SPRINGFIELD ARMORY US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER RANGES (Including Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 [Dated by calendar year: January - December] 1903-1-16000 1904-16001-67000 1905-67001-119000 1906-119001-2694501907-269451-337861 1908-337862-358084 1909-358085-398275 While Remington was struggling with increasing its production rate, the Ordnance Dept. Final approved rifle production based on Ordnance Dept., Small Arms Branch, Industrial Division record summary dated March 10, 1944. The 03A3s had strong nickel steel receivers, and the rear sights were actually better for combat use than the older M1905-pattern sights. Despite these slight modifications, like Markings: The left side of the receiver is . The U.S. government ordered 134,000 M1903s from Remington the same day that the British contracts were canceled. This serial number decoder will translate this information, determining the exact month and year that your specific firearms was created. Also different was the configuration of the stamped and welded trigger guard/magazine assembly behind the front screw hole. It has been reported that a number of Remington M1903s were utilized by the U.S. Marine Corps in some of the early Pacific campaigns. Caliber: .30-06 Springfield. A total of 120,000 SNs were reassigned from M1903 Modified and M1903A3 SN allocation as follows: M1903A3 production phasing out the M1903 Modified began in December 1942 with the first 1909 rifles included in the factory invoice to the Ordnance Dept. Rifle, Cal. And while it has produced everything . Cold Shower Face And Body Wipes | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Review: Taurus G3 Tactical | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Video Review: Browning Citori Hunter Grade II Over/Under Shotgun | NRA Family, Video Review: Savage 93 Minimalist Rifle | NRA Family, Video Review: Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP in 10mm Auto | NRA Family, Make Mine Metal: The Alloy-Frame KelTec P15 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Preview: Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Competitor | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, NRA Women | New for 2022: 20-Gauge Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Preview: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Double-Stack 9 mm Pistol Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. Remington continued production slightly longer but its 03A3 rifle contract was cancelled on Feb. 28, 1944, after the company had produced 707,629 03A3 rifles. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. To this end, in January 1942 the Ordnance Dept. As with the preceding Remington 03s, the barrel had the RA and flaming bomb markings as well as the month and year of production. Action Type: Bolt Action with Internal Magazine. Although nearly identical in configuration, there are several rather subtle differences between the Smith-Corona and Remington stocks. The Ordnance Dept. to moisture gathering in the scope. Remington only used a relatively few serial numbers from the final block, stopping at the very low 4,200,000 serial number range. Fast & Free shipping on many items! Barrel Date: September 1943. During World War II additional manufacturers were added While these changes were marginally helpful, further modifications of the basic design were deemed necessary. stock, M1903 A 3 - was the version There was a period of time when the company manufactured the M1903 Modified and the M1903A3 variants concurrently. Although not used for overseas combat duty in the same numbers as M1 rifles, or even the earlier M1903 variants, some M1903A3 rifles did, in fact, see action. Model: 1903A3 (03-A3) Serial Number: 4021898. Your friends barrel sounds correct. Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine. M1 Garand and began negotiations with High Standard Mfg. In addition, large numbers were shipped to various ordnance facilities for inspection and overhaul prior to being placed in long-term storage, typically after being coated in cosmoline. Now you can dress up your office desk or man cave with a 1:3-scale replica of the best battle implement ever devised.. 2023 Civilian Marksmanship Program. The stocks were stamped with an Ordnance Department escutcheon (crossed cannons) and the initials RLB on the left side below the magazine cut-off recess. I don't recall which ones. Rock Island Arsenal and about 850,000 were produced up until that point. