I thought the myth about the receivers were suppose to be settled.

Everywhere Ive looked they are sold out, so someone loves 'em,

I have been contemplating all the NOS built O3s etc

I am waiting for them to release the tunnel buster.

NOS built 03S? Tunnel buster?

I have no experience with the Gibbs rifles, but I occasionally hear people say that they are the epitome of "bubbafication."

I've never seen an explanation as to how or why this opinion exists so it makes me question the validity of that opinion.  However, I've seen that opinion enough times that it makes me wonder if maybe there is something to it.  Hopefully, somebody can elaborate in this thread...

It depends on just which Gibbs rifle you are talking about.  The "Tunnel Buster" uses an 03A3 action assembled into a configuration which is not even remotely historically correct.  If they had used a wood stock, they could at least pass it off as an interesting counterfactual "what if" design, but as it stands the rifle is essentially no different than any other bubba'd sporter.  On the other hand, the Gibbs 03A4 sniper rifle is at least a historically correct configuration, with fair attention to getting the details correct while leaving just enough small differences for a collector to tell the difference between an original and a reproduction.  They rescued drill rifle receivers and restored them to produce these.  (There is some debate as to the safety of using re-heat-treated drill rifle receivers, but that is a subject for another thread).  Now maybe it would have been more correct for them to just restore them into regular 03A3s, instead of 03A4s, but we all know there is a market for reproduction sniper rifles so I suppose I cannot really blame them for that decision.

The thing is, you can get original rifles for less than one of these "restored" drill rifles.

Not an 03-A4, you cant.

OP, many folks get their panties all bunched up about the fact that these are drill rifle receivers.  The Chicken Littles all belive that they are bombs waiting to go off because the welds on the front ring have softed the steel into cookie dough and it will blow up in your face if you shoot it.

I am sure there are recievers out there that are so badly welded that they could have an issue, but I am also sure from personal experience that there are many that have tiny welds that are easily removed without any compromise to the strength of the steel.  I have two that I shoot (an A3 and a Mk1). The guy that owns the company that makes these rifles has posted the same himself on this forum and others.

There are reasonable complaints about these rifles.  The scope and mounts are made in China and are of questionable quality.  The barrels are of unknown (to me manufacture), but they shoot well by all accounts I have read.

The bottom line is I built a clone A4 for less (with a real Weaver 330) than one of these rifles cost, but I have the know how and the ability to find the parts and put them together...but for someone that doesnt, this is a fine example of a rifle that was made in low numbers and now costs $3-5000 dollars for an original.

Thanks for the info!

My apologies for not clarifying. I was referring to the A3. Personally, I have no problem with the fact that they're drill rifles, from a shooting perspective (Hell, I used to have a low number Rock Island that I shot all the time). But, if I have my choice to pay almost $800 for an ex-drill rifle, or $500-$600 for one that was not, guess what I'm going to do.

the tunnel busters (which arn't out yet) may be "bubbafied" but since there isn't really any collector's value on a drill reciever built gun, i dosn't bother me one bit. If the price is decent, i will probably get one to use as a truck gun.

IMO while Gibbs makes/restores pretty rifles they're not much different than a Mitchell's Mauser. Take a cheap, common rifle, refinish and resell for triple your money. The rifles are good looking but not the same as the real thing.
ETA-I do wish I had one of the .45-70 Enfield conversions they did a few years ago though.

Eh, I have a real 1903A1 that is pristine that I shoot every once in a while.  But I'm really interested in the Tunnel Buster.  I just think it looks like a cool "what it."  It if does come with the plastic stocks, I'll just find a set of real 1903 stocks and modify them.

Are these the OP mentioned the same ones at AIM?

Gibbs Tunnel Buster

Aim's aren't cut down with a jungle carbine flash suppressor.

I think they are cool, but i don't own anything in 30-06 and I don't need another caliber to feed.  If they were 308!

MJ

Yes.

