Building an '03A3

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Posted: 7/7/2016 8:55:33 AM EDT

All of the '03A3s in my area are in the $1000 plus range and I've been looking.

Buddy of mine had a Remington reciever/bolt set he got from AIM (recycled drill rifle) and a NIW Remington 2-groove USGI barrel (January 1944 IIRC) so I bought it and dropped it off to be barrelled and headspaced over the weekend.

I see Sarco has parts kits for everything else except wood. Anyone buy one of these kits? Good quality / condition? What is USGI and what is repro?

Also, do these parts work with all 3 stock types? (pistol grip, semi-pistol grip, and scant)

Lastly, I'm guessing a new CMP stock is my best bet for a stock? Anyone buy one of the new production stocks from Sarco?

Posted: 7/7/2016 9:08:16 AM EDT

[#1]

You can probably get your hands on a "Sporterized" 03A3 that still has the original barrel without being chopped; the rest is fairly easy to find.

Posted: 7/7/2016 9:33:06 AM EDT

[#2]

I had several of the drill rifles. I would be careful before building a rifle with them. Some had a small tack weld at 6 o'clock where the barrel and receiver met. Others had a full deep weld that probably ruined the heat treatment of the receiver.

Have a gunsmith check it our first before spending the money to build it.

Posted: 7/7/2016 9:36:28 AM EDT

[#3]

sounds like OP already has rebarreled it?

Am I reading it wrong or did the two above posters read it wrong

Posted: 7/7/2016 9:45:25 AM EDT

[#4]

I bought a Garand metal kit from SARCO once.
It was advertised as in Excellent condition.
I'm not a picky guy, but I'd have called the condition Poor to Crap.
Look else where.

I've had good experiences with Egunparts.com/Numrich Corp.
Good luck.

BTW, when you get her built be careful of shooting her.
I once watched a large guy get his nose broke shooting one.
It had a standard short stock and he it was way too close to his face,
IIRC the GI stock has a 12 1/2" LOP? Way too short for normal Americans of today.

Posted: 7/7/2016 10:47:04 AM EDT

[#5]

Don't worry about that receiver. They were done by Gibbs.

Honestly the best source of parts are from CMP drill rifles. You get all USGI parts and wood (some are in great shape, some are pretty rough). Of course the catch is you have to physically go there to get them.

The sarco kits are garbage. Buying individual parts from Numrich is pretty expensive.

Posted: 7/7/2016 11:47:55 AM EDT

[#6]

I'm not at all worried about the receiver, and the barrel is being installed and headspaced as we speak.

I need all the other parts including a stock.

So the Sarco parts are junk? I take it they're all used and abused USGI then?

Driving to a CMP store doesn't make economic sense for me.

Posted: 7/7/2016 1:38:49 PM EDT

[#7]

if your on the cmp forums get in touch with springfield03 he has helped me with parts like 4 times for 03a3s

Posted: 7/7/2016 4:18:15 PM EDT

[#8]

When I built up an M1917 about 4 years ago I got a lot of parts of e-bay.

The 03 stocks are very short. I don't like to shoot mine even though it seems to be pretty accurate. The 03A3 stock will be longer, or at least mine is. The stock like the 03A4's have are very nice.

Posted: 7/7/2016 4:49:21 PM EDT

[#9]

Ive got a complete USGI stock set including hardware if your interested.

It took me over a year to find everything, I was going to use it on a sporterized 03a3 but ended up just leaving it as is.

Posted: 7/14/2016 5:37:54 AM EDT

[#10]

I bought a couple of parts of Numrich for my 03A3 I acquired last year. No problems.

Posted: 7/14/2016 7:13:33 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
I bought a Garand metal kit from SARCO once.
It was advertised as in Excellent condition.
I'm not a picky guy, but I'd have called the condition Poor to Crap.
Look else where.

I've had good experiences with Egunparts.com/Numrich Corp.
Good luck.

