Still not satisfied, he removed the locking lugs entirely, solely relying on the safety lug. Guns, Parts and Accessories Quick Shopper, WTS/WTB/WTT (Want to Sell, Buy or Trade) Forum, Appraisals, Fakery, Dispute Resolution & Mediation Forum. And if the '03 was intrinsically accurate, the '03 National Match, painstakingly produced by . 1942 and February 1943. Federal law requires firearms to be shipped to FFL Dealers. Everything I needed was in this kit for my restore project. Some have BTW; those numbers come right out of Brophy, in my opinion one of the best references on 1903 rifles. 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. Both of my 1903A3s are 1943 Remingtons with 1943 . The bullet weight was 80 grains with a muzzle velocity of . Join Date: October 25, 2001. All I can say is that you have a very early 1903 Springfield that was refurbished with a new barrel made at Rock Island Arsenal the last month of WWI. The double heat treated receivers did fail, but at a much lower rate than the Any information provided in this article is purely for educational and entertainment purposes and should not be considered professional advice. #5. The seller of the rifle found evidence the rifle had been fired with the bore The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. I have already mentioned Hatchers observation that many of the receiver failure Alpha. This is The following are some receiver failures in 1917-1918, 11 were made at Rock Island and seven at Springfield, and Copyright 2023 SARCO, Inc. All rights reserved. Ive provided you with the information on the early serial numbered Springfields. He provides no numeric data on which to judge this problem, but says it was Before taking a look at this, we have to take into consideration the time period in which these problem receivers were made, 1902-1918. Every week we put items for sale starting at $1 ! allocation, then rates of each manufacturer would rise, but their relative position would The FFL Dealer is in business to make a profit and your internet purchase may be viewed as competition to their retail business. The receiver failures were also I have grouped them by To find a list of FFL Dealers in your area area CLICK HERE. This provides a worst three years for receiver failure were 1904-1907 with 1905 being an exception. 1928 by Springfield Armory using one of the 25,600 semi-finished receivers kept on hand at Rock Island Arsenal, and has a 2-28 dated, "SA" barrel . This rifle was built ca. There are also two Springfield receivers (numbers 946,508 and 951,718) included in the I've used the detailed information that Hatcher provides in his notebook, and We will verify the FFL license and also make the FFL Dealer aware that an order from Cheaper Than Dirt! fired. The stock and magazine were wrecked. early 1918, and an investigation launched to determine the cause of the problem. Springfield had the design, but not the heat treating process that the 98 used. all correct parts for the 1903 most NOS, NOT 1903a3. Ferris, C.S. Another important factor Military between 1903 and 1945. It is qualified civilians before and after the Second World War. Hatchers Notebook. Mostly cloudy More Details. When the National Match Springfield was introduced in 1921, all the NM 03 were star gaged and all DCM-issued weapons carried a star gage record. For Sale Catalogs. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, 73 Plank Ave Paoli, The bore is near-mint - shiny with very strong rifling. Collectible manufacture, and was worse before 1917, especially in the earliest years of production, This new double heat treatment method was used until Springfield Armory Serial No. 11/19/21 - This is a minty example of a Springfield Model 1903 bolt action rifle. failed, the time to failure in years ranged from one year to 22. use to test the receivers. tally. ORDERS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM US RESIDENTS OF THE LOWER 48 STATES, ALASKA AND HAWAII. I checked his dates against the detailed report of the failures (see pages 448-482) A reader inquires about stock configurations for M1903 and M1903A1 Springfield bolt-action rifles. the other hand, some of these early rifles have been in use for many years and undoubtedly There are many options available outside of that serial number range that are completely safe to fire. treatment process of the receivers, but after the change to double heat treatment there The board of officers recommended that the low numbered 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. Springfield Armory and had serial numbers in the 950,000 range. receivers, and the same data for 22 of the 24 Rock Island receivers (see Hatcher, pp the design of the Springfield chamber-bolt interface. And Militaria Specifications and Features: Stripped Original Remington WWII 1903A3 Receiver with Original Bolt Handle .30-06 Springfield However, that didnt solve the problem, and they still had strength issues. Brophy, W.S. On the other hand, some of these early rifles have been in use for many years, and undoubtedly, some of them have worn out several barrels. JavaScript is disabled. The Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) Program provided surplus military rifles to If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for aNES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over. The failure rate for the double heat treated receivers up to 1929 was slightly less Right side not milled to correct dimensions, floor is not milled out for passing cartridges thru the magazine, no serial number, Springfield or Model 1903 markings on the receiver ring. Get a heads up on all of our Sales, Promotions, and news updates (about 1 email per month). The serial number on the receiver dates to 1932. by serial number 285,506 at Rock Island Arsenal. Model 1903 For our fellow 1903 Springfield collectors, we occasionally have a nice selection of early and late model 1903's for your consideration. On the other hand, I do not think we are justified in issuing such rifles from our establishments. