I find the ON/OFF switch fascinating - converting a controlled feed magazine rifle into a push feed single shot, if I've got it figured right. Was the '03 ever actually used as a single shot? If so, did this cause any damage to the extractor?
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I find the ON/OFF switch fascinating - converting a controlled feed magazine rifle into a push feed single shot, if I've got it figured right. Was the '03 ever actually used as a single shot? If so, did this cause any damage to the extractor?
Ordnance made the single loading capability available, so apparently there was no harm to the extractor jumping over the case rim.
The soldier could single load his 1903 while keeping a full magazine in reserve.
I found it interesting that the extractor claw tips on my 1943 Remington 03A3 when I bought it were so worn down that they couldn’t extract a fired case. I suspect it was from a M1903 rifle. The 03A3’s metal was parkerized and was covered end to end with dried cosmoline which led me to believe that it hadn’t been touched after a post WW2 rebuild. Obviously, it was never test fired after the rebuild nor did the former owner fire it. The rifle has a couple non-original parts - bolted stock vs a pinned stock, a Smith Corona butt plate and a 1941 bolt - but the rest of the parts look to be original like new condition. It still seems strange to me that a rifle that probably never fired a shot in combat was put through a rebuild (and wound up with a worn extractor).
Not very common to find a cut off with a revision number
Found this in a rifle years ago serial number SA 606103 with a RIA 5-18 bblAttachment 51358
Its a carry-over from the Krag Rifle, the troops in the Philippines'. filled the mag, engaged the cut-off and use the rifle with spare rounds held in the off-hand [between the fingers], the 03 kept that. allowing the magazine to be brought into action when is got hotter.