I love No5 Enfield carbines, which is what the Tunnel Buster sorta looks like, thats be a great brush gun

Well I just picked up a Springfield 1903A3 30.06 Rifle Desert Sand from Aim ysterday. So far I havent got to shoot it yet. As far as the rifle it is a lot cheaper looking than in the pictures. It is solid and everything seems to work. I took it apart and put it back together with no problems. The stock is total garbage but I knew that before I even bought it. It does fit nice and doesnt have any gaps or wiggle room. It is just a cheap plastic type stock. I will have to pick up a nice stock off of CMP. The only issue I have so far is that when I put 5 rounds and cycle through the last round gets stuck under the bolt. When I get home I will upload some pics and maybe a link to a video so you guys can see what they are like. Does anyone have an issue with the last round getting stuck under the bolt?

Why not get a chamber sleeve? With a bolt action you should be firing slowly enough to realize if the sleeve comes out of the chamber when you fire, so it shouldn't be the issue that it was with the sleeved-chamber Garands in .308. For gentle use on the range it should work just fine.

Thanks for the review, undesired. Be sure to give us your initial range report!

I just got one from Aim this week. (1903-A3 green stock)

At first look I almost refused the transfer from my FFL
My first thoughts were "I can't believe I paid $512 for this POS."

My list of complaints.
Bayonet lug was bent and cracked,
The stock is a beat to hell plastic stock, with lots of gouges, and a fresh coat of paint over the gouges.
(Gibbs did not even take 2 minutes to sand the beat to hell plastic before painting it.)
The parkerzation has flaked off a few places, on the new barrel.
And the rear sight ears were damaged and the peep sight is slightly smashed.
and the entire rear sight can be removed by hand.

Once I got it home and dissasembled it I found the rear sight not working.
The bolt was still packed solid with cosmoline.
The exactractor was damaged.
And it appears that the old welds (drill rifle work) were ground off with a grinder, and look terrrible.

I have been a C&R collector for over a decade, so I own lots of old guns, but this one is at the bottom
of the list.  Heck I own a couple Century Arms made guns that seemed to be put together more competently.


But.....I love old guns; so instead of sending it back, I have gotten to work on it.
I blued the gun where the park. was gone. (looks ok but not great)
Rear sight parts repaired and replaced, and reattached to the rifle.
All cosmoline removed and exactrator repaired.
Waiting for new bracket with bayonet lug.
And will be ordering a new wooden stock for it next week.

I will be shooting it tomorrow and I will see how it goes.

But so far I have no love for Giggs.









Edit : to add picture of the "weld removal".  
And to prove that I am a Gibbs 03-A3 owner, not a drunken angry beaver from the other gun company.

MAN.  Thats brutal.  The James River Armory and the GIBBS 03A4s I've seen look great.  I wonder if the "rough" ones are becoming "Tunnel Busters".

Well, I took my Gibbs 1903-A3 shooting today..  
and I was impressed.  

Because of all the problems (mentioned in my above post)
I was not expecting much, but the gun delivered.

I shot 60 rounds of PrivPart PPU 150gr. FMJ with zero problems.
Open sights, off a bench.

At 50 yards best 3 shot group 0.48"
At 50 yards best 5 shot group 1.42"

At 100 yards best 3 shot group 1.20"
At 100 yards best 5 shot group 2.78"

If my eyes were better and I had used better ammo, I am sure
the groups would be smaller.  But with open sights, thats the
best I can do.  

So I think I will replace the stock and keep this gun.
I still have no love for Gibbs, but I no longer hate them.

Roger3 Where did you get replacement parts? I got a CMP stock for mine, to replace said stock. And I need the stock spring for middle ring. The fiberglass stock did not have this hardware
on it. My front sight was bent and the rear sight hood was damaged in shipping? So I need these parts also.

Guys, I'm not trying to bash anyone, but why wouldn't you send these rifles back? When you consider that you can find examples in original and much nicer condition for around the same price, why would you put up with all this and buy parts on your own to fix what shouldn't be in the first place? I just don't get it.