1903A3 Bolt Problems

W

WyndoCleaner

New member
So my Remington 1903A3 has some bolt problems.
After firing/dry firing, it's hard to open. It gets really hard to open right near the end. It's not the spring, though I cut off a couple coils and that helped. I've narrowed it down to the firing mechanism and how it interacts with the bolt body. I cannot figure out what it is though--whether it's just the camming surfaces, or something wrong with the actual firing mechanism itself. I've considered just getting another bolt body (not that expensive, as low as $25 on Gun Broker). The cocker, spring, striker, etc. are not native to the bolt body. The sleeve and cocker are blued, and the bolt body is nickel-plated. I think the bolt body is for a 1903 (camming cut-out is a different shape than 1903A3's; same with the locking lug). What do you folks think?

Another problem is that when I slide the bolt back in the receiver, it sticks 2/3 of the way back, unless I pull directly back (by grabbing onto the cocker). There is a fair amount of wobble to the bolt, especially when it's locked back. That doesn't concern me under other circumstances, but it did make me inspect the receiver. I found that the rear right part of the receiver where the bolt slides into is rounded out and there's a gap between the receiver and the extractor. It's got a bit more curve than I think it's supposed to have. There's also a fairly large gap at the top. When I wiggle the bolt, it moves around in that gap. It's got some wear and scratch marks on the receiver where the gaps are.
My idea is that the bolt is too loose the receiver, and when I don't pull back straight, it gets kind of jammed in the receiver and stops up. Since the bolt is a 1903 bolt (even though its supposed to fit in a 1903a3 receiver, it still wasn't made for that receiver), I'm thinking of just getting a bolt body from Gun Broker to see if that'll fix both this problem and the cocking problem that I mentioned above. However, I'm concerned that the bolt is loose in the receiver because the receiver has some metal missing from it, and that the new bolt body will have the same problem. In that case, I would have to get a new receiver (which I don't want to do). I don't have any other bolt bodies I can test in it.
I suppose I could just get a different bolt body to see if it will fit in the receiver. If it doesn't, then oh well. I would have needed a new one for the cocking problem.
These are just my ideas. Any information I should know? Anyone have any experience with these problems?
 
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http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.a...+Stripped+Receiver+and+Bolt+Action&groupid=12

I see Aims is selling a stripped receiver and bolt for $120. Not bad, I might go for it.
The problem I have with getting a new receiver is that I would have to put the barrel on it. And the barrel I have on the rifle now isn't very good, so I've been thinking of replacing it. Since the barrel that's on it now doesn't have a place for a front sight post to go, I would need to buy a new barrel along with the receiver. And sights. The rifle has a Boyd's stock on it, and has been sporterized to take a scope (not my choice, of course). By the time I get the rifle working well, all that will be left that is original is the firing mechanism and the magazine (I put in a Timney trigger, though I still have the original one). So it wouldn't even be the same rifle anymore. And I would have to put on iron sights (not such a bad thing, but I have a wonderful scope on it, and it would make hunting a wee bit harder).
Altogether that would be close to $375. I'm willing to do it, though.
But hey, I'd rather have it function well, even if the parts aren't matching or are post-production parts. The rifle functions for now, but I'll probably get all the parts in one go so I don't have to pay for two barrel installations and headspacings.
 
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I would suggest you ask if the receivers were drill/parade rifles that had been welded.

After firing/dry firing, it's hard to open. It gets really hard to open right near the end.
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I would suggest you remove the firing pin assemble from the bolt then check for fit. I do not know if the rear sight bridge has been drilled and tapped. I do have replacement bolts for the 03A3, I have close to 30, the problem is finding one that is different. I know, the answer is purchase a bucket of bolts then start swapping, for me that is not necessary. It is possible to determine the difference between bolts without installing , convincing someone it can be done is is the 'tuff' part.

F. Guffey
 
The biggest problems causing hard bolt opperations on a 1903 is the ring that holds the extractor on or a bent extractor itself.

Before you do anything to further damage your rifle, cover the ring and extractor with something like a magic marker. Work the bolt and see where its wearing.

You'll see why its stiff.

You do not want cut or shorten any Springs. You don't want to modify anything else.

If you are close to NE Wyoming bring it to me I'll fix it. I'm not a gun smith so I cant charge you, but I'll fix it. I'm not the smartest person in the world but I know Springfields and I know Garands.

