When the Army was considering a semi-auto rifle - a search that culminated with the adoption of the M1 rifle (Garand) - they entertained proposals to convert the M1903 to a semi-auto, presumably at considerable savings. Unlike the Pedersen device, though, the converted rifles had to use the (then) standard .30 ammunition. There were a number of interesting proposals, most unrealistic and many unworkable. In most cases, the cost of conversion, even in quantity, would have exceeded the cost of a new rifle.
Jim