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, 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. It's hard for people to personalize risk to their own situation. The M1903 Springfield, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903, is an American five-round magazine -fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century. Because we lack data on the number of rounds fired by each rifle it is impossible to 319,921 when new nickel steel began being used for the receivers and bolts. Some very minor thinning on the bolt handle. receiver failures of rifles manufactured for five of those 11 years (1905-6, 1913-14, and Firearms Hatcher reports 24 Rock Island Arsenal receiver failures but only provides serial If you are planning on building or repairing an original WWII Remington 1903A3 the Gibbs Rifle Company Original WWII Remington 1903A3 Receiver with Original Bolt Handle is what you need to maintain authenticity. You can ever find Springfield rifles with COAs as seen in HBOs The Pacific. problems in 1917-1918 were due to brass cartridges cases that had not been hardened to the failure rate of receivers is a rare event, we assume that a receiver failure follows a receivers are perfectly safe. The failure rate per year for Rock Island receivers varied from zero (1919, 1924, Air Quality Fair. Springfield Armory beginning serial number for Springfield Armory for 1913 as 531,521, but the beginning We do not accept returns for firearms whether they are new or used. It is Hatchers belief that these were leftover receivers that accidentally made their way back into production. in receivers, and its from their deliberations that we use the 800,000 serial number for 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 The other ten were made The overall failure rate shooter. They also concluded it was not such rifle from our establishments. 4 reviews Write a Review. The original service load for the 1903 Springfield produced approximately 50,000 PSI of pressure. receivers. Any e-mails for offers or trades will be deleted without response. When you think of Milan, the first image that comes to mind is the huge skylines of buildings, speeding taxis, trade fairs and catwalk shows. Many attempts were made to simply reheat-treat the affected receivers. I've been burned by Sarco before. Those who state that the double heat treatment method solve the problem generally of Charles DeGaulle with low numbered Springfields. stated emphatically no rifle with a low numbered receiver should ever be fired under any Between July and receiver. their 1917-1918 rifles in a separate category. View Full Version : M1903 receiver (pinpointing cause of failure) Matt Wheeler. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. It should be noted that out of the 1,285,507 rifles that were produced before changing the heat-treatment process, only 68 receivers burst. 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. Two of the 68 were made at Maybe during the war, maybe not. To be notified when back in stock, please enter your email address. establishments to no longer issue rifles with these questionable receivers, that such The wood stock is minty with a couple of very minor dings. Thanks Sarco. receiver failures per year varied from zero to five with no failures in 1919 and 1922 with ), Muzzleloading Modern & Replica Pistols (flint), Muzzleloading Modern & Replica Pistols (perc), United States Patent Firearms Revolvers/Pistols, Century Arms International (CAI) - Shotguns. Observations On The Failure rifle. However, while attending gunsmithing school at the Colorado School of Trades, the subject came up again. Shopping with us is absolutely safe - you never have to worry about credit card safety when shopping here 2023 Copyright, entire contents by CTD, Inc. Cheaper Than Dirt! USA. long before the manufacturing pressures of 1917. compare it to this and you'll see that your sight covers the Mfg marking. There that failed. **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. An additional 34 soldiers an average of 2.64 failures per year. $250.00. Genius Ecommerce by 1Digital. Between 1917 and 1929 there were 68 burst receivers. the cut in the receiver wall is for ejection of the Pedersen spent cases. You read that right. Local Trades Only. color guard, I've heard of the low numbered Springfield receivers and the terrible danger The Army was small enough that new troops range of expected failures for this time period (12 to 43). they pose to a shooter. The shooter sustained minor injuries, and sued concentrated in certain years of manufacture suggesting that an important component of the 1962. Could it be an unfinished nickle steel receiver?? I have attempted to put the risk Much of this article stemmed from information provided by Major General Julian S. Hatcher in his legendary book Hatchers Notebook. Hey, Diver! heat treating was instituted between serial number 750,00 and 800,000 at Springfield and 1,000,000 other receivers were defective because of the failure of 58 is extrapolating Antique (Pre-1899) Rifles - Flintlock Misc, Antique (Pre-1899) Rifles - Matchlock/Wheellock Misc, Century Arms International (CAI) - Rifles, Muzzleloading Modern & Replica Rifles (perc), Winchester Rifles - Modern Bolt/Auto/Single, Winchester Rifles - Pre-1899 Bolt/Single Shot, Century Arms International (CAI) - Pistols, Colt Automatic Pistols (.25, .32, & .380 cal), Colt Single Action Revolvers - Modern (22 Cal. Wind NNW 6 mph. However, those ammunition problems helped identify and correct the improper heat treatment found in the early receivers. 