putting a 1903 Springfield in a Mauser stock for a drill rifle

[chack]

I just bought a chrome plated 1903 that has been plugged for use as a drill rifle. My dad is on the color guard for his American legion and I want to put it together for him to use. I was thinking about buying a VZ 24 stock to put the 1903 in after refinishing the wood.

I gave $75 for the 1903 and can get the stock for $20-$30. The cheapest 1903 drill rifles I saw were $200+ when I was looking awhile back and I almost think I should have gotten it for him instead when I started looking at how expensive the stock would be if I used the correct wood. I am watching a wood tone poly 1903 stock that I thought about getting, but I don't think it has a buttplate or hardware and that would raise the price quickly if I had to find them.

Realistically, this rifle will not even be used for the honor guard much because he's getting too old for it. I think he will hang it on his wall though, so I want it to look close enough to correct that he'll be proud to display it.

Can that be accomplished with doing some inletting on a VZ 24 stock to make the 1903 fit OK?

I put everything away in storage while I was deployed and I'm waiting to close on a new house before moving most of my collection so I my 1903 isn't available to check it on the mausers I have here.

 

[James K]

I have never tried that and I doubt it can be done very easily. Furthermore, it would look like h-e-l-l to anyone with the slightest knowledge of guns and maybe even tick off AL members who fought guys carrying rifles with stocks like that.

Jim

 

[Skadoosh]

Furthermore, it would look like h-e-l-l to anyone with the slightest knowledge of guns and maybe even tick off AL members who fought guys carrying rifles with stocks like that.

I agree!

 

[chack]

I was thinking VZ 24 because they are cheap and many don't have the bolt disassembly hole in the stock so it wouldn't be as noticeable.

The 1903 is a pretty direct copy of the mauser and I've read that the mag well and ring inletting need to be opened up but other than that the swap is fairly straight forward. The bigger issue is the bayonet lug I think.

The fact that 1903s came in pistol grip or straight stocks will help, I can reshape the Czech stock to appear closer to the desired outcome before refinishing it.
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1903 pistol grip stock:

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1903 straight stock:

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VZ 24 stocks:

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They are really very similar

 

[chack]

This is the drill rifle I bought to put in it:

As far as anyone being offended by a czech/american hybrid rifle, I think that if it was done properly, it would take a close examination by someone who was extremely knowledgable to tell what it was, and I don't think those guys are that thin skinned anyhow.

 

[Hawg]

I dunno if it can be done but I know a 98 Mauser won't come close to fitting a Springfield stock.