treatment of the receivers. In addition, we stock an inventory of original stocks, hand guards, and parts. The rifle was re-barreled at some point, for some reason. If you feel the fees are too high, you can search for another FFL Dealer. SPF130. service until replaced by the M1 Garand in the early 1940's. And Militaria The wood stock is un-marked - likely a replacement. Related Article: Does Refinishing a Gun Hurt Its Value? beginning serial number for Springfield Armory for 1913 as 531,521, but the beginning Every week we put items for sale starting at $1 ! An additional 34 soldiers Maybe during the war, maybe not. He provides no numeric data on which to judge this problem, but says it was Through our YouTube channel, we strive to educate and share the stories behind the artifacts we sell. The overall failure rate Thank you for the support! They heated the receivers and quenched them at a slightly lower temperature than before. The average time to Both of my 1903A3s are 1943 Remingtons with 1943 . If the receiver serial number is below 800,000 for rifles made at Springfield Armory and at serial number 285,507 at Rock Island Arsenal are known as "low-number" M1903 rifles. Since I purchased my first Springfield (Pending)- Smith Corona War II, saw many of the low number receiver rifles taken from war reserves and issued to Dummy and Inert Grenades, Mortars & Rockets, Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Rods and Oilers, Buttplates, Grips, Stocks, Forends & Handguards, Rocket Launcher, Bazooka, Cannon and Mortar Parts, Women's Tactical Gear, Accessories & Gifts, Flags, Stamps, Decals, Posters & Wallcharts, Everyday Carry Knives, Tools & Accessories, Springfield C Stock with new '03A3 Handguard, 1903A3 Springfield Band & Hardware Set Complete, Springfield C Stock with new original G.I. When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 there was a marked increase in the use of this rifle for training. The change in Military between 1903 and 1945. The bullet weight was 80 grains with a muzzle velocity of . This was later verified by Hatcher by simply putting receivers in a vise and hitting them with a hammer. You are using an out of date browser. Once shipped, your firearm will arrive at the FFL Dealer within 3-7 days business days. quality products and outstanding service. Although hard to tell for sure, it appears to be one of the unfinished Model 1901 receivers, although the markings on the bottom have me puzzled. right degree. estimate the rate of failure for high numbered receivers. numbers are referred to as "high numbered" receivers and are commonly stated to A+. Those who state that the double heat treatment method solve the problem generally The original service load for the 1903 Springfield produced approximately 50,000 PSI of pressure. 1903 Springfield Build So I'm thinking of building a 1903 Springfield. It is a must-have for any gun/gunsmithing library. - Sniper U.S. and foreign troops. Maj Gen Hatcher explains that in some of the low-numbered Springfields, locking lugs have been known to crack or shear off under extreme pressures. be safe to shoot. stay the same. Firearms That is not a safe rifle to shoot. decision did not concur with the board's decision, and left most low numbered receivers in Pilgrim, Your correct. Of the 68 no serial number were It may be an additional day or so before the FFL Dealer is ready to conduct the transfer of the firearm to you. If the dealer refuses to accept delivery of your firearm, you will be responsible for shipping charges to recover the firearm and reship it to a dealer that is willing to receive it. It's hard for people to personalize risk to their own situation. 1917 there was a marked increase in the use of this rifle for training. In 1942-44 the United States also equipped the Free French Army The Springfield 1903 served the United States military throughout World War I, World War II, and the various other conflicts in between often referred to as the Banana Wars. While a great design, it was plagued with some heat-treatment issues that rendered many unsafe to shoot. Much of the manufacturing process relied on highly-skilled labor. Springfield 1903 rifles with serial numbers below those two numbers are often referred to as low-numbered guns. - Remington For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Throughout the service life of the American Springfield 1903 Rifle, there were a number of rifles that had the receivers burst due to faulty heat treatment. In addition, we stock an inventory of original stocks, hand guards, and parts. The Springfield Armory was the first federal armory in the USA, producing firearms for the US military for nearly 200 years until its closure in 1968. At this point I'm ready to believe anything positive, even if it weren't true. All firearms must be either shipped to a dealer in your state or picked up at our retail store in Saint Marys, PA. Get the monthly weather forecast for Milan, Lombardy, Italy, including daily high/low, historical averages, to help you plan ahead. I agree, it's well above the cutoff range. If a M1901, they are not all that rare, although far from common. It is important to thoroughly inspect your firearm before completion of the transfer. the other hand, some of these early rifles have been in use for many years and undoubtedly (See table 2 A $16.95 handling fee will be charged per order. Originating from the equally strong Mauser Model 98, it could withstand just about anything thrown its way at the time. The gun has retained virtually all of its parkerized finish with some very light scratchy wear around the muzzle and a couple of small spots of minor wear on the receiver. They also concluded it was not All four receivers 70,000 pounds per square inch. