Left handed Springfield 1903

[Mustang]

Anyone ever seen a left handed conversion of the Springfield 1903?

[highpower]

Holy moley that was a lot of work to do that conversion. It looks like they re-indexed the barrel 180 degrees and flipped the bolt over??

[smle-man]

I saw a LH conversion in which the handle was cut off and welded to the port side sticking at about a 70 degree angle. To work the bolt it was pulled down and back to open, forward and up to close. A lot easier than that nice conversion!

[pacrat]

Is that a Sedgley?

My gunsmith cousin back in Missouri had one. But it's been years.

[MasterChief]

Ah, Sedgley...

Saw an article decades ago about a Sedgley conversion so I know at least one existed. Cannot fathom how he did the locking lug surfaces.

[TRAP55]

Built this .264WM for a friend about 34yrs ago, with nothing to go on but an idea. Good thing the cocking pieces were plentiful, and cheap then, because I filled coffee can full of ideas, that didn't work. First, last, and never again, lefty conversion. First Maple stock I did from a 60% inlet too. My best work, he still hunts with it, still looks that good, and it's still a tack driver. Wish I could still checker like that!

[Mustang]

Built this .264WM for a friend about 34yrs ago, with nothing to go on but an idea. Good thing the cocking pieces were plentiful, and cheap then, because I filled coffee can full of ideas, that didn't work. First, last, and never again, lefty conversion. First Maple stock I did from a 60% inlet too. My best work, he still hunts with it, still looks that good, and it's still a tack driver. Wish I could still checker like that!

Nice job, Trap!

I saw the lefty 1903 on auction and wondered if anyone else had ever seen one. Never dreamed I knew someone who had actually done one.

That stock is a beauty. It reminds me of a maple stock that is on one of my sported 03A3's (still in a righty configuration )

[78marz]

Beauties

[Sutcliffe]

Wow

Never heard of it before. At what point would it be more cost effective to build a custom rifle from scratch?

[TRAP55]

Back then there wasn't a whole lot of options for a lefty, so if you wanted one, you built it, or had it built. I don't remember what he paid for the stock, but I know a blank like that today would run you $4-500.
Mustang, is that the real color on that stock? I've never seen a Maple stock colored like that, pretty wood!
About half way into building that one, when it was really kicking my butt, I can remember telling myself, WTH were were you thinking! The cocking piece was the hardest part, trying to get all the angles to work, and then work with the safety too.
I had it Twice! First time I was all proud of myself, then realized with the bolt locking lugs 180, I still needed to lap the lugs. Tossed that one in the idea can. Pulled the barrel, lap lugs, re-install barrel, set headspace. A few more in the can, and I nailed it again. Testing it one last time before I hardened it, I rounded off the cam surface. Used it for a template, and hardened the next one.

[SVT-40]

Pretty cool..

[Mustang]

Back then there wasn't a whole lot of options for a lefty, so if you wanted one, you built it, or had it built. I don't remember what he paid for the stock, but I know a blank like that today would run you $4-500.
Mustang, is that the real color on that stock? I've never seen a Maple stock colored like that, pretty wood!
About half way into building that one, when it was really kicking my butt, I can remember telling myself, WTH were were you thinking! The cocking piece was the hardest part, trying to get all the angles to work, and then work with the safety too.
I had it Twice! First time I was all proud of myself, then realized with the bolt locking lugs 180, I still needed to lap the lugs. Tossed that one in the idea can. Pulled the barrel, lap lugs, re-install barrel, set headspace. A few more in the can, and I nailed it again. Testing it one last time before I hardened it, I rounded off the cam surface. Used it for a template, and hardened the next one.

Thanks for the explanation Trap.

That is the color of the wood on my sported A3. I glommed that A3 years ago because the metal was intact, figuring on restoring it. Still haven't gotten around to it.

Years later, I bought a "parts lot" that included an SA 1903 barrel, a refinished FN Mauser with a .308 barrel, a SC 03A3 stock/handguard and a partially completed Maple stock. Those maple stocks are beautiful.

[TRAP55]

I glommed that A3 years ago because the metal was intact

I would have glommed it, just for the stock!
All the rest of the pics on that build, are on a borked hard drive, including the two I managed to get in the sunlight. That pic posted doesn't do it justice. In the sunlight, it looks like it has gold metal flake in it. Fresno gunsmith and my mentor, Jack Blake, walked me through a finish he came up with for Maple stocks. A wealth of info was lost when he passed.
Rick and I, the buddy I built it for, butted heads on the checkering. I didn't want to do it because it would detract from that beautiful wood, and look more like a blemish. He insisted, so I outlined it, then showed it to him, and he regretted his decision. He went home to sleep on it. He knew option A was hours of sanding again, and deer season was a few weeks away.
I had soot on my hands doing some inletting on another stock, went to move his stock out of my way, and the soot got in the checkering. First I was ticked at myself, then the more I looked at it, the light bulb came on. Cut two more light passes, then wiped on some black leather dye thinned with mineral spirits. Put the last coat of poly on it, rubbed it out, and waxed it.
I had it sitting in my gun vise when Rick showed up the next day with a big package of sandpaper, ready to start over again. He just got a big smile, handed me the paper, and said he wouldn't be needing it.
First shot on the test fire, was right in the black. Next one, an inch off at 2 oclock, next three were all over the paper. Action bedded, barrel floated, everything was tight. Brought it back home trying to figure out what went wrong, and found the barrel wasn't floated anymore. The heat from the barrel had raised the birdseyes in the barrel channel like a bunch of set screws! Floated again and back to the range. Printed a nice 100yrd 5 shot cloverleaf.

[Mustang]

I would have glommed it, just for the stock!
All the rest of the pics on that build, are on a borked hard drive, including the two I managed to get in the sunlight. That pic posted doesn't do it justice. In the sunlight, it looks like it has gold metal flake in it. Fresno gunsmith and my mentor, Jack Blake, walked me through a finish he came up with for Maple stocks. A wealth of info was lost when he passed.
Rick and I, the buddy I built it for, butted heads on the checkering. I didn't want to do it because it would detract from that beautiful wood, and look more like a blemish. He insisted, so I outlined it, then showed it to him, and he regretted his decision. He went home to sleep on it. He knew option A was hours of sanding again, and deer season was a few weeks away.
I had soot on my hands doing some inletting on another stock, went to move his stock out of my way, and the soot got in the checkering. First I was ticked at myself, then the more I looked at it, the light bulb came on. Cut two more light passes, then wiped on some black leather dye thinned with mineral spirits. Put the last coat of poly on it, rubbed it out, and waxed it.
I had it sitting in my gun vise when Rick showed up the next day with a big package of sandpaper, ready to start over again. He just got a big smile, handed me the paper, and said he wouldn't be needing it.
First shot on the test fire, was right in the black. Next one, an inch off at 2 oclock, next three were all over the paper. Action bedded, barrel floated, everything was tight. Brought it back home trying to figure out what went wrong, and found the barrel wasn't floated anymore. The heat from the barrel had raised the birdseyes in the barrel channel like a bunch of set screws! Floated again and back to the range. Printed a nice 100yrd 5 shot cloverleaf.

Amazing that the birdseye would do that