Springfield 1903 experimental Bushmaster Carbine 20" .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1918Our 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 The most significant change was the switch to a receiver bridge-mounted rear aperture sight.This 1903 was originally made back in 1918. It has been converted to reproduce the experimental 1903 Carbine; see pages 83 to 86 of Brophy's book, The Springfield 1903 Rifles. The rifle looks great and will make for an interesting addition to your 1903 collection.
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903 experimental Carbine. This 1903 has been converted to reproduce the experimental 1903 Carbine; see pages 83 to 86 of Brophy's book, The Springfield 1903 Rifles.
Serial Number: 997544
Year of Manufacture: 1918 No Barrel Date
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Barrel Length: 20"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop a raised base. The rear sight is a fully adjustable Lyman aperture. It is attached to the right rear of the receiver by screws.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a straight grip, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts, and a checkered metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The stock shows light handling marks. The right front of the forearm shows a filled surface repair. The LOP measures 13" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. This stock rates in about Fine Plus overall condition as refurbished.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to Conversion
Bore Condition: The bore has deep rifling. The muzzle and grooves are light gray. There is erosion at the muzzle and light erosion in the remaining grooves. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.0. In this writer's opinion, this bore rates 6.5 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 98% of its metal finish. Small scratches show through the new finish. The metal shows light handling marks and a few spots of discoloration. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads show light use. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus to Fine condition.
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