dakota.potts
New member
Went to the local gun store today for a couple boxes of .22 ammo to shoot this weekend. I passed a Smith Corona 03A3 sitting on the counter that I had been looking at for at least 4 or 5 months now. It was a sporter in pretty decent mechanical condition with some stock damage that they were asking an unreasonable (IMO) price for. At $600, it was fun to look but not something I would consider.
My impression of the gun is that it was hunted pretty regularly and was carried far more than it was fired. Bluing is probably 95%+ condition, with the deep black-blue chrome continuing uninterrupted and unfaded along most of the gun. A couple scratches on the barrel, and the most wear on the bolt and raceways of the receiver. At a quick glance of the gun, it looks like somebody has just taken the parts out of the bluing tank and dusted them with oil for a week or so. Really great in most areas and appears to be a high grade (800 grit or higher equivalent) polish. Bore looks sharp from what I can tell and crown seems to be in good shape.
Today I noticed the little note card hanging beside it that had a series of sale offers on it. It seemed they dropped the sale price $50 every few weeks, and currently it was sitting there for $399. I took a picture to send to my dad who has always wanted one, and he sent me a text message immediately telling me to pick it up. I had already made it out to my car with the .22 ammo, so I went back into the store and started paperwork on it.
It will need a little work. We have been talking for several months about me doing a custom rifle project for him. He has always wanted a "classic" .30-06 with a wood stock, iron sights, and leather sling. To him, that's about a perfect rifle. I was going to start from a stripped action and barrel, but this rifle offers off a pretty good jumping off point.
I am going to visit next week and will bring the rifle for us to shoot and see what he wants done to it. Here's what I'm thinking needs to be done:
*The stock needs repair or replacement. The plastic forend has a crack running almost the entire width of the stock near the plastic tip. There is a sizable chip behind the tang and a couple significant gouges near the buttpad. If we keep the stock, it will need to be repaired in these places and refinished. I'll likely remove the plastic forend tip and shape a new one out of a nice exotic wood (African Blackwood most likely) and maybe fit a new recoil pad to replace the thin plastic piece that's on there now. The stock will get a high-gloss hand-rubbed oil finish regardless.
*The trigger has got to be one of the worst I have felt on a rifle ever. It has a mile and a half of takeup before a long, gritty trigger pull. It has no noticeable stacking in its second page, being a consistent gritty roll and no indication at all of when it is going to break. When pulled slowly, it will seem to hit a wall where it refuses to move and if more pressure is applied will break with no hint of when it is going to do so. Truly strange. Timney triggers run only $50 for this gun and will likely serve a worthwhile investment.
*Will likely end up bedding the stock regardless of what choices I make, as well as refinishing some small parts with a unique finish and adding a custom pistol grip cap.
*If the barrel shoots well, I will leave it alone. If worst comes to worst, I will fit a new Criterion barrel, but that means some reaming of the chamber and having to polish and blue the new barrel to match, something I'd rather not do if it shoots fine as is.
*If he likes the sights, I will leave them alone. I like the rear sight (anybody know anything about this sight?) But the front sight blade is so infuriatingly thin that it goes out of focus entirely for me and it looks like I'm looking through the rear peep at nothing. This could be my astigmatism, but I'm thinking it's just a poorly matched set up.