BTW, when you get her built be careful of shooting her.
I once watched a large guy get his nose broke shooting one.
It had a standard short stock and he it was way too close to his face,
IIRC the GI stock has a 12 1/2" LOP? Way too short for normal Americans of today.

View Quote

Watch Gary Cooper on the range in Sgt York. There is a technique no longer taught to rifle shooters. The stock on the 03 was short for those guys as well, by design. The 1903 rifle is the first attempt by Springfield to eliminate a carbine in the Army's inventory. One rifle designed to work for the infantry and cavalry. Smokeless powder allowed the use of a shorter barrel.

Posted: 7/14/2016 7:50:07 AM EDT

[#12]

I have a 1906 date sporterized RIA

I'm on the fence with converting it. Its a solid 3MOA rifle with my blind eyes and m2 balll from a rest

Posted: 7/14/2016 9:12:28 AM EDT

[#13]

Has it been drilled and tapped?

Posted: 7/14/2016 11:15:24 AM EDT

[#14]

I have a 1906 date sporterized RIA

View Quote

Low number receiver. I would retire it. There is a question about its shooting safety.

Has it been drilled and tapped?

View Quote

Goes without saying, since the original rear sight has been removed. Even replacement iron sights wold require drilling and tapping.

NOT a good candidate for restoration.

Posted: 7/14/2016 2:44:39 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

Low number receiver. I would retire it. There is a question about its shooting safety.

Goes without saying, since the original rear sight has been removed. Even replacement iron sights wold require drilling and tapping.

NOT a good candidate for restoration.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

I have a 1906 date sporterized RIA

Low number receiver. I would retire it. There is a question about its shooting safety.

Has it been drilled and tapped?

Goes without saying, since the original rear sight has been removed. Even replacement iron sights wold require drilling and tapping.

NOT a good candidate for restoration.

Its been shot a lot before me and by me. If you read the reports (while the receivers are weaker due to poor heat treatment process) there was also overpressure ammunition problem. I shoot only known decent ammunition or lightly loaded garand type ammunition. That M2 in that picture is not commonly shot through it or the garand. Its 61,xxx or 62,xxx I cant remember. Well below the 287k "safe number"

I have the complete rear sight, front site and the stock from it. The only "hard modification" if the redfield front sight silver soldered on the original barrel. I dont know why you said replacement iron sights would require drilling and tapping. The hand-guard covers the sport rear sight holes on the barrel.

Family sentimental value in the rifle.

Also, didnt meant to hijack OP's thread.

Posted: 7/21/2016 8:36:07 PM EDT

[#16]

OP, a friend of mine built an 03A3 on a Sarco kit and was pleased with the result. His ex father in law gave him a box of random parts, including a virgin Remington barrel. He tracked down a good action with SN correct for the barrel date and bought Sarco's kit. Other than shipping time he had no complaints. I've shot the rifle, and it shoots better than should be expected for an old(well, new/old) battle rifle.

Posted: 7/21/2016 9:12:50 PM EDT

[#17]

I haven't gotten the barreled action back yet, but it has been completed. The smith trued the receiver ring, and kept the headspace tight.

He also apparently has quite the parts stash. Hopefully I'll be able to do some cherry picking.

Posted: 7/21/2016 9:14:49 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
I haven't gotten the barreled action back yet, but it has been completed. The smith trued the receiver ring, and kept the headspace tight.

He also apparently has quite the parts stash. Hopefully I'll be able to do some cherry picking.

View Quote

Good luck, and post pics when done. Love seeing these old rifles come back to life!

Posted: 7/21/2016 9:57:54 PM EDT

[#19]

It's a common thing even now to see old .303 rifles that have been sporterised, but on the rack for not a huge price.
They make a good donor for conversion back to wartime trim.

I'd be tempted to go this route if doing an M1903 project - try to find one that has just been dropped into an after-market stock.
The MAIN thing that would be a deal breaker for me is if the receiver has been drilled/tapped - as I'd personally wait for an example with an untouched receiver.

Best of luck finding something & hope the build goes well

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