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, "V" Is For Victory: The Smith & Wesson Victory Model Revolver, Rifleman Q&A: Why So Light With The M1 Carbine? Shortly thereafter Remington began updating its tooling and equipment to accommodate the changes required for production of the new rifle. Made from premium-grade, vegetable-tanned leather, the Burdette Custom Holsters Detective SA-35 holster is a custom outside-the-waistband (OWB) model for the Springfield Armory SA-35 semi-automatic pistol. M1903A3 production phasing out the M1903 "Modified" began in December 1942 with the first 1909 rifles included in the factory invoice to the Ordnance Dept. the troops. Remington turned out M1903 and M1903 Modified rifles as fast as production permitted, and they saw use as training rifles and were used in combat fairly early in the war. distinguished easily by the smaller aperture rear sight instead of the The last of the M1903 "Modified" rifles was completed the following March 1943. For Remington 03A3: Is it correct to have all of the parts parkerized, or should some be blued? The Remington component has a straight profile whereas the Smith-Corona part has a semi-circular indention. NOS REMINGTON 1903 1903A3 03-A3 FIRING PIN STAMPED R. $11.99. You can also locate the serial number on the rifle's receiver and request an age approximation by emailing Remington support. It had a 2.75X M73B1 Telescopic Sight and fired the powerful .30-06 cartridge. This series of rifles was originally issued to the many proud and selfless Americans that answered freedom's call during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. - Disclaimer. Numerous World War II vintage photos depict 03A3 rifles employed in overseas combat zones. M1 Rifles but is still used by These early production Remington M1903s were very similar to the 03s turned out by Rock Island late in World War I, including finely finished straight-grip (Type S) stocks with grasping grooves and handguards with a prominent sight-protecting hump. They were well-crafted, finished in black-tinted Parkerizing and utilized the same type of heat treatment as found on late production Springfield M1903s. enable_page_level_ads: true Search this site > > Go to content. granted the company a waiver for use of these non-standard barrels as their utilization would permit High Standard to deliver barrels to Smith-Corona sooner than would otherwise have been possible. His pump-action rifle, based on the dimensions of the . Stamped metal components were used wherever possible, such as on the trigger guard (l.). Unlike some Remington parts, which were stamped R, the majority of Smith-Corona parts were unmarked, although a few marked G have been observed. To this end, in 1941 the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. Mauser rifle, the US military decided it needed a higher power rifle for The M1903 was manufactured by Springfield Armory at varying levels of production from 1903 until the late 1930s and at Rock Island Arsenal from 1903 until 1913 and again from 1917 until just after World War I. By early 1942 the company had made some 649 changes in 03 manufacture to speed production and reduce costs. h3 CJ$ h. hO. Another minor difference was the configuration of the recess for the spring on the lower barrel band. Remingtons started production in 1941 with serial number 3,000,000, it was Some but not all Remington 1903A4 serial numbers have a . does not have any markings on the rifle, as many were produced in haste to Caliber:.30-06 Springfield Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine Markings: The top of the receiver is marked "U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3 . The bolts from such rifles were often mixed during rebuilding, and did not necessarily remain with the original receiver. SPRINGFIELD ARMORY US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER RANGES (Including Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 [Dated by calendar year: January - December] 1903 1 16000 1904 16001 67000 1905 67001 119000 1906 119001 269450 1907 269451 337861 1908 337862 358084 1909 358085 398275 The M1903A3s stock was similar to the straight grip stock previously utilized with the M1903 Modified but was inletted to accept the barrel guard ring necessitated by the longer handguard. The Springfield M1903 can trace its design roots to the Spanish Mauser .30, M1903A4, Snipers and was basically a standard M1903A3 rifle without the front sight attached (although the milling cuts were present) fitted with a Redfield Junior mount screwed to the receiver ring and attached to the rear sight dovetail. Serial number ranges for the production years of M1903 Springfield, including Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production . | g g g g $ SPRINGFIELD ARMORY US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER RANGES (Including Rock Island Arsenal, Remington, and Smith-Corona production) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 [Dated by calendar year: January December] 1903116000 19041600167000 190567001119000 1906119001269450 1907269451337861 1908337862358084 1909358085398275 1910398276456375 1911456376502045 1912502046531520 1913531521570560 1914570561595600 1915595601620120 1916620121632825 1917632826761757 19187617581055091 191910550921162500 192011625011211299 192112113001239640 192212396411252386 192312523871261486 192412614871267100 192512671011270300 192612703011274764 192712747651285265 192812852661305900 192913059011338405 193013384061369760 193113697611404025 193214040261425933 193314259341441811 