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Thread: Buying a M1903

  1. #131

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    Louis:

    In North Central Fla, and happened on a Nov 1918 mix master in a pawn shop, about 3 yrs back. There's also a low sn wallhanger in a gun store within 5 mi of my house. 8*). And the one I got, seems to have the earmarks of being a Marine '03. Rebuilt after the war, but the bolt handle is electro penciled with a sn, that's withing a couple o' hundred of the one used by a Marine WW1 MOH awardee. And the sn of the rifle, is close to ones that were in the Banana Repulbic wars, or at a USMC air field in St Thomas, VI, or Mare Island, or a Naval Ammo dump close the the NY Federal school for idiots on the Hudson river. Unless you find a Marine's service record, it's hard to establish where a Marine '03 was, dur to the fact that until the middle or end of WW2, Marines at boot camp were issued a weapon and carried it were ever they were sent, until it was *lost*, turned in for repair, turned in when the Marine left service. Corpral Norton on the forum, goes thru NARA looking for info on Marine '03's.

    RHB

  2. #132
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    I had some fun with my Remington 03-A3. Took it with me this year on vacation to FL. The range had several non-shooting spectators who were just looking at the weaponry. A minty M1 Garand was there and attracted much attention. Rangemaster only one to notice my 03-A3. Kinda bland looking. My M1917 Winchester always drew a crowd at this range.

    Still looking for a M1903. Saw several that were sold before I had time to act. Started carrying my gauges in the glove compartment. Collectors are driving up the price.

  3. #133

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    Rub grease inside the edges of sight hood before installing it, makes it go on easier with no scratches. To pull off run a round shanked screwdriver through upper ring and pull straight off! Helps to never install one though!!!
    Freedom is not free, the cost can be seen everyday, for it is engraved in marble, cast in bronze and highlighted with little American flags!

  4. #134
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    A friend has offered to sell me his blued 1925 Springfield M1903. I got an email from him yesterday and I’ll be seeing him on Wednesday. I saw the ‘03 a few months ago and told him to let me know if he ever wanted to sell it.

    The rifle has been extensively rebuilt just in time for the final year of WW2 by the Rock Island Arsenal. The stock is stamped RIA over EB in a rectangle. I’m not finding anything on EB. He was apparently an inspector at the arsenal during the 1940s. The rifle currently wears a High Standard barrel that’s dated 9/44. I checked for muzzle wear and headspace when I first saw it and both were OK. I didn’t check it for throat erosion but will before any money changes hands.

    The stock is a Remington 03A3 and has a very dark mostly undisturbed patina with the usual marks and dings. The rebuild cartouche is bold but the FJA cartouche is barely legible. The only disturbed area on the stock is a small repair on the left side near the forward edge of the receiver. I’ve seen this type of repair previously in about the same spot. Not sure what caused it, but obviously, it was bad enough to fix. It appears a small section of wood was removed and a new piece was inserted, pegged (3) and glued. Whoever did the work was a pro. Unfortunately, he used a hardwood like maple which is a lighter color.

    He also has three M1903 stocks that he described as “beat up.” They’re probably too far gone to be useful, but no harm looking.
    Last edited by Merc; 08-06-2019 at 09:16.

  5. #135
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    I bought the 1925 Springfield ‘03. The rifle’s mechanics were clean and appear to be in minty condition. Headspace and muzzle/throat erosion measurements are as new. The HS 9/44 barrel looks as new. The dull black finish on the metal parts is undisturbed. That’s the good news. The rest of the rifle is a mixture of ‘03 and 03A3 parts. The stock has a lightly stamped FJA cartouche and has a squared spring groove so it’s a Remington 03A3 type 11. It was oil soaked. Looking a bit closer at the spring groove, the squared end was cut on a slight angle, so it could be a Keystone stock.

    Springfield ‘03 parts required to replace the 03A3 parts are available on the Internet and are inexpensive. I’ll keep the Remington 03A3 stock on the rifle for now while keeping a watchful eye on eBay.

    I baked out some of the oil in the stock by placing it in the hot afternoon sun for several hours over several days and wiping the oil away every hour or so after spraying with alcohol. There were literally streams of oil dripping from the stock. I might try it again tomorrow while wrapping it in a black garbage bag and see if the additional heat will expel more oil.
    Last edited by Merc; 08-06-2019 at 09:21.

  6. #136
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    Oil continues to ooze from the surface of the stock in surprising quantities when exposed to sunlight. Has anyone been successful in expelling the oil from your stock? Is there a better way? What purpose did all this oil serve?

    Edit: acetone seems to have dissolved the oil.
    Last edited by Merc; 07-30-2019 at 05:25.

  7. #137
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    Was it a common practice to stamp a 2nd proof stamp (circle P) next to, or nearly on top of, the original proof stamp located behind the trigger guard to indicate that the original barrel had been replaced and the new barrel has been proof fired?

  8. #138
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    Hey Merc - the method I employ works, although sounds a little silly. After my first milsurp purchase (Persian Mauser) arrived I learned about cosmoline. Great stuff, did its job protecting weapon while in storage. I went to Home Depot, bought a section of round metal duct. Capped one end, placed wooden hardware into tube, added no-scent cat litter and capped the other end. I placed it in the back of my SUV where it rolled around randomly. When not moving the sun did a great job of turning up the heat. When the cosmo is expelled it is absorbed by the litter. The random movement ensures new litter contact. This won't work in Winter, I don't think, but works like a charm in hot weather. I have moved twice since that first milsurp purchase and the tube of cat litter has moved with me each time. Hope to help.
    "Wars are, of course, as a rule to be avoided; but they are far better than certain kinds of peace." - T.R.

  9. #139
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    Quote Originally Posted by Liam View Post
    Hey Merc - the method I employ works, although sounds a little silly. After my first milsurp purchase (Persian Mauser) arrived I learned about cosmoline. Great stuff, did its job protecting weapon while in storage. I went to Home Depot, bought a section of round metal duct. Capped one end, placed wooden hardware into tube, added no-scent cat litter and capped the other end. I placed it in the back of my SUV where it rolled around randomly. When not moving the sun did a great job of turning up the heat. When the cosmo is expelled it is absorbed by the litter. The random movement ensures new litter contact. This won't work in Winter, I don't think, but works like a charm in hot weather. I have moved twice since that first milsurp purchase and the tube of cat litter has moved with me each time. Hope to help.
    That’s a good idea Liam. What color is the tube? Black absorbs heat. I think the acetone that I used dissolved a lot of the oil that was near the surface but probably a lot still remains.

    Edit: So, where did the oil that’s in the stock come from? The cosmoline. According to Wiki: Cosmoline is a wax-like petroleum based rust inhibitor that dries over time. The oil must have been absorbed by the stock as part of the drying process while the thickening agent (wax??) remains on the surface and is easily removed with acetone.

    From what I’ve read on other gun forums, mineral oil saturation can cause wood fibers to swell or become soft. My stock actually looks ok now but I would like to remove as much of the oil as possible.
    Last edited by Merc; 08-03-2019 at 03:30.

  10. #140
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