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Posted: 3/22/2013 8:32:45 PM EDT
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I got a really good deal on a nice Remington 1903A3 and I would really like to get it back to original mil spec or close to it. I see alot of the answers to this question usually state that mil surp can be found for reasonable prices. No so much in my neck of the woods. I have come across a few from estate sales that have alot of surface rust and pitting going for $700. Not worth it. I picked up a beautiful sporterized rifle for $250.
If you have done this, what needed to be done?, How much did it cost? Any specific issues I need to be aware of with a sporterized rifle? The origianl front sight has been removed and replaced with a more modern ramp site. I am assuming this will have to be pressed off. Honestly I got it just before a deployment along with an M44. The later of the two need some TLC so I didn't get much time with the 03' at all as it was really clean. Thanks with any insight and tips. Crizzy |
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Quoted:
I got a really good deal on a nice Remington 1903A3 and I would really like to get it back to original mil spec or close to it. I see alot of the answers to this question usually state that mil surp can be found for reasonable prices. No so much in my neck of the woods. I have come across a few from estate sales that have alot of surface rust and pitting going for $700. Not worth it. I picked up a beautiful sporterized rifle for $250. If you have done this, what needed to be done?, How much did it cost? Any specific issues I need to be aware of with a sporterized rifle? The origianl front sight has been removed and replaced with a more modern ramp site. I am assuming this will have to be pressed off. Honestly I got it just before a deployment along with an M44. The later of the two need some TLC so I didn't get much time with the 03' at all as it was really clean. Thanks with any insight and tips. Crizzy For some reason I want to see a picture of this poor bastardized 1903 
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Got to wait until I get home. Currently over seas. I will say it is nice looking and was well done. However I want to look the way it was intended. As I said the ones I could find at the time were in poor shape. I was able to get an M44 and 1903 for the same price as a rusty 1903 in original dress. So I rolled the dice and worse case scenario I have a decent hunting rifle if I can get it back to an original look. 
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What has to be done depends upon how it was sporterized.
I have one that was "sporterized" by a simple stock replacement. A stock swap was all I needed to do. I have one (a Remington 03A3) that was a complete sporterizing that included machining off the rear sight, barrel replacement, forcing the bolt to clear a scope, refinishing, high-quality sporter stock, etc. The work was excellent, and it's a fine rifle in it's own right, but there's no way to change it back to original. Back when O3A3 actions were a dime a dozen, many of them were built into sporters. There isn't a generic "It will take X to return it to original" because it all depends upon what was done to sporterize it. Pics would help determine what needs to be done. Things like modified bolts, ground off sights, cut barrels, etc. are all pretty key to know. I've noticed the same thing with Springfields and pricing, it's risen quite a bit in the last few years. I think I would have bit on a sporter at $250 as well. Your logic is good. Even if you can't restore it, it will likely be an excellent rifle anyway that would be hard to duplicate in quality with a commercial rifle anywhere close to that price. |
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Quoted:
It still has the rear sight and it has been blued. The only other thing I could see was the front sight being changed out. If memory is correct I dont think the bolt was altered either. As long as there hasn't been any cutting or really chaning shapes of things, it's not that bad. The only thing with the front sight is how it's on there. The original barrel has a milled keyway for the front sight assembly. If the new front sight has screwed that up, it might need a new barrel. You may not know until you get the front sight off. How the front sight is on there depends on who did it. Bubba might have used JB Weld. Some gunsmith might have silver soldered it. Someone else might have done some milling to the barrel to fix it on. It sounds like you can restore it. I'd price it out before sinking any more money into it first though. Once you start buying parts, and getting work done to it by someone else, it can add up to not being worth it. No point in spending $1000 to fix it right, if you can buy an original for less. I'd say if you don't need a new barrel, you're pretty much set. A new barrel, with an install and headspacing, and repark, and you're starting to get into not being worth it. Little parts aren't really that big a deal cost wise, and it's half the fun finding the stuff and putting it together. It's just the expensive stuff that's a show stopper. Either way, I still think you did well. You got into it cheap enough to spend a couple bucks on it to restore it. If you don't it's still a great rifle cheap. |
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