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. - Rod 1903 - USMC 1903 Springfield 1903A3 Barrels! It is a must-have for any gun/gunsmithing library. But it also looks a heck of a lot better. At or around SN 800000 Springfield started double heat treatment and installed pyrometers to determine receiver temps, solving the problem. These men thought that they could tell when a piece had the right heat just by looking into the furnace. I was wondering if there's any way a smith can check the integrity of the receiver. before 1917, two in 1904. You are using an out of date browser. Once the metallurgist installed the pyrometers to better gauge the heat inside the furnaces, what they found was astounding. manufactured. 480.664.2226 How to Use Classifieds - PLEASE READ FIRST ! The highest rate of failures occurred among the receivers manufactured in 1904 receivers 33 were manufactured by Springfield Armory and 24 by Rock Island. Much appreciated. most brittle metal had been eliminated in the 1917-1929 period. the reported year of failure in the table. service until replaced by the M1 Garand in the early 1940's. Get the monthly weather forecast for Milan, Lombardy, Italy, including daily high/low, historical averages, to help you plan ahead. Talyn said: If the receiver build date is 1913 it's not an 1903A3 but the original 1903 model. Pick up your firearm from the FFL Dealer, who will need to do a criminal and mental health background check. Is the Springfield 1903 Still Safe? Once the firearm is transferred into your name, Cheaper Than Dirt! Over 800,000 for SA is supposed to be fine. 1903 Springfield Build So I'm thinking of building a 1903 Springfield. Call the FFL Dealer and set an appointment to confirm that the firearm is ready to be transferred. feasible to re-heat the "low numbered receivers", and that they should be Their new process used a double heat treatment process that made for a much more durable receiver and bolt. Firearms At that time, the armories and arsenals were too reliant on the experience of their skilled labor force in the forge shop. 1,000,000. 11/19/21 - This is a minty example of a Springfield Model 1903 bolt action rifle. No Rock Island rifles were ever drilled and tapped for commercial receiver sights at the Arsenal. In 1942-44 the United States also equipped the Free French Army when he lists three failures, then four in 1924, then four in 1923, then three more in Hatcher, the officer in charge of the investigation, " it was quickly found that Cambell, C.S. This is a completely stripped receiver and bolt, and includes the bolt body and extractor collar. Initially, the 1903 Springfield was chambered in a new .30-03 caliber. The failure of 11 receivers in 1917 was believed to be due to human error in the heat As the US prepared for WWI, 1903 production was ramped up, and it appears that furnace operators with less experience began allowing poorly heat treated receivers to go into production. (Pending)- Springfield Doh, I didn't see the 1911 RIA date. Springfield 1903 rifles with serial numbers below those two numbers are often referred to as low-numbered guns. In the white and unmarked! to 0.1485; in other words, there is a space of well over an eighth of an inch where the full of grease. This was well before computer-driven temperature-controlled furnaces. RIA USMC 1903 rifle - a LN, DHT receiver. Julian Hatchers Notebook , Third Edition, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, crisis of World War I and still being used up to 1929.. Additional evidence for this explanation comes from the experience of the 1st It's actually one of the last made. Some Springfield rifles that were made specifically for sales to officers of the armed services or NRA members in the 1920's and 1930's were drilled and tapped for the Lyman 48 sight, and could be purchased with or without the sight, but the purchaser had to order the rifle that way. The distribution of these rates by year suggests that the 285.507, Rock Island Arsenal adopted an improved heat treatment for carbon steel M 1903 receivers and bolts.. It just seems like a real slippery slope. Purveyors of US Martial Firearms, Parts and Accessories. Location: Alabama. If you are restoring a Springfield rifle, original parts and accessories from Sarco Inc are a perfect way to keep your rifle historically accurate. During the 1920's officials within the Ordnance Department investigated the problem injury from the failure of a Springfield receiver. 1,275,767 and Rock Island Serial No. If a defect is discovered after completing the transfer, you must contact the manufacturer directly for repair or replacement. They were highly paid craftsmen, who were jealous of their exclusive skill, and who both hated and feared these new fangled pyrometers which threatened to make useless their special knowledge.. While we touched on the serial number ranges of concern and the problems one may encounter, lets look at why these problems occurred in the first place. failures in a year. Heating to the higher temperatures led to crystallization of trace Since the Of the 22 Receiver failures occurred in rifles made between 1907 to 1912, with the peak rate It is important to thoroughly inspect your firearm before completion of the transfer. Most of our products are unique. Canada, 1994. Use coupon code KTG10 to get 10% off your order of $150 or more at Brownells. To discard approximately 1,000, 000 receivers would create a political problem of major You would need to bend them, heat treat them, etc. There's a well-researched and -reasoned article on the low-numbered 1903 problem, Thank you guys for your help. 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. Hatcher had data on the injury caused by the receiver failures for 43 of the 68 Receiver Failures with Double Heat Treated Receivers. 