Springfield 1903 Sporter Aperture Sight .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 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. 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 Springfield Armory Model 1903 was made in 1918, the barrel was made in 1942, it has been rebuilt and refinished. It includes a sight protector and attached green canvas sling. This 1903 is in Very Nice condition, it looks impressive for a 100 year old military bolt action rifle. This 1903 has good Springfield markings on the receiver and 1942 marked barrel. This 1903 has a Fine bore, strong mechanics, nice Blued finish and a well preserved wood stock. This well maintained rifle will be perfect for target practice at the range. Please see our photos, good luck and happy bidding!
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903 Sporter
Serial Number: 839694
Year of Manufacture: 1918
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle, Fixed Internal Magazine
Barrel Length: 24"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop a raised base with a sight protector installed. The replaced rear sight is a Lyman fully adjustable aperture that is attached to the receiver.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a semi pistol grip, nose cap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The wood shows light scrapes and compression marks. The grip has been shaped. The LOP measures 13" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks rate in about Very Good overall condition, as refurbished.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and has deep rifling. The muzzle & grooves are light gray due to fouling and light erosion. The bore has an M.E. of 0.7. In this writer's opinion and for the age, the bore rates a 8 out of 10. Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950's.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish. The metal shows light handling marks. The barrel and bottom metal show freckling of light surface erosion. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly, there is light operational wear. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a more thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Green canvas sling included.
CA LEGALITY: C&R: NO, CA DEALER Transferable: YES
RIFLE