1903A3--Never thought I'd find one like this

L

Ledbetter

New member
Over the weekend I loaded so many .45 ACP rounds into magazines that I cracked the skin on my thumb. I went to the gun store to buy a mag loader for 1911 mags. That was yesterday.

While in the shop, I saw a beautiful Remington 1903A3 with a bright bore (minor pitting), good bluing and great wood. The date on the barrel and the serial number (4,XXX,XXX) indicate it was made in 1943. It came with a U.S. bayonet in a leather scabbard. The bayonet doesn't fit; I don't know the model of it yet.

Today at lunchtime, Noban calls me and asked if I bought it yet. I tell him no and he says I better get a move on OR HE'S GOING TO BUY "MY" FIND! What a friend! Claims he was only motivating me.

So we go down to the store and I buy the rifle after we both look it over real good. The finish looks original. The price was "reasonable." :D The proper cartouches are in the proper places.

So, I'm really happy because now I own an important American historical artifact and I expect it to shoot accurately too. Also, I never expected to find a rifle like this sitting on a gun shop shelf with a price tag I could afford. Just a couple of weeks ago, a guy at the range let me shoot his (sporterized) '03A3 and it was awesome.

Woo Hoo. Hope you had a good day too.

Regards.
 
Had Mine a While (Smile)

Same date of Manufactur, but a Springfield. Dad got this from the old DCM (CMP predecessor) program. Still in the cosmoline when it was deliverd. *Heh* we melted the gunk off in the oven with a roasting pan on the bottom rack to catch the 'drippings';)
It worked, but Mom was _NOT_ pleased! The 2 of us spent several days in the Doghouse...Dad took most of the flak, it cost him jewelry to get her unruffled.:D
Worth it...still got it, don't shoot it much, but it's part of the family folklore.
 
Still may cost me jewelry

I haven't got it in the house yet.

My current plan is to claim it's just an old rifle I picked up on a whim, and not mention the price unless pressed. Plan B is to point that historically, these rifles have increased in value between 500 and 1000% over twenty to thirty years. (Incidentally, it shoots real good.)


I identified the bayonet as a model of 1892 manufactured in 1902, the last year of production. It fits a Krag. Anybody want to trade me a model of 1905 or model of 1942 bayonet for it? No scabbard. Old, old funky leather sheath with no hard tip and two leather bands at each end, with buckles, as if to attach to a belt or strap.
 
'03A3

Welcome aboard Zip. M1903A3's were Remington and Smith-Corona.

From the leather scabbard and the fact it does not fit, The bayonet sounds like a US Model for the Model of 1917 Enfield. Prior to the big slew that just appeared, these bayonets often went for $100+ for examples with good scabbards. Winchester M1917 bayonets of course bring more. I have only seen Remington in the recent imports. Maybe the Winchesters were picked out.
 
Krag bayonet

We just crossed postings...

A friend is a BIG Krag collector. I will check with him for value. thy can get pricy for nice examples.
 
Wait a minute...

BLUING?

To the best of my knowledge, ALL Remington 1903A3s were phosphate finished in a dark gray-green.
 
Well, Mike

now I know the name for the finish I saw, thanks. I didn't know what to call it. It looked like "patina" to my unpracticed eye. Good thing I took someone with me. Oh, and thanks for your post. Now I know not to try to scrub it off;)

Regards.
 
Let me dig around in the safe...

I've been looking for a proper Krag bayonet for my 1898 Infantry Krag. Somewhere in the safe there's a 1903/M1 bayonet sitting, I saw it not too long ago when I was looking for something else. (Isn't that always the case?);)
 
It just gets better!

The bayonet I need is either a model of 1905/A1 or a model of 1942. I think both were used on M1 Garands as well. I don't think a bayonet model M1 is historically correct for this gun. Anybody know?

I love this place:cool:
 
'O3A3 Finish

An original O3A3 will often have a mix of blued and parkerized parts. That was the nature of the assembly. If totally parked in all matching color AND the assembly marks are not present on the belly of the stock in from of the floorplate, it is most like an arsenal rework.
 
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