Hey guys, if this isn't the right forum, I appologize.

I picked up what we all thought was some random commercial sporterized 1903 at a pawn shop I work at for $150. I took it deer hunting, and while bored in the stand, I started looking up the serial and info... and holy cow... I was slaying deer with a real deal 1903a4 sniper.



So it appears to be all original, aside from the sporter stock, but I'm not expert.

It has a Lyman Alaskan scope, Remington manufactured, Barrel marked 8-43, serial 34178xx

I'd like to find a correct, or as correct as possible stock for this. I'm assuming I'm looking for a C Stock, and possibly with the FJA Cartouche. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Here are some Pictures:

https://imgur.com/a/CdPDT

dupe

You need the stock, the top stock, the rear band and the front band thingy.  I don't recall if the A4's had the stamped front band or the machined one with the cutout, like the earlier 03's had.  I think it was the later stamped version.

Some A4's had a scant stock too.  A real C stock is not cheap.  They run about 4 bills.  Well, that was a long time ago they did.  Not sure what the going rate is now.   You can get repro's I think.  Keystone was one of the orginal manufactures of C stocks.  I forget who else though.

Here is me and my A3.  I love that  gun.  I had every intention of turning mine into an A4.  But after hearing the stories about how hard they are to drill and tap, and how much everything cost, I just left it.  It's a GREAT shooter as is.  Has the 2 groove barrel but is surprisingly accurate.  I would regularly get 2-3 MOA with just the irons and good ammo.  I had it out this summer and a buddy of mine made a ragged hole with 5 rounds at 25 yards.  I think his eyes are better than mine.  LOL.  Or he just shoots better because I didn't get as small as group as he did.  Although I was using M2 ball and he brought his own Remington 150 grain soft points.



Oh yeah, here he is, tearing it up.  

That top group is 5 rounds at 25 yards.  We were zeroing his new Ruger AR.   That's the lower group.....


Here was one of my groups.  LOL.



This would be one of the last guns I'd ever part with.

Mine came with a straight stock but I bought a scant stock for it.  It's more comfy.  C stock would be really nice though.

Yours is super nice.  I'm not sure I'd even change a thing about it.  It's not a bad sporter stock.....   But I can see why you'd want to put it back to original.

Scant stock version of an A4.

Awesome! Thanks for all the info. Yours is looking great! I managed to drop two deer with mine from about 100 yards with mine before I realized what it was haha.

I may go the cheaper scant stock route if I can't find a good C stock. That bottom picture is exactly like mine, same scope and everything. Early production ones seemed to have c stocks, then went to scant. I've been told mine was "early", July 1943, so a C stock may be correct. Thanks for the info!

Hell of a buy for 150!!!

I know! I got super lucky. We all thought it was some commercial release with a bubba stock on it. Showed it countless milsurp guys who came into the shop too over it's 3 or so months on the sales floor. I already had a 1903, but was finally like, "If this is still here on payday, I'll take it home." It was. I did enjoy telling all the regulars that looked at it before what it was after I bought it and figured out what it was haha.

Even though the scant stocks are ugly in comparison with a C stock, they feel good.  Way better than the straight stock it came with.  Which is obviously not correct for an A4.  But I can see if you're trying to make it is as correct as possible, to go with a C.  I don't really know what the history was behind what stock went on what.  I think the scant stocks were cheaper to make because it didn't require 2 blanks of wood or something like that.  Where the C did.

But I did price them back in the day and 4 bills was the going rate.  Let us know if you get one how much you get it for.

I'm excited for you.  It's an awesome rifle.  I think if I had that rifle, and some reloading equipment, I don't think I'd ever want to mess with anything else.    I would make some lighter loads for it though because shooting high volumes of 06 is not really my idea of fun.  Although M2 ball isn't TOO bad.  It still leaves me beat up.

I've always wanted to clone a Vietnam Era M40, but in 5.56.  To me, that would be the ultimate range gun.    I would settle for a wood stocked sporter bolt gun in 5.56 though.  Plop on my 3x9 and shoot from the bench, prone, all different postions.  To me, there is something inherently awesome about shooting a bolt gun.  I'm not sure what it is but I prefer it to AR's.  Although I do like those, I just like bolt guns better for pure shooting.  AR's are obviously a better serious gun.