WW1 1903's

[Pred@tor]

Whats the going price for em these days? I have seen them at gun shows for 700 bucks + I want a bare bones stock 1903 someday...

[smle-man]

A low number 03 in all orignal condition will bring up to the low 1,000s. A low number 03 that was rebuilt for WW2 is a 5-600 rifle. No low number 03 is recommended to be shot due to brittle receivers. High number 03s started in 1918 in the 850,00 range for Springfield and about 280,000 for Rock Island. Shooter grade 03s made by Springfield, Rock Island or Remington are in the 5-600 range. All correct parts, proper dated barrel and correct stock bring more money.

[gunboat]

IF low numbered recievers were considered unsafe, why would they be arsenal rebuilt in WWII? All of this info was known long before WWII. I think they were considered suspect for any loads MORE powerful than standard 06 loading. I am also aware that at one time, c1960's, you could exchange your low number receiver for a later one, this was generally those that were wanting to convert to mag calibers.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

They rebuilt them to use standard military ball ammunition, which is not nearly as hot as modern .30-06 hunting ammunition. Also remember that any low serial number guns are now 40+ years older than they were in the 1960s. And you have no idea what people have put through it since it was pulled from active service. If you are looking for a stock, or near stock rifle, $600-800 is not unreasonable. If you want original WWI configuration, you can easly double that. American rifles always command a premium here. I can pick up half a dozen mausers in better condition for that price, simply because they were used elsewhere, not here.

-Mb

[smle-man]

IF low numbered recievers were considered unsafe, why would they be arsenal rebuilt in WWII? All of this info was known long before WWII. I think they were considered suspect for any loads MORE powerful than standard 06 loading. I am also aware that at one time, c1960's, you could exchange your low number receiver for a later one, this was generally those that were wanting to convert to mag calibers.

They rebuilt them and reissued them because there was a shortage of weapons on hand. This decision was a calculated risk which often happens in wartime when people's lives are expendable.

It isn't an issue of standing up to loads more powerful than the standard military ball round but rather handling a case failure of any round, standard or not. Low number actions with 'burnt' steel are notoriously brittle, some have failed just by being dropped onto a concrete floor or from being wacked by a hammer, even after having been used succesfully for years prior. The failures seem to have happened when the case had a rupture at the base, more common with the poor quality ammo in WW1 and the 20s. The theory is that any action that was going to fail has failed by now but information that I have gleaned shows that actions have shattered in the manner I described post WW2. There are enough high numbered rifles around that I wouldn't shoot a low number rifle. Remember that your skull is inches away from 50,000 psi every time you fire that 03 and decide if you want to shoot that low number potentially brittle actioned rifle or not.

[gunboat]

Please show any documentation of any springfield shattering by being dropped on a concrete floor or even by being struck by a hammer. -- A tale repeated often enough does not make it true -- Even eddystones enfields generally fail with cracked receivers rather than shattering - The need for weapons was not serious enough to rebuild and REISSUE known faulty weapons ------If the weapons were considered unsafe they would certainly have been destryed after WWI when there was a tremendous surplus of springfields, Enfields, Krags and even Russian m91s available --- I do believe many USMC springfields were low number, rebuilt and reissued several times until about '43 -- Your mileage may differ --

[FinweElensar]

I have a "my face is too valuable to get shattered by a brittle receiver risk" documentation somewhere. CMP's advice carries more weight than gunboat's.

[smle-man]

Please show any documentation of any springfield shattering by being dropped on a concrete floor or even by being struck by a hammer. -- A tale repeated often enough does not make it true -- Even eddystones enfields generally fail with cracked receivers rather than shattering - The need for weapons was not serious enough to rebuild and REISSUE known faulty weapons ------If the weapons were considered unsafe they would certainly have been destryed after WWI when there was a tremendous surplus of springfields, Enfields, Krags and even Russian m91s available --- I do believe many USMC springfields were low number, rebuilt and reissued several times until about '43 -- Your mileage may differ --

I suggest you do your own research. If you don't believe that the receivers are failure prone - shoot away. I've studied it enough that I'm not going to do it. Best of luck.

[gunboat]

Whoa -- I suggest you do the research. It was your claim that low number receivers shatter when dropped on a concrete floor -- I only asked where you got that info -- I never indicated that low number receivers were not suspect, only that that they were not bombs with standard '06 loads. -- I think this is end of story --

[Springfield45]

Here is a good study on the Catastrophic failure of 1903 receivers by the numbers. And a good one source for SA 1903 information.

http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/

[John Browning]

An all original 1903 brings at least 1,000 in rough condition, and the prices shoot up quickly from there. A pre-war SA made in 1913 and in decent condition and original just went for around $3500 on Gunbroker.

[gunboat]

Maybe my grandchildren will get a good price for my Springfield Mark I - SA 6-19 ---- 1109846 ---

[Pred@tor]

Thanks fellas well this has been quite a discussion!

[Cato]

Over a grand?!

I got a M1903 recently that was made in 1917 from CMP for under $700. Barrel is shot out though.

[smle-man]

Here's my CMP '03; Springfield 1931 with a mint SA 42 barrel and WW2 wood. I think I got it when they were $500.



Top: RIA 1919 with a WW2 HS 44 barrel and WW2 wood.
Middle: SA 03 CMP
Bottom: Remington 03A3 1943 with a 4 groove RA barrel and Boyt 1943 sling