Looking at a RIA M1903...

[jonnyo55]

You know, it's funny...comparing this rifle with my Remington M1903, I'm struck by how much little things like the stock's grasping grooves and the lightening cuts on the rear sight base add to the elegance and grace of the rifle. That and, of course, the finer finish of the earlier rifle make it a much more attractive piece, at least in my eyes...the early '03's are perhaps the most esthetically pleasing service rifles ever made!

[rayg]

You know, it's funny...comparing this rifle with my Remington M1903, I'm struck by how much little things like the stock's grasping grooves and the lightening cuts on the rear sight base add to the elegance and grace of the rifle. That and, of course, the finer finish of the earlier rifle make it a much more attractive piece, at least in my eyes...the early '03's are perhaps the most esthetically pleasing service rifles ever made!

You said it better then I did, especially this part. "the early '03's are perhaps the most esthetically pleasing service rifles ever made!" Ray

[Rick the Librarian]

You know, it's funny...comparing this rifle with my Remington M1903, I'm struck by how much little things like the stock's grasping grooves and the lightening cuts on the rear sight base add to the elegance and grace of the rifle. That and, of course, the finer finish of the earlier rifle make it a much more attractive piece, at least in my eyes...the early '03's are perhaps the most esthetically pleasing service rifles ever made!

I couldn't have said it better - early M1903s come the closest to being a work of art!!

[ClaudeH]

You know, it's funny...comparing this rifle with my Remington M1903, I'm struck by how much little things like the stock's grasping grooves and the lightening cuts on the rear sight base add to the elegance and grace of the rifle. That and, of course, the finer finish of the earlier rifle make it a much more attractive piece, at least in my eyes...the early '03's are perhaps the most esthetically pleasing service rifles ever made!

I especially like the little scallop machined onto the boss for the magazine selcector pin. That is pure machining art!

When I returned to college as a "non-traditional student" (adult) part of my application for admission at DePaul was to write a description in detail of a cherished item I owned. I fudged it. I had a couple of A3s by then but was still salivating for an '03. I wrote about an '03 and pulled all sorts of stuff into it like the connection the high quality machining invoked as a memory of my machinist grandfather, the connection to my grandfather's and father's generations that fought WWI & WWII, and so on. I really waxed eloquent about the scallop! I knew full well some liberal english department staffer was going to read my essay and have apoplexy, but I knew my writing skill would prevail. I enjoyed that!