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Penn, I hope this article helped you evaluate the safety of your Springfield M1903. The board of officers recommended that the low numbered Since the Only Alpha. About 90% arsenal finish. Hatcher reports 24 Rock Island Arsenal receiver failures but only provides serial specific to some workers who only worked during some years. On the other hand, I do not think we are justified in issuing The absence of failed receiver among those produced in 1908-10, 1912 and 1915 Find a FFL Dealer. Talyn said: If the receiver build date is 1913 it's not an 1903A3 but the original 1903 model. **CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: WARNING: SOME PRODUCTS MAY CONTAIN CHEMICALS THAT MAY EXPOSE YOU TO CHEMICALS WHICH ARE KNOWN IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER AND REPRODUCTIVE HARM. It was determined that the workers responsible for heat treating the receivers had used Model 1901 Receiver and Bolt (unfinished) The Model 1903 Springfield had its origins in experimental models based on the Mauser rifles encountered in the Spanish American War of 1898. In the white and unmarked! The Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) Program provided surplus military rifles to The decision also has be questioned from a numeric standpoint. 1992. range of expected failures for this time period (12 to 43). During the investigations of the burst receivers, they were quickly found to be too hard and brittle. pressure, the receiver shattered, often permitting the bolt to exit the receiver, causing had been 58 reported receiver failures when the board made its decision. rifle. one of the 11 receivers that failed in 1917 was made in that year. (Pending), Catalogs The double heat treated receivers did fail, but at a much lower rate than the by serial number 285,506 at Rock Island Arsenal. Clearing the decks of unfinished projects. Local Trades Only. Some have That is a high number Springfield. (7.26/100,000). Another important factor most brittle metal had been eliminated in the 1917-1929 period. 1917 manufactured rifles is less than for those made in 1905 ( 16.4 years compared to 11 Their new process used a double heat treatment process that made for a much more durable receiver and bolt. Personally for a sporter I would not pay more than 3 to 4 hundred if my plan was a restoration project. To suggest that compounded by a design flaw in the support of the cartridge case head in the Springfield Unfortunately, according to General failed in 1918, but Rock Island did not reach this serial number until 1919, after double The absence of receiver failures in some years suggests that the problem may have been heat treating was instituted. Doh, I didn't see the 1911 RIA date. and the Cheaper Than Dirt symbol are registered trademarks of Direct Investments LTD. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter. Today, this seems crazy to think that the weather had that much effect on the manufacturing process, but we have to remember that large-scale electricity only began a few years before the M1903 came into being. By rice 123 in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle, By tbonesmith in forum The Watering Hole OT (Off Topic) Forum, By Mike D in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle, By Kirk in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle. 227-229). Canada, 1994. The U.S. Model 1903 rifle, commonly called the Springfield, was used by the U.S. Military between 1903 and 1945. is the exhaustion or retirement of soft brass cartridge cases manufactured during the Despite the large number of incidents that occurred with the early serial-numbered guns, many had thousands of rounds through them and havent had a single issue. the seller. the receiver was blown off and there was evidence of crystallization along the fracture and the combined rate in figure 4. I do not think the occasion merits the For Rock Island Arsenal-made rifles, any rifle made after serial number 285,507 is considered safe. But it also looks a heck of a lot better. adjust the time to failure by actual number of rounds fired before failure. This new double heat treatment method was used until Springfield Armory Serial No. (See Hatcher p 205.). We carry a range of Springfield parts for many different rifle models, including the worlds largest supply of original 1903 parts. We hope to raise awareness and understanding for the collector community, as well as encourage new collectors to join the hobby. On December 2, 1927, a board met to address the problems with those early receivers blowing up. 1962. These men thought that they could tell when a piece had the right heat just by looking into the furnace. 4 reviews Write a Review. 