Excited!

[Randy]

Well today is the end of my 10 day waiting period ( Damn I hate California ) Pick up my 03a3. Has to be after 10:00 am (yes I really hate this place). Going to the Del Mar gun show tomorrow to see If I can find some goodies for it. Looking for sling swivels etc that have the R on them. Rifle is made by Remington. Based on the serial # it appears that the rifle was made June or July 1943 ( 3815937 ) Thinking of getting an 03 to complement the a3 and my Garand.

[Lee T.]

Randy, you'll find the A3 is way more shooter-friendly than the 03. Granted, most 03's are beautifully crafted and have more history behind them if you could find one in close to original wood and hardware (pricey). I owned an early Remington 03 12-41 that was more of a collectible than shooter, it stayed in the safe. and my Remington 03 9-42 also tends to be a safe queen. My A3 goes to the range quite often.
More so as I age and have trouble focusing on ladder sights, they were obviously designed for young eyes and stout shoulders. My least favorite firing position with either the 03 or A3 is prone....it really whacks you because there's nothing but your un-moving body to absorb it. Offhand is my favorite, your body can rock with the recoil, feels much better (and offhand helps with a steady hold). You will enjoy your new A3 - they are great shooters!
BTW your clips are on their way.....see my PM. lee

[bruce]

Congratulations! The 03-A3 was a product improvement over the 03. Not as finely finished true. But, in this case necessity mothered a better rifle given the better sights... much more practical for actual used in the field. California is like many places... it has it's downs and ups. Be thankful that right now... things are looking up for you! Get your hands on some ammo and head for the range! Enjoy! Sincerely. bruce.

[Merc]

Check out eBay for 03-A3 parts made by Remington.

How about posting a few photos.

I bought a 1943 Remington 03-A3 this past summer that I'm pretty happy with. It turned out to be in nice shape once I removed the sticky oily coating that covered the stock. See photos of it on the "Buying a M1903" thread. It went through the post war arsenal rebuild process and was thoroughly Parkerized. The barrel and headspace measurements are like new. The bolt is a Bonney Forge replacement and looks minty which I'll probably keep. I found a Remington sling swivel and a butt plate on eBay to replace the Smith Corona sling swivel and butt plate. I sent the parts to East Coast Bluing to be Parkerized in order to keep all the visible hardware matching. I haven't taken it apart to see if any of the internal parts are Smith Corona made and don't intend to. It's been to the range a few times and it shoots well although the front sight blade seems thin and targets are sometimes hard to acquire without a hood. I just take my time while aiming and I shoot from a rack which lessens the recoil and helps eliminate aiming errors. So, it's another addition to my favorite shooters that include a 1917 Winchester M1917 and 1944 Enfield No. 4 Mk 1* (made by Savage). These old boys attract lots of attention at the range.