1903 conversion to 300win mag

[Cheezle56]

Just get you one of these and start modifying http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.as...ion&groupid=12

EXACTLY! Build one of those into your super awesome, launches a bullet into low earth orbit to kill both the tooth fairy and unicorn shes riding on on the other side of the earth in one shot rifles! (NEMO Omen poster reference) ... point being get one of those, build it up and show us what you made in giving that dead warhorse a new life.

[kendog4570]

Just get you one of these and start modifying http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.as...ion&groupid=12

The receivers from AIM are recovered from drill rifles. They all have been welded to some degree, at the ring and at the cut off.

[TMB 1]

The receivers from AIM are recovered from drill rifles. They all have been welded to some degree, at the ring and at the cut off.

Yeah I knew that. Would it make it dangerous to build a 300 mag? I see where a lot of people build them in 30-06.

[highpower]

Personally, if I was stubborn enough to want to go ahead and spend $ to decrease the value of a highly collectable gun just because I could, I would start with a 03-A3. All the receivers and bolts were made from nickel steel and dimensionally were held to very close tolerances.

High number Springfields (after 1,200,000 or so) are also nickel steel. But the whole argument begs the question, why spend money to make your stuff worth less? If you aren't using the rifle sell it, take the money and use it to buy a rifle that is already in 300 Mag and use any left over funds to personalize it. Maybe paint it or something.......

[kendog4570]

Personally, if I was stubborn enough to want to go ahead and spend $ to decrease the value of a highly collectable gun just because I could, I would start with a 03-A3. All the receivers and bolts were made from nickel steel 4140 or 8620

Fixed it for you.

and dimensionally were held to very close tolerances.

Not so much as the 03.

[kendog4570]

Well, it appears we are both right. I shot my trap off before I checked my resources!
The Remington 1903 was made of the same 2340 steel as the nickel steel SA'a and RI"s. The 03-A3's were made of an alloy that had a reduction of the nickel content and added molybdenum that put it in the 4000 series of steels, but still had some nickel in the alloy.
The bottom line is late production 03's and all A3's were made of the best steels available for their intended purpose.

[highpower]

Not so much as the 03.

Hard to say if the '03 was "better". I have screwed dozens of barrels on '03's and '03-A3's and in nearly every instance, the witness marks line up perfectly. I still find it somewhat amazing that manufacturer's could turn out the gillions of parts that were churned out during the war and have them almost universally fit with out any problems.

[major burnout]

I saw a clean sporterized 1903A3 chambered in .308 Norma mag. It even had nice slot ports in the original barrel. Thinking of a 6.5lbs magnum rifle makes my sholder hurt.

[Remus]

If your gun is in original condition - my recommendation is to sell it and purchase an already sporterized rifle. Why? Because after completing that transaction you will have 300-400 dollars in your pocket to have a smith complete the work for you. You may also find a used rifle with the chambering already done - that would be money used towards new optics.

I've got no issue with sporterizing a rifle but you may save some money going this route.

[kendog4570]

Hard to say if the '03 was "better". I have screwed dozens of barrels on '03's and '03-A3's and in nearly every instance, the witness marks line up perfectly. I still find it somewhat amazing that manufacturer's could turn out the gillions of parts that were churned out during the war and have them almost universally fit with out any problems.

Thread timing has always been good on US Service rifles back to the trapdoor. The A3 was redesigned and tolerances were liberalized to take advantage of modern production methods of the day, and also to speed production of complete rifles. The receiver and bolt were among the parts that underwent the engineering studies and revisions, and the A3 is considered quite a bit more coarse as compared to a 1920's 03. Functionally they are identical.