Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a straight grip, metal nose cap, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 reinforcing bolts, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The rear sight is a fully adjustable aperture sight marked from “2-8” on the top and “0” with hash marks on the rear. Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set in a raised base. There are a few other small markings on the rifle. Atwood cartouche, an “OG” cartouche, and an “RA” cartouche. The left side of the stock has a boxed “FJA” Frank J. The right side of the front sight blade is marked “C”. The right side of the front sight base, magazine cut off, left of the nosecap, stacking loop, front sling loop, safety, right rear of the bolt, and underside of the bolt handle are marked marked “R”. The bottom of the forend is stamped with boxed and circled numbers in front of the bottom metal. The bottom of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof and “H”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 9- 43”. Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. Barrel Date: September 1943Īction Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine brucev.Year of Manufacture: 1943 ( of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition). round-nosed ammo and a good practical knowledge of anatomy, it will handle anything in the world up to and including the Big Five. With the right load, it would settle the hash of any game animal that walks or crawls in North America. It's hard to improve on a 03 or 03-A3 rifle for just about anything at all. if of course I do my part! Looking back I think that Mr. I expect that if opportunity presents itself, this rifle will prove up to the challenge. This year, as since 1980, I will go forth deer hunting. Using selected handloads, it will consistently keep five rounds under that magic one minute of angle that I have always considered the hallmark of a quality rifle. With Greek HXP M-2 ball it produces five shot groups of under 1.25 inches. It is set up exactly like the 03-A4 as issued in WWII, Korea and even Vietnam. However last year I found and bought a very nice 03 A4orgery assembled by a gunsmith in Denver, CO. And the days of my using a iron sighted 03 or 03-A3 for serious deer hunting are over.

Nowadays, the worn out and museum type rifles are gone. Since 1980 when I bought that first one, I've owned a pile of various 03 and 03-A3 rifles. The assistant scout master of my Boy Scout troop had advised me that it would be a good rifle to use as I wanted to begin deer hunting. The very first centerfire rifle I ever bought was a 03-A3.

Remington 1903a3 serial numbers