Springfield Armory Model 1903 .30-06 WWII Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1931 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1225
LSB#: 211216DW04
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 1339504
Year of Manufacture: 1931 (page 374 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition) Barrel Date: September 1944
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903 / 1339504”. The top of the Sedgely barrel is marked with the Sedgely mark above “flaming bomb / 9 44”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The barrel band is marked “U” on the right side and the nosecap is marked “H” on the bayonet lug. The bottom of the bolt handle is marked with a punch dot and “1”. The extractor is marked “4”. The bottom of the wrist has a boxed “P” cartouche. The bottom of the barrel is a marked “P”. The right side of the wrist is stamped “C-S.A.A.”.
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 a few scattered compressions and light handling marks but no major defects. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has light scuffs, thinning, and a few spots of light erosion. 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 bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion and the bore has an ME of about 0.50.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 93% of its metal finish. There are some scattered scuffs and light handling marks on the receiver. There are some areas of thinning and scuffs on the floorplate and trigger guard. There are some little nicks on the trigger guard under the finish. The bolt handle has some thinning and there are a few spots of discoloration from previous oxidation. The bolt body has some operational finish loss and some dings. The barrel and nosecap have some scattered areas of minor thinning. There are a few oil marks. There is standard operational wear. The screw heads show light use. Most of the markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about 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 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 WWII Sedgely replacement barrel. The barrel has a sweet bore with sharp rifling and no erosion, this will be a nice addition to your collection and will also be tremendous fun to shoot. Please see our photos and good luck!