Rock Island Arsenal 1903 RIA .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle MFD 1919Our 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 Rock Island Model 1903 was made in 1919. We don't know its service life but it was probably put to good use during WWII. The rifle has been rebuilt and refinished. The rifle has a 1942 dated Springfield barrel installed.
Make: Rock Island Armory (RIA)
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 410581
Year of Manufacture: 1919 1942 Barrel Date
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Barrel Length: 24"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop a raised base. The rear sight is a U notched blade attached to a fully adjustable sight ladder. When flipped up, separate notches and an aperture on the ladder can be used for sighting.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a straight grip, nose cap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The refinished buttplate shows light wear and has surface erosion showing through the new finish. The stock shows a few scratches and small deep compression marks. The LOP measures 13" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. This stock rates in about Very Good Plus to Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is well defined. There is erosion in the bore. It is heavier in the grooves. The bore shows an M.E. of 2.5. In this writer's opinion, this bore rates 6 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish as refinished. The metal shows scrapes & scratches, most are on the barrel, as well as areas of discoloration from oil residue. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads show use. Most of the markings are well defined. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition, as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. We have cleaned this firearm and performed a mechanic's check but expect many will want to clean the firearm again depending on their standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with a leather sling.
CA LEGALITY: CA Classified C&R: YES. PPT: NO
RIFLE