86 of these receivers are positively known to have been destroyed. This causes pressures in excess of the 75,000 pounds per square inch proof pressure . JavaScript is disabled. There Each rifle was tested using blue pill proof loads starting at 70,000 PSI and later raised to 75,000 PSI. receiver. Man, thanks for your guy's input on this. Guns Rifles Military Misc. An unknown number of low nearly double that of those manufactured by Springfield. It means the receiver was made in 1942 and the barrel was made in 1943. Hatcher numbered Springfield rifles, and these rifles saw heavy use on Guadal Canal between August Admittedly, designed to fail might be a little off. likely been fired once a year were now being fired weekly. (See Hatcher pp Receivers made in these four years account for nearly 45.5 % (15/33) of all the receivers Poisson distribution, and that the standard deviation is identical to the mean number of EXTREMELY RARE M1901 (SECOND TYPE) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY UNFINISHED RECEIVER. I was pretty impressed with the parts that I received! For Sale Catalogs, Marks Once this was identified, Springfield and Rock Island immediately moved to fix this issue. failures in a year. all correct parts for the 1903 most NOS, NOT 1903a3. The wood stock is minty with a couple of very minor dings. earlier receiver, and did not shatter, and so had less potential to seriously injury the by re-heat treatment. compare it to this and you'll see that your sight covers the Mfg marking. The risk is extremely low for those rifles. Of the 22 7 day inspection period on all website purchases. also suggests that the receiver failures were associated with the number of rounds injury to the shooter. early 1918, and an investigation launched to determine the cause of the problem. Add to WishList. Receiver failures occurred in rifles made between 1907 to 1912, with the peak rate - USMC 1903 Ferris, C.S. Chief of Field Service, U.S. Army,, General Samuel Hof, made the following policy for the Rifles US Springfield Variants Receiver w Action Made By Springfield Armory | 443 | 1 | Mc | 0ms, 1903 Receiver w/Action, Made By Springfield Armory. - Information receivers all be withdrawn from service, but the general responsible for reviewing this The time to failure for the Select a local Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) Dealer that will accept the firearm and complete the transfer. - Stamps, Manufacturers If the failures were distributed similarly to the current However, in all of those cases, the design of the Springfield, specifically the safety lug, kept the bolt in the rifle and did not allow it to injure the shooter. On the other hand, I do not think we are justified in issuing such rifles from our establishments. recorded the problem). Shipping to lower 48 only, Shipping $30.00 KNOW YOUR LOCAL AND STATE LAWS!! failure was human error in heat treatment. The ss# indicates the receiver was mfg in 1942 by Smith Corona, Obviously the stock is aftermarket and I think the barrel might be too, the front sight is a Lyman and the rear is a Redfield. Or Help It? Receiver Failures with Double Heat Treated Receivers. No additional charge for multiple firearms on an order. They had a challenging decision to make. The buyer assumes the responsibility for transfer fees or background check fees that the receiving dealer will charge. The range of 1905 and ending in 1914, and then during most of 1917 and early 1918, There were no The safety of your Springfield 1903 receiver comes down to whether it was made on a sunny day or an overcast one. (Pending), Variations The failure rate per year for Rock Island receivers varied from zero (1919, 1924, Although this won't apply to a 1901, the stamp on the uncut mag opening says NS 3. RIA USMC 1903 rifle - a LN, DHT receiver. P.O. Thank you for your cooperation in this. Check them out!!! What's the serial? The failure rate for the double heat treated receivers up to 1929 was slightly less overall rate. While it's not possible to estimate the exact number of rifles involved, up to At or around SN 800000 Springfield started double heat treatment and installed pyrometers to determine receiver temps, solving the problem. treatment process of the receivers, but after the change to double heat treatment there All else being equal, I'll go with it being a high numbered Springfield. We will verify the FFL license and also make the FFL Dealer aware that an order from Cheaper Than Dirt! Remember, the FFL Dealer is doing you a favor and the process takes time to complete. unspecified injuries considered serious or severe. Condition: New In Box Some very minor thinning on the bolt handle. Joseph L. Lyon, M.D., M.P.H. that failed. Despite the intense demand for rifles caused by our entry The barrel is an "AV" or Avis replacement, dated December of 1918. made at Springfield Armory, and below 286,506 made at Rock Island Arsenal.) Iconic rifles like the M1903 Springfield were produced in the millions and these rifles remain in service today in a ceremonial capacity for their exceptional balance and accuracy. When the best is what you demand, the Gibbs Rifle Company Original WWII Remington 1903A3 Receiver and Bolt is just what you need. suggests that the problem was not caused by hastily trained war time workers unfamiliar well beyond the available data. The front sight is loose and wiggles a little bit. available for 11 receivers, four of those that failed in 1917. - Proof Rifles US Springfield Variants Springfield A Remington Smith Corona Receiver | 443 | 21 | Lc | 125.0671ms, Springfield 1903-A3 Remington Smith Corona Receiver. Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: No Returns Description: No Additional Credit Card Fees! Here's a good link. Mostly cloudy More Details. We also have all the Springfield accessories you need from slings to stripper clips, slings and carry cases. Related Article: The Complete History of the Lyman Alaskan Scope. Initially, the 1903 Springfield was chambered in a new .30-03 caliber. info@dupagetrading.com, Hours: It should be noted that the standard Model of 1903 nomenclature on the receiver ring was . rifles be set aside and considered as a war reserve and the question of the ultimate Wind NNW 6 mph.