193414418121491531 193514915321496022 1936PRODUCTION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED 193714960231510387 1938193915103881532878 Total: 1340000. Representatives of the British government turned to the United States for the acquisition of new arms. Remington 1903A3 Serial numbers, barrel date. It was built with an ever increasing number of stamped parts until sometime in 1942 by Remington. , L 0 | X { X X ( { h ! Even after adoption of the M1, however, the 03 remained the primary American service rifle until production of the Garand could meet the demand. Check the serial numbers located on the left side of the barrel on your Remington shotgun. high speed projectile and its accuracy. during this time that the finger grooved walnut stock was replaced by Any such parts on a Smith-Corona 03A3 encountered today were installed at some point after the rifle left the factory, again, normally as part of an arsenal rebuild. Some changes were fairly easy to accomplish, and others were more involved. This huge increase in demand coupled with production problems stemming from use of the nearly worn-out Rock Island machinery resulted in something of a dilemma for Remington if the ambitious production schedules were to be met. Although most had previously been arsenal-overhauled before being placed into storage, some were never issued and remained in factory-new condition. Remingtons started production in 1941 with serial number 3,000,000, it was during this time that the finger grooved walnut stock was replaced by cheaper versions and the M1903-A3 was born. In October 1942, Remington was given permission to produce two-groove barrels for the M1903A3 as prior testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground revealed that satisfactory accuracy could be obtained with them. Most of the early production Remington M1903s were diverted to military aid requirements similar to Lend-Lease for our Commonwealth allies, and many of these rifles were sent to New Zealand forces. In June 1943, the Ordnance Department ordered an additional 8,365 03A4 rifles from Remington. The barrel has two groove rifling sharp and very . Many were subsequently sold via the auspices of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) and given away to allied nations under various military aid programs. Civilian firms that had never produced war material or arms were soon turning out vast quantities of desperately needed items with which to fight the war. The initial order for 134,000 was increased to 308,000 and again raised to 508,000, with a target production rate of 2,000 rifles per day. Most 03A4s had full pistol grip (Type C) stocks but, as stated, some were also delivered with the scant grip stock. The disaster at Dunkirk left the British in extremely perilous straits as thousands of badly needed rifles were abandoned in France when British troops were evacuated to England. The M1903, up until the United States involvement in World War I was Remington began deliveries of the new variant in December 1942. Make: Remington. Actual assembled rifles in the Remington warehouse inventory awaiting Ordnance inspection as shown on the Planning Supervisors Accounting Summary dated March 9, 1943. All end-of-month SNs are calculated approximations only. The U.S. War Department agreed to lease Remington the somewhat worn Rock Island 03 manufacturing equipment and provided some 600,000 walnut rifle stock blanks also in storage. Plans were made to increase M1 rifle production at Springfield Armory, and the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. was granted a production contract for the Garand. Early production M1903A4 rifles had four-groove barrels, but this was soon changed to two-groove barrels, and the bulk of them had the latter. produced by either The Springfield Armory (when it was federally owned) or This was commenced at Springfield Armory at approximately serial number 800,000 and at Rock Island Arsenal at exactly serial number 285,507. These had six grooves and were initially produced for commercial rifles before being diverted to the 03A3 production program. The British were pressing for new rifles as soon as possible, and passage of Lend-Lease legislation opened up other avenues of arms procurement. No such comparable statistics are known to exist beyond February 1943. It should be recognized that the production shortcuts were phased in over a period of time. U.S. MILITARY DATES OF MANUFACTURE U.S. Military M1903, & M1903A3 Rifle: Remington: Covering numbers: 3000001 - 5784000. As the war progressed and production caught up with demand, Smith-Coronas production contract was cancelled on Feb. 19, 1944, by which time the firm had manufactured 234,580 M1903A3s. Visually they can be distinguished easily by the smaller aperture rear sight instead of the barrel mounted sight like previous rifles. "All Remington 1903A4 production was in 1943 and fell between serial numbers 3407088 and 4998320. Such rifles should be regarded as collectors items, not shooters.. barrel mounted sight like