Old 1903 Springfields

[Bart B.]

Does anybody have a load that is on the mild side and is somewhat accurate?

45 grains of IMR4064 under a good 165 or 180 grain bullet was popular at short range in bolt guns in matches.

 

[muleman69]

45 grains of IMR4064 under a good 165 or 180 grain bullet was popular at short range in bolt guns in matches.

What bullet should I be trying to find?

 

[MGYSGT]

If they aren't using them. List them on GB and use the money to improve the club.

 

[Barlow]

If they aren't using them. List them on GB and use the money to improve the club.

I don't know the regs on that, but he told me they were audited on them last year to make sure they were in their possession. Barlow

 

[Bart B.]

What bullet should I be trying to find?

Sierra is a good place to start.

 

[shortgrass]

If they aren't using them. List them on GB and use the money to improve the club.

These rifles and others such as Garands are on LOAN from the US Government, not to be disposed of in any way, except back to Uncle Sam.

 

[shortgrass]

168g Match King and 173g match Kings are a good place to start. IMR4895 or IMR4064 are the 'good' places to start

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I wish i had a nice sporterized version

 

[SBS]

Button rifling was not perfected until LATE in the 1940s. Think Mike Walker of Remington and Clyde Hart of Hart Rifle barrels. The width of the lands and grooves in a barrel have a direct effect on pressure. That's why 2 groove rifling look different than 4 or 6 groove rifling. As far as broach, I'd have to see that in ligit print somewhere other than on the interdnet. Anyone wonder why there were many Pratt & Whitney rifling machines sold as surplus after the war? I had the opportunity to closely examine a "dedicated chambering lathe" that was of WW2 vintage. Basically, an 8 position turret lathe turned so all sockets in the turret faced the head stock, with no cross slide, made by who else other than P & W on the same frame as their single station sine bar riflling machine. With it was a 'flush system' for through the barrel coolant/lubrication that was original to the machine. A "production" machine, for sure.

Legit print (The Springfield 1903 Rifles by Brophy, pg. 555-557): "Until WW II, the bore and rifling of the '03 barrel was finished by the above described hook cutter rifling method. To speed up production during WW II, the bore of the barrels was machined by long cutters having many teeth of increasing size called broaches. By pulling two broaches (roughing and finishing) through the barrel it was finish rifled in a couple of minutes......most 03A3-A4 barrels were manufactured by this method." In a previous page, cut rifling is described and an average barrel took 46 min. to rifle. On page 557, he notes that at least 68 cases of burst receivers had been reported to a Board of Officers convened to investigate the problem.
The recommendation of the Board was to no longer issue low serial numbers and those returned to Ordnance for repair to have the receivers scrapped and the recommendation was adopted.
Of interest is that Winchester replaced hook cut rifling in 1955 (except for target barrels) with broaches and made only 1 pass that took 7 seconds. While the earlier hook cut barrels were lapped after rifling, this was not done on broached barrels (although they needed it worse - my opinion). The Rifleman's Rifle by Rule, p.54

 

[Nature Boy]

My dad, in his mid 80’s now, started a sporterized 03A3 project in the late 50’s but never finished it. He gave it to me a couple of years ago and I finished it for him.

It still has the orginal 2 groove barrel (turned down and blued) and it’s surprisingly accurate. 10 shot group at 200 yards

Took it hunting this past season and bagged a nice mature 8 point with it

 

[243winxb]

A New surplus barrel for my 1903 was $25. My gunsmith installed and headspaced it for $5. Back in the good old days, 1960's.

 

[DirtySteve]

These rifles and others such as Garands are on LOAN from the US Government, not to be disposed of in any way, except back to Uncle Sam.

They are on loan from TACOM to the organization. They have a list of all the weapons and serial number loaned out. I joined an American Legion Post to years ago and they had been loaned Garands and 1903's. TACOM sent us a request to inventory them. They had the information from the 1950-60's..

 

[Bart B.]

Of interest is that Winchester replaced hook cut rifling in 1955 (except for target barrels) with broaches and made only 1 pass that took 7 seconds.

The Garand barrels made for the U.S. Navy 7.62 conversion program in 1964 were rifled with service grade broaches like M14 barrels were. Then chambered with service grade reamers. All were air gauged for groove diameters. Those at .3079" and smaller with uniform (+/- .0001") groove diameter were set aside for match grade conversions. They shot as good as Obermeyer or Kreiger single cut rifled match barrels. Tested about 4" at 600 yards with good handloads using new cases.

 

[Gun Smith]

I've had several 03's and one A3. The A3 was very accurate for my favorite offhand shooting at 100-200 yds. The 03's sights
were hard to see though for me, so I didn't shoot them as often. I had the Wolf Publishing book on the Manufacture of the 03. Great book, showing the manufacture of every part for that rifle. It took an incredible number of jigs and fixtures to build it.
Just the rear sight alone was a work of art, though fragile for a battle sight me thinks.

 

[muleman69]

I've had several 03's and one A3. The A3 was very accurate for my favorite offhand shooting at 100-200 yds. The 03's sights
were hard to see though for me, so I didn't shoot them as often. I had the Wolf Publishing book on the Manufacture of the 03. Great book, showing the manufacture of every part for that rifle. It took an incredible number of jigs and fixtures to build it.
Just the rear sight alone was a work of art, though fragile for a battle sight me thinks.

Book sounds like an interesting read

 

[Gun Smith]

Book sounds like an interesting read

I'd imagine the book might be found used, as I don't think it's still available new. I sold mine a few years back, along
with dozens of other great gun books at gun show give away prices mostly. Sure emptied a lot of shelf space.