another 1903

[tom hargrove]

Well, it looks like I might be getting another 1903 Springfield. A friend of mine brought me some guns he is selling for a friend of his. One was a 1903, 870,xxx, with a rebuild under it's belt. It has a HS 44 barrel on it. The gun is in very good shape, with almost all of the refinish still there. However, the inside of the barrel is terrible. I worked on it for about an hour today, and it didn't look much better when I was through. An odd thing about it is that it doesn't have the hole drilled in the left side of the receiver. I have one serial # 890,xxx, and it does. I'm working on being able to post pictures so that you all might critique it for me. It's a straight stock with a "W" stamped over the proof mark behind the guard. I can't make out the intials in the box on the left side. The bolt is marked on the safety lug with a punch and another stamp I can't make out. Under the root of the bolt there is a faint "Y" or a "V" and a punch, and another mark I can't make out. It looks like an "O" but small. Any comments would help. Thanks, Tom

[13Echo]

Dang Tom. Do all the 03's in Monroe go through you or Shaw?

I think the hole in the left side of the receiver is the "Hatcher hole" that was drilled as a gas relief hole mostly in rifles used by the Marines. If it doesn't have the hole it is more likely to be Army issue.

Jerry Liles

[tom hargrove]

Did you ever find that Krag you were looking for? This one will make four 03's and three 03a3's. It's like a sickness.

[Rick the Librarian]

How about the bubonic plague??? I have about 19 or 20 of the little darlings!

[13Echo]

Finally found a really nice 1898 rifle. Untouched by Bubba or Milo Parkenfarker. Really a handsome rifle but a not so good barrel. Still it shoots and all the bullets land nose first. I've had it at the OPSD range a couple of times. Hope to get it shooting well enough for the military match but I'm out of 220gr bullets and there are none to be had anywhere. Finally got the Springfield sporter project going when my gunsmith suddenly died and I was not able to recover much of the material. What I had is now with Steve Durren to try again to make a G&H style Springfield. Maybe this time. Did you ever finish your NRA Sporter?

Jerry

[tom hargrove]

Pretty close with it. I have been shooting it at 200, and it isn't there yet. It looks real nice, but not producing the results I want on the range. I got one of the new barrels for it at Camp Perry, and finally got it on. I have to rely on my old eyes and a Lyman 48 with a globe front. Might be part of the problem. It isn't drilled and tapped for a scope, and I'm not about to do that.
Wow Rick, you make me look like a beginner. Those are some nice looking rifles. My wife would find out if I put something like that out.