B.A. Dawson Custom Springfield Armory Model 1903 7x57 Mauser Sporting Rifle & Lyman Scope Our 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.This Springfield Armory 1903 was made back in 1929. It has since been turned into a beautiful sporting rifle. It has been relined and rechambered to shoot 5x57 Mauser. The receiver has been installed with a Griffen & Howe mount and a new scope clearing safety has been installed. The bolt handle has also been reprofiled. All of the metal parts have been refinished a lovely matte blued and the barreled action now rests in perhaps the most eye catching feature, the stock. The wood work is excellent and the stock is lovely. The wood has nice grain, the checkering is well done, and the steel appointments set it over the top. This a lovely sporting rifle to add to your collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
Make: Springfield Armory, Customized by B.A. Dawson
Model: 1903 Sporting Rifle
Serial Number: 1334870
Year of Manufacture: 1929
Caliber: 7x57 Mauser
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Barrel Length: 24" The barrel has been relined and rechambered.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated Redfield blade with a brass inlay, it is dovetailed into a serrated barrel band base. There is no rear sight. The receiver is mounted with a Griffen & Howe quick detach base and rings holding a Lyman Alaskan All Weather 2.5x scope. The scope has some scattered areas of thinning and discoloration. There are some little nicks and scratches. There are some scattered spots of surface frost. The scope has a graduated post and crosshair reticle. The glass is clear. The scope rates in Very Good condition. The right side of the receiver has a pair of drilled, tapped, and filled holes at the rear.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is checkered walnut with a steel capped pistol grip, nosecap, straight comb, cheekpiece, sling studs, and checkered steel buttplate. There are a few light marks at the toe. There is a light scratch at the heel. There are some scattered light handling marks. The checkering is strong. The LOP measures 13 5/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some scattered light wear. The stock rates in excellent overall condition.
Type of Finish: Matte Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. In my opinion, this bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish. There are a few little nicks through the finish. Some of the edges have light finish wear. There are some spots of discoloration and frost on the safety and magazine cutoff. There is operational wear and handling wear. The markings are clear. The screwheads are strong. Overall, this rifle rates in excellent 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: Included is the previously described scope.
CA LEGAL: C&R: YES, CA PPT: NO
RIFLE