Springfield Armory 1903 NRA Sporter .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1927Our 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 The most significant change was the switch to a receiver bridge-mounted rear aperture sight.This 1903 was originally made back in 1927. It has been rebuilt and refinished. This rifle now resembles the NRA Sporter variation of the 1903 that was produced during the 1920s & 1930s. We do not know if this rifle was originally an NRA Sporter. The rifle is in Fine condition with a strong bore.
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903. This 1903 has been rebuilt and now resembles the NRA Sporter variation of the 1903 that was produced during the 1920s & 1930s. We do not know if this rifle was originally an NRA Sporter.
Serial Number: 1283522
Year of Manufacture: 1927. No 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 fully adjustable Lyman aperture. It is attached to the right rear of the receiver by screws.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a pistol grip, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts, and a checkered metal buttplate. The refinished buttplate has some surface erosion showing through the new finish. The wood shows light handling marks and a few small scratches. The LOP measures 13 3/4 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Fine overall condition as refurbished.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore has deep rifling. The muzzle and grooves are semi bright due to fouling. There is oxidation at the muzzle. The muzzle shows an M.E. of 1.2. In this writer's opinion, this bore rates 8.5 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 98% of its metal finish as refinished. The metal shows light handling marks. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads show use but are refinished. The markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine 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 has a leather sling attached.
CA LEGALITY: CA Classified C&R: YES. PPT: NO
RIFLE