1903

M

miller 1903

Inactive
On a happier note-I have a Springfield 1903 born in 1919 the same year my mother was born. I call her Rose my mother's name. I named my rifle Rose because - even at hr funeral the pastor noted that she could be birch he said that in church! In 1942 rose was converted to a sniper rifle with a new barrel from Remington firearms . I am now getting it ready for a Mueller 8X40 42mm scope. Project is important to me for no other reason crept I can.:)
 
I have an all-original 1919 Springfield, great shooter ! The action seems to be a bit smoother than the WWII versions I have.
 
You'll find 8X40 42mm is too big. The front optic will require very high rings.
Remington didn't convert any '03A3s to A4's until 1943. They did manufacture and re-build '03's though.
 
I don't think that any 1903A3s were manufactured in 1919...

the USMC had snipers prior to the introduction of the A4, they used regular old 1903s for those.
 
'03A3's were a WWII rifle. As I understand it, Remington took the '03 and simplified the build process, like using stamped parts rather than machined pieces. As a side note, I was looking at some photos taken during the D-Day landings. One photo was taken in a landing craft, with U.S. trops, approaching the beach. It looked like half of the the men in the photo were carrying Springfields 03;s of some sort and the other half had M1 carbines. I had to wonder if they were all snipers or just not enough other weapons to equip them.
 
unless all of those 03s had scopes, they weren't snipers. the army fielded a wide array of weapons for a variety of tasks.
 
'03A3's were a WWII rifle. As I understand it, Remington took the '03 and simplified the build process, like using stamped parts rather than machined pieces. As a side note, I was looking at some photos taken during the D-Day landings. One photo was taken in a landing craft, with U.S. trops, approaching the beach. It looked like half of the the men in the photo were carrying Springfields 03;s of some sort and the other half had M1 carbines. I had to wonder if they were all snipers or just not enough other weapons to equip them.
Click to expand...

Two possibilities, one more likely than the other

The non combat (yea, D-day and non combat being a misnomer) such as logistics of all sorts and MPs were not Garand equipped. Carbines, 1903s and even some 1917s. Remington and Smith Corona made 1903A3s (mostly) in WWII due to arms shortage for all troops and they even refurbish Model of 1917s to fill in (and send to allies). SC made 300,000 and Remington a lot more.

Rangers also preferred the 1903s so its possible but I don't remember enough history to know if the Rangers used the Carbines much. I know they had a mission to take out a point battery.

My brother came across a picture of an infantry company in Italy and about half of those guys had 1903s. Maybe the terrain suited slow accurate fire.

Toward the end of the war in Europe about half the line infantry had sub machine guns. Not a normal issue in those numbers (tank troops got those typically) but there was a lot of city and village fighting and it was a better fit so they traded around for them.

Classic case of they adjust to what they needed regardless of the TO
 
This is a Faux Marine Sniper that a bud of mine built. These are so rare that I only saw one, in the 1980’s, did not know what it was, and only remember the dovetail forward of the rear sight. So, this may be slightly incorrect in some detail.







This is an original A4, no scope as the CMP did not ship one with the rifle, and I never got around to buying one.


The M1903A3 and M1903A4 are WW2 era creations. The Marine Sniper rifle, according to this web site, they were created in 1943. http://olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m1941usmc.php
 
There are more "authentic " sniper rifles floating around now, than were ever built in any factory or armory. Some what like all the Wells Fargo shotguns.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top