Smith Corona 1903A3 03-A3 .30-06 Sprg WWII Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1225
LSB#: 211002NI92
Make: Smith Corona
Model: 1903A3 (03A3)
Serial Number: 4763038
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (page 375 of Joe Poyer’s book, The 1903 Springfield Rifle – 3rd Edition). Barrel Date: August 1943
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SMITH-CORONA / MODEL 03-A3 / 4763038”. The top of the barrel is marked “S C / flaming bomb / 8 43”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The bottom of the bolt handle is marked “1” and the top is marked “X”. The extractor is marked “S”. The right side of the front sight is marked “A” and “G”. The left side of the wrist is marked with a crossed cannon cartouche and with a boxed “FJA” cartouche. The back of the magazine cutoff is marked “G”. The bottom of the wrist has a circled “P” cartouche and the bottom of the forend has four stampings in front of the floorplate.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade set pinned to a raised barrel-mounted base. The rear sight is a fully adjustable aperture sight marked from “2-8”.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two-piece oil-stained wood stock has a straight grip, metal nose cap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, two barrel bands, two sling loops, two reinforcing pins, and a metal buttplate with a hinged door for storage. There are some scattered scratches, scrapes, compressions, nicks, and dings. Most of the marks have colored with age. There is some wear on the toe. The LOP measures 12 3/4 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some light wear and a couple of little dings into the metal. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The 4 groove bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There are some spots of light erosion, mainly in the grooves. Our gauge gives us an ME of about 0.00.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. The receiver has some light handling marks. The bottom metal has some light thinning and patina. The barrel has some scattered scuffs, scratches, and thinning. There are some nicks and scratches into the metal on the front sight base. There is thinning and discoloration from previous oxidation on the bolt handle. There are some scattered spots of light surface oxidation. There is standard operational wear. The screw heads show use. The markings are well defined. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: The M1903 rifle is a clip-loaded 5 round magazine-fed bolt-action service rifle. It was adopted as the standard United States military bolt-action rifle in 1903 and served our country through two World Wars even after it was “replaced” by the M1 Garand in 1937. 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. It continued to serve as a sniper rifle through the Korean war and into the early days of the Vietnam war. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, historical collector’s piece and also sees use as a military drill rifle. This Smith-Corona Model 1903-A3 was made during WWII. This 03A3 has lots of markings on the metal and the finish looks good. The markings on the receiver & barrel are deep and are in great shape for a Military service rifle that is almost 80 years old. This is a Nice 03A3 for your collection and will be fun to shoot at the range. Please see our photos and good luck