1903A4 Clone Finally Finished!
Hey guys, this has been a LONG project. About a 2-3 year completion time. But had some issues finding a gunsmith to drill and tap as well as finding parts for a good deal.
Started out with a sporter 1903A3 Remington for $175.00 and I built around it from there. The neat discovery in the sporter was when I felt something shake in the buttstock. Thought it might be an oiler so I took it apart. In the oiler hole I found a tube of lead with a piece of paper wrapped inside. The gunsmith who did the stockwork left his calling card. Piece of paper had not seen the light of day since 1963. Only real issue was the metal marks on the top of the barrel. Someone took a hammer to knock off the front side blade. Doesn't matter, still a nice bore that should shoot well.
$175.00 (barreled action) + $15.00 (handguard) + $202.00 (Weaver 440) + $90 (Mounts and base) + $75.00 (weaver reticle changed from Post to Crosshairs). = $617 Final Cost
Most parts are USGI. The scope base and rings were reproduction from OWS, I think I got them from a forum member can't remember which one. Weaver 440 scope had the original bluing, box and paperwork which was a nice find.
Everything else came from scouring parts bins, extra parts people were giving away, etc.
I know a weaver 330 would have been preferred but they're tough scopes to find so you have to make due with what you have. This wasn't designed to be a CMP legal rifle, just a representative piece (can't afford an original) for fun at the range.
I liked the handguard for the biscuit cuts. Thought gave it a bit of character.
Some snags along the way were a local gunshop that claimed he could drill through anything. Since he was used to ARs and AK aircraft aluminum metal he didn't even make a dent in the metal. I had almost given up because a lot of the older gunsmiths didn't want to touch it saying the metal was too hard for them to drill and tap. I called Gibbs and asked them about their process. They said they went through several receivers until they found the perfect process. Fortunately, I found an older gunsmith in Eastern PA that apprenticed at the Frankford Arsenal so he was very familiar with 1903s and their metalwork. So $60.00 later I was on my way.
I found a forum member to replace the post reticle with crosshairs and make sure its a solid scope. He did a wonderful job and shipped it back the same day. Answered several questions and was a pleasure to do business with. I'm not gonna name names because he said he'd rather fly under the radar.
The only things I don't understand were the backwards K below the cutoff and the B under the trigger guard. But the stock did a nice job marrying up with the barreled action for a nice tight fit. I wasn't as concerned with markings as I was with finding a good fit. I wanted to use as many USGI parts as I could find. I wanted an "honest" looking piece. Not looking to fool anybody. Just not a fan of how "newly manufactured" Gibbs and James River rifles look. They do look nice. I just wanted something with a touch of age to it.
What do you guys think? J
Just missing a lower band spring but that's on the way from Numrich as we speak...
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Originally Posted by jgaynor