If you arnt close to NE Wyoming, find a Gunsmith who knows Springfields. I don't mean someone who can put together ARs, I mean KNOWS Springfields.

I hate to see people screw up these fine rifles.
 
F. Guffey: Yes, the rear sight bridge is drilled and tapped. I took out the assembly, and it lifts fine. However, it's still difficult to pull backwards. I do think it's the camming surfaces.

Kraigwy: It's not the extractor ring. It's only hard to lift the bolt when cocking the rifle. It's not the extractor because I took that off and put the bolt in the rifle, and it was still sticky. Like I said, I think it's because the bolt get "wedged" in the receiver because it's loose.
I haven't damaged anything. I could just buy another spring. Granted, it wouldn't be the original spring but honestly at this point, the person who had the rifle before me and had it sporterized it buggered it up so much that I almost don't even care... Actually, I might as well just buy a new barrel, receiver, and stock just so I can have one in military config.
 
Just on an odd guess, remove the bolt and use a Sharpee pen or Magic Marker on the bolt lug that will be at the bottom of the action when the bolt is closed. Open and close the bolt a couple of times, them remove and examine that lug. If you see a line where you marked it, the front action screw is a bit too long. Use a fine flat bastard file and remove a tiny bit from the end of the screw and reinstall. That just may fix your problem with the hard opening.
Paul B,
 
Have you applied a suitable grease to the camming surfaces? They don't like to be dry. Bolt lugs too, while you are at it.
 
Considering the 03A3 is 70-75 years old and had no telling what done to it both in wartime and at Bubba's hands, you can expect a fair amount of bolt wobble when it's open. I've not had any problems substituting 03 bolts in A3's- at least not like you're describing. It is possible the bolt body is bent but that would be quite a rare circumstance.
Grease it up liberally and try it.
 
I do think it's the camming surfaces.
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it's still difficult to pull backwards.
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The bolt is a cock on open, I could understand difficulty in bolt opening but I do not see any way camming having anything to do with pulling the bolt back.

I suggest you strip the bolt first and remove the bolt stop and trigger then start over. My bolts do not fit the receiver except where they touch.

F. Guffey
 
I cannot figure out what it is though
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and yet
It's not the spring, though I cut off a couple coils and that helped.
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I know people react negatively to my saying this (because after all, we are supposed to help each other out here on TFL), but if you don't know what you're doing, don't.
 
F. Guffey, I know they don't have anything to do with pulling back the bolt. Just when opening it. But I think the receiver is too worn out, and so the bolt gets "wedged" in it and stops moving. So getting a new bolt+receiver SHOULD fix both those problems.

Scorch, I knew what I was doing. I thought that perhaps it was that the spring was too strong. I cut the coils, and that helped cut down the force required to open the bolt, but only leading up to the very end of the lift (where it gets really hard to lift). So the only thing I could come up with after that was that the camming surfaces were not fitting together quite right.
 
Just when opening it.
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I would suggest you lube the rear of the bolt, that is where 'camming ' takes place when the bolt handle is raised. Again, the design is cock on open. There is a notch in the rear of the bolt.

I still believe stripping the bolt is a good ideal. And yes, reducing the strength of the firing pin spring would reduce resistance to bolt opening, but, reducing the strength of the spring creates more problems that it solves. The spring must hold the firing pin. meaning if the spring is not strong enough pressure in the primer can push the firing pin back and allow a hole to develop in the primer.

F. Guffey
 
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Yep, I lubed everything. I tried pretty much everything. It's still difficult to cock. There are no burrs or rough spots on anything, except for a bit on the cocking knob where it goes into the bolt sleeve. It was a little chewed up from something. I made it smooth, but it didn't help. There are no problems when the firing pin goes forward.
I'm sure you know this, but the primers in military ammo were kind of crap and sometimes required a lot of force to go off, so they made the springs really strong. I've only shot 75 rounds through the rifle since I cut the spring, but I don't see any issues on the primers.
 
After firing/dry firing, it's hard to open. It gets really hard to open right near the end. It's
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Check the headspace immediately. A number of drill rifle receivers were stripped and sold as good. You can't tell by visual inspection if the receiver was heated up with an acetylene torch and the heat treatment ruined. In these receivers the headspace will increase, causing stiff extraction, until the case bursts. This is something you should verify before shooting any more rounds.

