Sporter '03 Springfield

S

SPEMack618

New member
The LGS has a fairly well done Springfield '03 sporter. Nice wood stock, slightly shortened barrel. Well done scope rings.

However, it's chambered in .300 Win Mag which is scaring me a bit. Can the old '03 action handle modern .300 Win Mag loadings?

Also, being unversed in Springfield nomenclature, is there a serial number range I should look for in regards to safety?

It's a really neat rifle at a not too terrible price.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Unless the action is a single heat treated (low number) one, I don't see any problem with the .300 WinMag chambering. Those guns were routinely rechambered for .308 Norma Magnum, which is basically a ballistic twin of the .300 Win Mag., though the WM is a bit longer.

The so-called "low number Springfields" are those made by Springfield Armory with serial numbers below about 800,000 and those made by Rock Island Arsenal with serial numbers below 286,507. The whole story has been told (with all sorts of nonsense included) elsewhere.

Jim
 
The only thing about going to a 300 mag is the feed rails had to be reworked. If it feeds ok you're good to go.
 
Ask if they can either pull the firing pin (easy on a 1903) and let you check the feed with actual ammo or at least test it with some dummies or snap caps before you commit to buy it. The strength of the action isn't an issue, as long as it's a high number, as stated above.
 
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