Just some FYI to pass along. If you are planning on shooting your 03 ? Are you aware there is a certain serial number range with these that it is not safe to shoot them. It has something to do with the lack of proper heat treating the metal... and they can blow up.
Beautiful old rifle, even if you did the photoshop flip on the first picture. Well, that or you have the only morphing ambidextrous rifle in the world.
I love these rifles. What are you going to clean the wood with?
I'm up in the air about refinishing it. Kind of like to keep it totally original but I have seen some absolute beautiful refinished presentation rifles that really catch the eye. If I end up refinishing it I'll repost pics of the work.
I hope you don't refinish it. I love it just as it is.
What period sling do you have in mind? The 1903 was the service rifle until 1942 at least. It was widely used with both the 1907 leather sling and the web sling well into WWII.
Did you know many soldiers came ashore at Normandy in 1944 with the 1903? It was the general issue rifle, and not just as the sniper rifle.
It was widely used in all theatres because there was never enough Garand rifles. That is why the iconic pictures of the Garand with bayonet stuck in the dirt to mark a grave never happened. The Garand was too valuable to waste like that.
Anyway, congratulations on your fine rifle. I hope you shoot it in some matches.
I think I would like the web sling of the leather but It wouldn't matter really. The web sling would fit in period with the date of mine though.I hope you don't refinish it. I love it just as it is.
What period sling do you have in mind? The 1903 was the service rifle until 1942 at least. It was widely used with both the 1907 leather sling and the web sling well into WWII.
Did you know many soldiers came ashore at Normandy in 1944 with the 1903? It was the general issue rifle, and not just as the sniper rifle.
It was widely used in all theatres because there was never enough Garand rifles. That is why the iconic pictures of the Garand with bayonet stuck in the dirt to mark a grave never happened. The Garand was too valuable to waste like that.
Anyway, congratulations on your fine rifle. I hope you shoot it in some matches.
That's a beauty! An 03 or an 03A3 is on my "gotta get" list. Per cleaning the stock (if you want to clean it), I've had good luck with Murphy's Oil Soap to clean the stocks on my old milsurps. After that I generally just give them a few coats of boiled linseed oil.
Always wanted one myself as well. Definitely a must for any US firearms collector, along with the M1 Garand.
Always wanted one myself as well. Definitely a must for any US firearms collector, along with the M1 Garand.
Yep, an 03 or 03A3 would complete my trifecta...
Dude, those are nice! An M1 and and M1 Carbine are both on my list of guns I want when I grow up!
...and Mooney, we're taking that 1903 out the next time I'm down. Just FYI.