previous rifles. The rifles continued to serve as ceremonial rifles by veterans organizations such as the VFW, AL, DAV and many others. Barrel Date: September 1943. between 1903 and 1906, M1903 NRA - sold only to NRA Existing Model 1903 Springfield rifles in the governments inventory, along with substantial numbers of obsolescent but serviceable Model 1917 rifles, were taken from storage and reconditioned as necessary for issue. All original swept-back bolts are definitely high number. It proved impossible to determine, without destructive testing, which receivers and bolts were so affected and therefore potentially dangerous. Currently, M1903 and M1903A3 models are not available, and CMP is not accepting orders. The Remington and Smith-Corona M1903A3 rifles provided yeoman-like service to U.S. armed forces during World War II. Visually they can be Many rifles can be found today with Parkerized bolts, which indicate that the components were refinished, typically as part of a post-World War II Ordnance Dept. | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Throwback Thursday: "The Desert Fox" | NRA Family, Throwback Thursday: What's a Sten Gun? The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. f x In January 1943, the War Department contracted with Remington for 20,000 sniper rifles based on the M1903A3. CJ( = * = P c v Production slowly increased, and by December 1942, Smith-Corona had manufactured 5,540 03A3s. enable_page_level_ads: true The recess on the Smith-Corona stocks had a rounded profile while the Remington stocks had a square profile. High Standard was interested in the contract, but it was already operating at near peak capacity with existing contracts and would be unable to serve as prime contractor on the new project. The CMP advises to not use .30/06 ammunition in M1 Garands, 1903s, and 1903A3s that is loaded beyond 50,000 CUP and has a bullet weight more than 172-174gr. c Generally speaking, low number bolts can be distinguished from high-number bolts by the angle at which the bolt handle is bent down. Remington agreed to pay for the stock blanks by manufacturing cartridges for the U.S. government under future contracts. This article was first published in American Rifleman, November 2002.Few arms have served the U.S. military as long or as well as the famed U.S. Many of the rifles were utilized for training purposes stateside, but a number were shipped overseas for issue as supplemental service rifles. This series of rifles was originally issued to the many proud and selfless Americans that answered freedoms call during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine The new rifle was designated U.S. The U.S. M1903 and M1903A3 "Springfield" rifles are the greatest of all U.S. military issue bolt action rifles. Korean War in favor of the After the conclusion of World War II, some of the M1903A3 rifles were sent to various and sundry foreign nations. The rebuilt examples can be identified by the arsenal rebuild stamps on the stock, the presence of parts with mixed contractor codes and Parkerized furniture (including bolts). Rifleman Q&A: CMP M1903A3 Sling Modifications? The first pilot batch of 20 Smith-Corona M1903A3 rifles was completed in October 1942, and mass production began in November, a month ahead of Remingtons initial delivery of 03A3 rifles. There were also some serial numbers used for M1903A4 sniper rifle production from this final block as well. The serial number indicates the gun was manufactured by Remington in March 1943, although the barrel date is for September 1943. Any bolt found on a Smith-Corona rifle, other than one marked X on top of the bolt handle, or unmarked, is a replacement and not a factory original component. When it was gradually phased out as parts on hand were used up. Remington sought to increase production by reducing cosmetic touches such as careful polishing of the metal prior to Parkerizing and eliminating some non-essential features. The Smith Corona M1903 rifle usually The left side of the stock was stamped FJA (for Col. Frank J. Atwood), RA (Remington Arms) and the crossed cannons Ordnance Department escutcheon. The .38 Smith & Wesson Special, designed in 1898, rocked the handgun realm with its ballistic performance making it a cartridge for the history books. The stamped parts included the lower barrel band (and band spring), butt swivel, magazine follower and, eventually, a one-piece trigger guard/magazine assembly. Despite the shortcuts employed in the manufacture, the M1903A3 rifles were every bit as serviceable as the better-finished earlier production rifles. 1903 due to politics and the use of a new standard issue rifle only 9 On the eve of Americas active involvement in World War II, it was apparent that there would be a serious shortage of service rifles for its rapidly expanding armed forces. This early example (top) has a straight stock and grasping grooves in the fore-end. Look up a Remington serial number by using Remington Serial Number Lookup. 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