#National ordinance 1903a3 blown up cracked#
#National ordinance 1903a3 blown up crack#

It was then pickled to remove the scale, and again put under the drop hammer cold to bring it to size, after which it went to the receiver shop where all machine operations were performed.Īfter machining was finished, the receivers were heated in bone, four in a pot, to 1500 F. It was next put in charcoal and allowed to cool very slowly. The receiver was forged under a 2,000 pound drop hammer, hot trimmed, and then while hot was given one blow in the forging dies under the hammer to straighten it. In any form and from Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal, Reminton or Smith-Corona.the 19A3 is an awesome rifle. Once the issue arose.and the numbers of rifles that did fracture was not high.improved procedures were instituted to eliminate the problem.īefore and during WWI the 1903 rifles in service fired many millions of rounds without issue but the low numbered examples were supposedly condemned as unsafe but yet so many stayed in inventory and used for many years. The way the '03 receivers were heat treated took an experienced eye by old pros which the new guys simply didn't have. The poor heat treatment problem came about during our participation in WWI when Springfield Armory hired many new workers for expanded rifle production. Even though it's a low numbered receiver it's likely perfectly safe. The proper selection of parts and careful assembly makes for a wonderful shooting experience. But to build a match grade service rifle such as a 1903 or M1 is really special as they're not expected to use optical sights.

There's no secrets to building a match grade rifle.the techniques are well known. I imagine that the man who put this rifle together was a serious shooter in his day. Despite the rain and shifting light that I blame for the vertical dispersion, the rifle is very clearly capable of excellent groupings. Yes, I know the risk with low number 03s. Even my Swedish m/96 isn't quite this precisely assembled.Īfter checking the headspace, I wanted to see what this NM imitation could do. The bolt and sear were also fitted with great care, as there is no movement of the cocking piece whatsoever when the trigger is pulled. The wood to metal fit is excellent, especially when you look at the front where the band, barrel, and stock nose meet. My theory, given the frankenstein nature of the rifle, is that someone wanted a National Match 03A1 but had to piece it together from a run of the mill 03 that he obtained. The bolt appears to be a National Match W元. The barrel and receiver are an original 1915 pairing.

Inside, there are original shavings left from the inletting process at Springfield Armory. The outside was unsanded and there's barely any damage. When it arrived, the stock was every bit as nice as I had hoped for. It's not everyday that you come across a prewar C stock in crisp, undamaged condition. Overall, the gun is still in shootable condition.I bought this M1903 with the intent to raid it for the stock set. The cracks in the stock can certainly be glued shut and I have seen this performed successfully on many other rifle stocks. The bore is in good condition – there are no signs of rust or pitting. The barrel stamp just behind the front sight indicates the barrel was manufactured in April of 1944. The front of the handguard has been taped in a fashion similar to how a G.I.

#National ordinance 1903a3 blown up crack#

The rear of the handguard has a crack in it as well.

#National ordinance 1903a3 blown up cracked#

The National Ordnance stock is cracked in two locations as shown in the pictures above. The rear sight has dings in it, but they are superficial and do not affect operation. The receiver was a casting National had made for the rifle as there were few, if any spare receivers at Remington after the war.

Indeed, National Ordnance used spare Remington parts left over from the war. Description: This is essentially a postwar copy of the Remington-manufactured 1903A3 rifle produced during World War 2.