first rifle: springfield 1903

R

rockislife04

Inactive
I purchased a springfield 1903(sporterized circa 1917) at a local gun show last weekend. I noticed on the gun that the safety is a a little hinky. when you go to put on the safety i have to slightly pull the bolt back against teh spring a smidge to get it to go on. i am not sure of waht the problem could be but if you have any advice please let me know.
 
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It sounds like someone filed on the sear face too much, probably "tuning" the trigger pull - which is allowing the cocking piece to move too far forward, and beyond the safety's engagement point.

IMO, a new cocking piecs & sear seem indicated.

What's the SN ?


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its in the low 700k, and it has been sporterized so that is very possible. what should i look for to tell me it has been filed down and such?
 
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You've already discovered the indicator - the safety won't engage.

Unfortunately, you've obtained what's know as a "low-numbered" Springfield 1903, which has long been found to possibly have a brittle receiver due to the "by eye" hardening process during the original manufacture.

Please read this: http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/

Do with it what you will - it's your rifle & your health.

I wouldn't shoot one, at all - nor do I recommend others do so.

You can also google: "low-numbered springfield", for more information.

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i appreciate the advice. this gun was obviously shot for almost a hundred years now, and if it didnt fall apart then, i dont know why it would now.
 
ahh, the old low serial can of worms... I have grown tired of the debate, both sides have good arguments, in the end it all boils down to whether you feel safe enough to risk it. I own one, haven't shot it in over a year, when I do I only shoot light loads.
 
Pretty much the Marines concluded was that if they were fine when they got them after being shot a lot they were good until exchanged for the M1 in WWII.

Driving to the range or going hunting is more dangerous in my opinion.

I don't shoot hot load in my mil surplus anyway, though I do hand-load.

I own one questionable bolt of that era and I shoot it.

I wold not say too shoot one, but I would not have a problem with a decently taken care of one of that era.
 
thank you RC20 the infor is very much appreciated. now back to the safety, i took apart the rifle, cleaned it and such, and found out that there is no filing to the sere. Is it possible that the spring is just a little soft in the bolt and that is causing me to have to pull back a bit?
 
Look for burrs on the cocking piece and safety lever. Look at how the safety engages the cocking piece, it sounds as if the grooves are not lining up. The safety may need a " lead in angle " stoned or filed into it to engage the cocking piece.
 
i have to pull back like a 1/64th to 1/32 of an inch to get it to work, and it doesnt look like there are anything funky with the actual safety. tomorrow i will take a short video and post it on here so you can see what im talking about.
 
this gun was obviously shot for almost a hundred years now, and if it didnt fall apart then, i dont know why it would now.
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I drove my truck for over 200,000 miles without needing my seat belts, guess I don't need them.

You don't know what the next round is gonna do. You don't know who will be shooting it when the action does decide to shatter. Your wife, your daughter.

Thousands upon thousands of good solid rifles out there that can be had at reasonable prices.............why take the chance.

CMP bars low number serial number, my local range bars low numbered serial numbers.
 
"i have to pull back like a 1/64th to 1/32 of an inch to get it to work, and it doesnt look like there are anything funky with the actual safety. tomorrow i will take a short video and post it on here so you can see what im talking about."

now like i asked before, could it have anything to do with the spring?

as to all the people with their opinions on the low serial rifles, i thank you for your concern, i will shoot light loads through it, but i will not get rid of it unless it is for something a bit nicer. Please leave it at that, if it is time for the gun to break than so be it, and if anything happens to me it is gods will!
 
Unless the spring is so strong that the firing pin can't be moved back, the spring has nothing to do with the problem. Whether it looks like it or not, someone polished down the sear or the cocking piece enough that the cocking piece can go too far forward and the safety won't engage properly.

If you choose not to accept advixe and want to put your safety in the hands of God, then I commend you to His care. Good luck.

Jim
 
I feel the need to add that age doesn't make steel stronger. Wonderful rifle, all the same. Can you post some photos?
 
Pretty much the Marines concluded was that if they were fine when they got them after being shot a lot they were good until exchanged for the M1 in WWII.
Click to expand...

I read, from another forum, that the Marines sorted out their "good" from "bad" low numbers by hitting them with a hammer. Those that shattered were bad.

I think this is a great, cheap technique. Anyone wanting to fire a low number should remove the action, hit the receiver ring, the right rail, and the rear receiver ring with either a brass hammer or a nylon faced hammer. You want a sharp hit, make it ring with the brass hammer.

If anyone's receiver shatters, please post the pictures.
 
I may try that test with the hammer, but first i might see if anyone i know has a hardness tester. If anyone knows the correct hardness grade the rifle should be that would be much appreciated.

I have a spare custom trigger and sear from my grandfathers old a3 smith-carona. i will drop this trigger in and see if it helps out with the safety.

as for the pictures, i wasnt sure if these where what you were looking for, but here you go





 
My brother was in the corps, two tours in Aghani-land, and home again in one piece.

An avid mil-surp collector, he tells me that the quickest test to check for a potentially brittle receiver is to look at the bolt handle. If the bolt handle curves slightly back toward the butt, then it is a later (safe) production rifle. If the bolt handle comes straight down from the receiver, then the receiver MIGHT be one of the mis-tempered ones.

This assumes that bolt and rifle numbers match. :)

This is all news to me. I had a Springfield years back, shot it extensively with no issues, and traded it. I can't tell you if I had one of the iffy receivers or not.

I got out with my face intact. I'll take that. :)


KR
 
no matching numbers with us military rifles. Concerning the swept back bolt, that works for the bolt, not the receiver... I have had many Springfield's and an interesting fact is that the bolts all headspaced good in Springfield rifles other than the one they came from.
 
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