1903A3 Springfield Barrel 4 Groove. A second problem that Hatcher found was the hardness of the brass cartridge cases, and - Initials & Dates The disadvantage is that I don't have access to a press. If you choose an FFL Dealer that is not on our preferred list, you or your FFL Dealer will be required to fax or email us a signed copy of the Federal Firearms License referencing your Cheaper Than Dirt! 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. They unofficially begin production of . years). Risk of One Death per 100,000 population in a Single Year Caused By: The problem of Springfield receiver failures was a rare event throughout the service It may be an additional day or so before the FFL Dealer is ready to conduct the transfer of the firearm to you. This item is currently unavailable. some of them have worn out several barrels. He lists receiver by date of failure, and the list is consistent until 1923 There are some minor problems in Hatchers book for example see the table on rifles be set aside and considered as a war reserve and the question of the ultimate Separated in a separate pouch no less. The failure rate varied by site of A $16.95 handling fee will be charged per order. The heat treating method was immediately changed to a double heat treatment, and We carry a range of, 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. 1913 to 1917. The safety of your Springfield 1903 receiver comes down to whether it was made on a sunny day or an overcast one. Typically ships within 5 to 7 business days when a valid FFL is received. follow this recommendation and never retired any of its low numbered receivers until they He states: "One thing made evident by these tests is the fact that the weakest feature of the BOX 1274 However, this was acknowledged, and changes were made, making the receivers much stronger. (Pending), Variations Im not sure about any of that but I have no intentions to modify this at all. receivers. 86 of these receivers are positively known to have been destroyed. Receiver Heat-Treatment Explained, The Brownells BRN-180: A Complete Look Inside and Out, CZ-457 Accuracy: The Most Affordable Way to Accurize Your CZ. and figure 1.) Item #41695 US Model 1903 Rifle by Springfield (RIA Receiver) Maker: RIA Model: 1903 Caliber:.30-06 Description: Serial #424518, .30-06, 24" barrel with a fine, bright bore that has some mild freckling within the grooves. A piece of We believe we sell living history, and honor the veterans who fought and died for our freedoms. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Penn, The overall failure rate of the 33 Springfield receivers was 4.13 failures per 100,000 Posts: 18,064. into the war, production at both Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal was halted in withdrawn from service. the much heavier use of the 1917 manufactured receiver compared to the 1905 receivers. accidents. failure, and six more had unspecified injuries consider serious. No receiver failures were reported in the training period before (See Hatcher p 205.). above normal operating pressure. (Pending)- Rock Island 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. For the longest time, I thought it was just an old rumor passed down from generation to generation. World War I undoubtedly increased the use of every available rifle, and rifles that had not known how many receivers were replaced. 1985. reviews (4) These are new, original 1940's production. the safety of something such as a low numbered Springfield receiver my training and document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. 7 day inspection period on all website purchases. failure of a Springfield receiver. Add to WishList. December 1917 eleven rifle receivers shattered, causing one severe and 10 minor injuries role in receiver failures. the cartridge cases projects out of the rear end of the chamber a distance of from 0.147 All firearm sales are final. The cartridge employed a rimless, necked-down case with a 220-grain round-nosed bullet that left the muzzle of the 24-inch barrel at some 2,300 feet-per-second (fps). the right heat as judged by the skillful eye of the old timers was up to 300 - Proof withdrawal of the rifles of low numbers in the hands of troops until the rifle is Clearing the decks of unfinished projects. What's the serial? New handguard included. failed in 1918, but Rock Island did not reach this serial number until 1919, after double It was also concentrated in certain years of manufacture suggesting that an important component of the failure was human error in heat treatment. 1992. It means the receiver was made in 1942 and the barrel was made in 1943. it must be shipped to an FFL Dealer in your state. numbers for 22 (see page 443). suggests that the problem was not caused by hastily trained war time workers unfamiliar If the failures were distributed similarly to the current '03 Handguard, Springfield C Stock - Full Pistol Grip, Walnut Wood, Stained, NEW, Springfield C Stock - Full Pistol Grip, Walnut Wood, Unstained, NEW. Could they justify withdrawing all of them from service if the majority were still good? their relative positions. 1966, page 215). with rifle manufacturing requirements. - Stamps, Manufacturers Our store hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:30am-6:30pm, Mountain Time. 1917 manufactured rifles is less than for those made in 1905 ( 16.4 years compared to 11 pyrometers were used to determine the temperature of the heated receivers. Description. The Springfield 1903 action is a very strong action when heat treated correctly. 1903 Receiver w/Action, Made By Springfield Armory For Sale from: Alpha Omega Services LLC ( FFL) | Positive feedback: 99% View | Verified Seller | 1020 Completed Sales View Sellers Items ENDED - $396.00 Shipping: $25.00 (or FREE in-store pick up!)
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