1903 stock cartouche question

[highpower]

0351USMC, the bolt on your rifle is parkerized so it is not original to your rifle as it was produced. The bolt sleeve is a S-C, the mix and matched parts are all typical of a rifle that went through a test and inspection at an arsenal.

There were thousands of them sold through the DCM sales program back in the early '60's. Unlike the (much) later rifles brought back from Greece and sold through the CMP, those sold 50+ years ago were either new (unissued) or completely refurbished by the government.

I bet that if you check your barrel date against the date your receiver was made, you will find that it is the original barrel. The date on the barrels can typically be up to three months prior to the date the receiver was produced.

[SVT-40]

Pinned stocks were early production. I have one on my 03 refurb from the CMP. It has a SA42 barrel on it and pinned stock that is for either an 03 or 03A3.

Yup, and the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) inspector Frank Krack (FK) Only worked at RIA from 1920 to 1930....So that particular stock was probably at one time on a 03 rifle....and was removed from that rifle, and placed on your 03-A3 during refurb....

Pretty cool!!

[highpower]

My information shows Frank Krack's tenure at Rock Island Arsenal was from 1940-51. His inspectors and/or rework mark appears on M1903/1903-A3 rifles M1911A1 pistols and M1 carbines.

The pins in the stock indicate that it is an early WWII 1903-A3 stock. The earliest Remington stocks (and rifles) were patterned after late (1918) Rock Island production 1903's. This included having finger grooved forearms and stock bolts. Very early in 1942 the grooves disappeared and all Remington and S-C stocks after that were produced W/O the grooves. Around the time the -A3 variation appeared (late 1942) the stocks were made with the pins. It was found during field use that the pinned stocks would tend to crack when launching grenades, so the pins were replaced with bolts.

[Manolito]

I learn so much here. Thanks for the great pictures and the education.

[Flyin Brian]

The P behind the trigger guard is a rebuild mark.

Are you sure about this Emcon? I've always understood the P stamp to be a proof mark.

[SVT-40]

My information shows Frank Krack's tenure at Rock Island Arsenal was from 1940-51. His inspectors and/or rework mark appears on M1903/1903-A3 rifles M1911A1 pistols and M1 carbines.

The pins in the stock indicate that it is an early WWII 1903-A3 stock. The earliest Remington stocks (and rifles) were patterned after late (1918) Rock Island production 1903's. This included having finger grooved forearms and stock bolts. Very early in 1942 the grooves disappeared and all Remington and S-C stocks after that were produced W/O the grooves. Around the time the -A3 variation appeared (late 1942) the stocks were made with the pins. It was found during field use that the pinned stocks would tend to crack when launching grenades, so the pins were replaced with bolts.

Interesting... The 1903 board info I saw had him from 1920 to 1930???

Just goes to show that you can learn something new every day!!!

[pro-nra]

Im pretty sure,its 4 groover.

Look down the bore and check. With a 9-43 barrel date and 4M serial number it should be a two groover. IIRC RA changed to two groove mid 43.

As been mentioned, pinned stock is for early rifles which is not correct for a 4M rifle like yours. It is still a very nice early stock.

[smle-man]

I had a late 43 RA barrel that was 4 groove on another refurbed 03A3.

[highpower]

Look down the bore and check. With a 9-43 barrel date and 4M serial number it should be a two groover. IIRC RA changed to two groove mid 43.

As been mentioned, pinned stock is for early rifles which is not correct for a 4M rifle like yours. It is still a very nice early stock.

Not a large data base by any means as these are the only Remington A3's I have:

03-A3 Serial number 3924453-receiver made in Sept. 1943, barrel date 9-43 and is a two groove.



03-A3 serial number 3875897- receiver made in July 1943, barrel date 5-43 and has a four groove barrel.



So from my extremely small sample it would appear the yes indeed, the change was mid year 1943

[smle-man]

Stock stamps on two of my 03A3s. The bottom rifle in the first picture was sold off. The stock had been heavily BLOd. The 404 series rifle is the one with the late date 4 groove barrel past the date usually considered the change over to 2 groove. Perhaps the barrel had been made up but not finished until later when it was date stamped? Since it had an SC bolt shroud I think the rifle had gone through an inspection and repair even though the stock wasn't so marked. It also came with a Boyt 1943 dated sling. Who can say what happened so many decades later! Wish I had kept it but at the time I wanted something more than I wanted this rifle.

[rdfact]

Can you guys school me on the bolt finish? I have seen several 03-A3s with black bolts, not blued or Parkerized. Is that an arsenal refinish or bubba'ed? Where do you look on the bolt to see if it is original to the rifle/receiver?

And why is there a hole on the front left side of the receiver?

[SVT-40]

My information shows Frank Krack's tenure at Rock Island Arsenal was from 1940-51. His inspectors and/or rework mark appears on M1903/1903-A3 rifles M1911A1 pistols and M1 carbines.

The pins in the stock indicate that it is an early WWII 1903-A3 stock. The earliest Remington stocks (and rifles) were patterned after late (1918) Rock Island production 1903's. This included having finger grooved forearms and stock bolts. Very early in 1942 the grooves disappeared and all Remington and S-C stocks after that were produced W/O the grooves. Around the time the -A3 variation appeared (late 1942) the stocks were made with the pins. It was found during field use that the pinned stocks would tend to crack when launching grenades, so the pins were replaced with bolts.

I reviewed some pic's of my 03-A4.... Sure enough there were the boxed RIA over FK markings...

[smle-man]

Can you guys school me on the bolt finish? I have seen several 03-A3s with black bolts, not blued or Parkerized. Is that an arsenal refinish or bubba'ed? Where do you look on the bolt to see if it is original to the rifle/receiver?

And why is there a hole on the front left side of the receiver?

Either replacement bolts or perhaps Greek reworks.

[Mustang]

And why is there a hole on the front left side of the receiver?

Gas vent...helps to direct gases away from the shooter's face in the event of a case rupture.

Sometimes referred to as a "Hatcher hole" after Julian Hatcher.

[highpower]

Can you guys school me on the bolt finish? I have seen several 03-A3s with black bolts, not blued or Parkerized. Is that an arsenal refinish or bubba'ed? Where do you look on the bolt to see if it is original to the rifle/receiver?

And why is there a hole on the front left side of the receiver?

The bolts as produced by Remington were mostly a very dark blued/black color. I have heard that the very late bolts were parkerized on production rifles, but I have only seen that finish on S-C production bolts, those made by some subcontractors, replacement bolts and on rifles that were obviously refinished.

The hole on the left side of the receiver is called the "Hatcher Hole". Named after Major Julian Hatcher, it was designed to allow gasses from a ruptured cartridge to safely escape from the rifle. Not generally present on early 1903 rifles, it became standard on new production 1903 rifles in the '30s. All 1903-A3 rifles have the Hatcher Hole.

The Marine Corps, who kept their Springfields through the early part of the war, modified them during arsenal overhauls by drilling the hole in the receiver. Thus there are some early 1903 rifles that will have the Hatcher Hole.

Edited to add that Mustang seems to have beat me to it.