Springfield 03 Questions, help out a newbie

[Icopy]

I bought a Remington 0A-A3 over the weekend and need some info from you guys. It is nicely parkarized. The bolt handle and bolt is black, not sure if it blued or just black parkarizing. The bolt handle is marked OH 26 on top and SA underneath. The bolt has an R near the front. It says US Remington Model 0A-A3 403xxxxx on the receiver ring. The barrel is marked RA 8 43 with the flaming bomb. Underneath the barrel is the letter P. The buttplate is parkarized and is smooth. Inside the trap is a nickel plated cleaning tube covered in grease. Inside the tube is a pull through, brush, and oiler – all looked unused. There was still some cosmoline in certain areas. When I took the bolt apart, it was caked with cosmoline. The bore has the common two rifling. The copper fouling has turned green, but cleaned up nicely. The stock has the Circle P on the wrist and a very, very faint FJA in a box on the left-side above the trigger guard. In front of the magazine are circles, squares and rectangles with numbers in them. The front sight has a metal covering on it. The metal covering has the US and flaming bomb on the left side and the letter R on the right.

Can anybody tell more about this rifle? I paid 450 for it and the guy tossed in 120 rounds of 30-06 on stripper clips in bandoliers. The ammo is headstamped PA 80. Did I get a good deal?

 

[Art Eatman]

No expert on the pricing, but for the condition you describe I'd say you did okay for today's market. With the stripper clips and bandoliers, I'd guess you got $40 or so worth of ammo.

There are a good number of reports that the two-groove barrels are quite accurate.

As far as the rifle itself, proof-marks and stock markings and such, that's more in Harley's bailiwick. I'll let this run, here, for a while before moving it...

Art

 

[Ledbetter]

Congratulations--sweet shooters.

Sounds like a sweet rifle and a great deal. The action and the barrel are park'd, the rest of the parts should be blued, including the trigger guard and barrel bands. Not sure about the SA on the bolt handle but everything else sounds square for an all-Remington 03A3. The bolt handle may be a replacement from a Springfield Armory 1903 Mk I.

The year of manufacture for your serial number is 1942-43, which corresponds to the 8-43 barrel date. The P is a proof mark.

If the barrel is dirty and the bolt is still in cosmoline, the bolt may be a replacement. Also, the faintness of the FJA (Col. Frank J. Atwood) indicates the stock may have been lightly sanded and refinished. In that same location should be RA for Remington Arms and another flaming ordinance bomb.

Check

http://www.oldguns.net/

and

http://www.jouster.com/CSP_forums.htm

for more info.

Regards.

 

[Khornet]

03A3

My 03A3 9/43 2-groove barrel shoots 0.45"-1.0" at 100 yd with handloads. Smartest buy I ever made.
Saw one in a gun shop yesterday in similar condition to yours. Price: $600. You got a great deal on a fine rifle.
Now call Brownells or NRA and get your copy of
The Springfield 1903 Rifles by William S. Brophy. You'll have even more fun with your 03A3. Congratulations!

 

[Southla1]

I have an 03A3 (Remington made) with the 4 groove barrel..........hellofa shooter.

It would not be a bad idea to run a headspace gauge on this rifle because as was mentioned it may be a replacement bolt...........if fact it still would not be a bad idea even if it is the original bolt.

 

[Icopy]

Thanks for the advice about having the headspace checked. I was planning aon taking it to a smith this weekend. Only the bolt handle is marked SA, which means Springfield Armory. So it must have been rebuilt or replaced at some point in its military career. Still have no clue what the OH 26 means on the bolt handle. The bolt body and the firing pin assembly both have the letter R, indicating Remington. Either way, the headspacing is a good idea on a 60 year old rifle.