Frankenfield 03's

[Richard H Brown Jr]

Has anyone tried taking a barreled 03 or 03a3 action (with sights) and mating them to a high combed modern polymer/steel bedded stock to see what the accuracy would be?

Even a restored drill rifle receiver.

And before you get out the tar and feathers, not for permanent mating, and not damaging the barreled action.

R Hrown

[Dave in NGA]

I have 'sporterized' A3's using wood stocks and glass bedding the action and barrel. Accuracy was slightly better than the factory stock A3. It's hard to say how much tighter because the modified rifle was scoped and the improved groups were likely more a product of better target definition. I've also built a couple fake A4 style rifles using both an 03 and an A3 drill rifle receiver. Scoped with modern optics, both rifles shoot very well. On par with what a factory bolt action can achieve.