What type of receiver? A National Ordnance receiver? Hope not for you.

Assuming no headspace or National Ordnance issues, one suggestion is a worn cocking cam for the cocking piece. I really doubt that the case hardening has worn off the cocking cam of the bolt, not if it is a A3 bolt, the case hardening is very thick, but someone could have put grinding compound in the cocking cam and worn it to an irregular shape or the softer, base metal.

Put a different bolt in the rifle and dry fire it. If the stiff bolt lift goes away, you have a bolt problem.
 
"Check the headspace immediately. A number of drill rifle receivers were stripped and sold as good. You can't tell by visual inspection if the receiver was heated up with an acetylene torch and the heat treatment ruined. In these receivers the headspace will increase, causing stiff extraction, until the case bursts. This is something you should verify before shooting any more rounds."

Bolt lug recess set-back should not cause a problem when dry firing.
 
M1903/A3 bolts were never nickel plated, so if yours is, it was done by a later private owner. It is possible that whoever did the plating polished the bolt so much that it indeed is misshapen and wedging as it is retracted. Alternatively, the plating could be too thick and be a problem itself. A new bolt body might correct the problem, but no guarantee.

I doubt the receiver is worn out. Those Remington M1903A3 receivers are harder than a politician's head and it takes a lot of shooting to even smooth the surface.

The only significant differences between the M1903 bolt and the M1903A3 bolts are the shape of the safety lug and the absence of the bolt stop detent on the A3. Neither should make any difference in using an '03 bolt in an A3.

Jim
 
James K, 1903 bolts were nickel plated (for parade rifles). I know they are supposed to work in 1903A3s, but it just might be one of those very few cases where it just simply doesn't.
Like I said before, there are gaps between the receiver and the bolt (where there aren't supposed to be gaps) that I think cause the bolt to wobble. It looks like someone did some filing there, as evidenced by scratches and wear marks on the part of the receiver where the gaps are.
 
The AIM surplus receivers are reclaimed drill rifle receivers.I have used a couple with good results.
The 1903A4 replicas and available 1903A3 rifles from Gibbs,etc were built on these receivers.
As part of the initial demil,a tack weld was done to lock the barrel into the receiver.It was at 6 Oclock on the receiever ring face.A slight sink is visible on the receiver ring face at this point.I recommend facing the receiver ring true with a Brownell's mandrel.
Tat will mean a one thread setback if you get a Criterion 1903A3 barrel,as the indexing will be lost when you face the receiver ring.
OP,you do not need to worry about all that.You have a receiver.
A new bolt is easy.E-bay will work.Look for new GI,and look for a slight rear swept back bolt handle.That indicates it was from the later heat treat.
If you need a barrel,originals,even new ones,can be found.Criterion makes a good,accurate direct replacement 1903A3 barrel for a reasonable price.

Ideally,if the tolerance fairies smile on you,that barrel will tighten with the index mark lined up.All the front sight cut geometry will lock true,and,while you must check it,headspace should be good.
Of course,sometimes more work must be done.
The Criterion comes with a parkerize finish,too.
There is more than one path to get a replacement military stock.
After I wasted good money on a repro that was made from wood that was not dry,the forend warped off about 5/8 in.It came from that surplus outfit that starts with an "S".
I dropped some big $,about $300,for a beautiful original,new in the box old military "C" stock from Northridge International.I forget whether mine was Milton-Bradley or a bowling pin company.Very nice! I do not regret it.

A barrel and a stock and a bolt...OK,handguard,ring,barrel bands,etc but quite do-able.
What COULD be causing your trouble is your Timney trigger.Nice trigger,but a different design.Look to how the striker sear surface cams over the trigger sear surface.
IIRC,sometimes that area gets slightly modified for a Timney.
If you are going to restore it to military,I suggest a military trigger.
Good Luck!
 
The only significant differences between the M1903 bolt and the M1903A3 bolts are the shape of the safety lug
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Significant: The third lug is further up on the replacement/03A3 bolt. meaning the gap between the rear receiver ring and third lug is less on the early models than the gap between the rear sight bridge/ring and the rear of the third lug on the 03A3.

F. Guffey
 
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