, CONN. / U.S. PATENT NO. 2078858” and “ALASKAN 17872”. The adjustment knob base is marked “ALL WEATHER” in 2 places. The top is marked “2 1/2 POWER”.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front and rear sights have been removed to use the scope. The top rear of the receiver has an integral male dovetail. A one piece Redfield Jr. scope mount is secured to the integral base and screwed to the receiver. The mount has two scope rings attached. There is a metal shim between the base and receiver at the front. The rings & base show a couple scrapes, oxidation, and handling marks. The heaviest marks are on the rear ring. The screws show light use. Overall the rings and one piece base are in about Very Good condition. The rings hold a 2.5 fixed power Lyman Alaskan scope with a crosshair reticle. The view through the scope is a bit hazy. The tube shows some light scrapes, light oxidation, a few small scratches. There is heavier finish loss on the focal lens bell with more pronounced oxidation and a bit of erosion. Overall, the scope rates in about Good Plus condition.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two piece oil stained hardwood stock has a pistol grip, metal nosecap, stacking loop, barrel band, two sling loops, two through bolts, cutout for the bolt handle, scallop under the magazine cutoff and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The cutout for the bolt handle is slightly swept to the rear to match the 1903A4’s modified bolt handle. There is a crack behind the tang. The wood shows some dings through the finish, a few scracthes & compression marks. The most prominent are on sides of the butt, top of the handguard, and sides of the forend at the front. There is what looks like a small wood pin on the top of the comb to the left of the buttplate tang. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some light finish loss and a few minor scratches. The stock rates in about Very Good-Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The two grooved bore is bright with sharp rifling. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.0.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 92% of its metal finish. The bottom metal shows mottled finish loss with some discoloration on the trigger guard. The reciever has light handling wear and a few oil marks. The barrel shows some dings and scuffs. The barrel band has some mottled thinning and finish loss. The reprofiled bolt has some tool marks and what looks like erosion on the underside. There is some scuffing and light discoloration on the bolt handle. There are a few light handling marks on the remaining metal. The screwheads show use with lightly worn slots. The markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good-Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The safety lever works but does not turn past the rear of the scope. This is a design flaw due to the expedited implementation of the 03-A4 Sniper Rifle during war time. This condition is common for 03-A4 Rifles and not unique to this rifle. 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: The rifle comes with a scope assembly; see above.
Our Assessment: This Remington Model 1903A4 Sniper is a Nice example of a WWII Military contract sniper rifle. The rifle is in the correct 1903A4 sniper configuration and has the correct serial number to fall within the 1903A4 serial number range (see page 357 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). It has lots of Remington marked metal parts and its receiver markings are offset to read them with a scope base installed. The handle is slightly bent and excess metal has been trimmed away to allow the bolt handle to fully open with the scope mounted (page 205-206). The rifle has a nice metal finish, strong bright bore and a stock with nice markings. This rifle has a 2 grooved bore. According to page 352 to 353 of “The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations 3rd Edition” by Joe Poyer, Remington sniper rifles were made with 2 and 4 groove barrels depending on availability. This rifle is one well worth collecting. Good luck.