Thankfully, the seller was reputable and honest, so my exchange was quick and painless. You are correct. The receiver is marked "U.S. SPRINGFIELD ARMORY MODEL 1903. serial # 302XXX. I believe that the CMP will not allow any SA 1903 under 810000 to compete in matches. At about serial no. Military stock had been sporterized and from its over-all condition, I say the rifle had been well used by its previous owner(s? The next day, I was looking the rifle over again when I spotted another crack. Now, not all of those are going to be specific to the problem, but even if just 10% are, well then, man, that’s a lot of bandwidth on … Now, not all of those are going to be specific to the problem, but even if just 10% are, well then, man, that’s a lot of bandwidth on this topic! Heck, I'm pretty sure my step father and I shot his a bit before we knew we weren't supposed to. By the end of 1927, it was recommended that the US Army withdraw the approximately 1,000,000 “low number” guns currently in service and discard them because it was not feasible to re-heat treat them. Metal has a thinning blue turning to patina with light surface etching in some areas. Too little and the metal won’t be hardened; too much and it will become brittle. To my knowledge, the last solid data available on 1903s that failed and caused injury of some kind is from 1929, making it now 90 years old. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. Standing in a gun shop or a gun show aisle looking over a gun isn’t exactly a place that lends itself to a careful and thorough examination. The next day, I was looking the rifle over again when I spotted. He apologized for not spotting it first and told me to bring it back and exchange it. The issue was found to be with the heat treating process. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another M1903 to go shoot! The other part is an issue of the environment. It is "unsafe" to shoot, as it may blow up in your face. This was commenced at Springfield Armory at approximately serial number 800,000 and at Rock Island Arsenal at exactly serial number 285,507. I have read that these rifle's with serial #'s under 800,000 are unsafe to shoot due to improper heat treating. Soldier with the 36th Infantry holding a later M1903 in 1943. The change in heat treating was instituted between serial number 750,00 and 800,000 at Springfield and by serial number 285,506 at Rock Island Arsenal. Sure enough – a crack! Even though production had shifted into overtime since the US involvement in World War I in April of that year, production was halted until the problem could be identified and resolved. No Reserve. Some early 1903 rifles made by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal were made of carbon manganese steel and some of the receivers were reported to have burst. Your receiver is of the early improperly heat treated variety. Just voicing a bit of caution, as I am a shooter and collector. Always give a thorough inspection to any gun you’re intending to purchase. That’s a fail rate of six-thousandths of one percent. In the last six months of 1917, eleven M1903 rifles were reported to have shattered – yes, shattered – and caused one severe and ten minor injuries. It may never explode, but you're taking a risk. Took the Low number out for some fun with some handloads that mimic M2 ball. All 1903 rifles were 5 shot . Anyone who was alive and witnessed such an event is long gone. Bolt has pitting. if the serial number is above 800,000 it is safe to shoot. For example, a Springfield-manufactured M1903 with serial number 808,792 failed . Lower serial numbers are known as "low-number" M1903 rifles. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903, serial No. Posted March 26, 2019 in Bolt Action, Editorial, Rifles by Logan Metesh with No CommentsTags: low number, M1903, rifle, safety, springfield. There is a lot of internet chatter about whether or not it is safe to shoot a “low number”, lot: a Google search of the phrase “1903 safe to shoot” brings back 20.2. hits, including 148,000 videos. check out the CMP websight at thecmp.org there you will find all of the info on your 1903. there is also an early bolt and a late bolt you need the late one. If I recall the 810,000 rule was an insurance policy decision. The two guys who run the shop both stated that they’d never seen one before, and were conflicted about actually holding evidence of it. I picked up a nice Springfield 03. Pretty scary stuff. Springfield 1903 NRA Sporter, Documented - .30-06 Springfield BuyItNow! I ran my thumb over it and my thumbnail got hung up on the crack. Once I had spotted the cracks, I couldn’t unsee them. When I say “a lot,” I mean a whole lot: a Google search of the phrase “1903 safe to shoot” brings back 20.2 million hits, including 148,000 videos. This is why the cutoff is 810,000, from research there was significant reason to believe that "some" of the actions between 800,000 and 810,000 were treated in an earlier batch. Due to this overrun “snafu” into the M1903A4 program, it was requested on October 19,1943 after about 3000 M1903A4s were “ Z ” prefixed as duplicate SNs, that a new block of numbers be assigned the M1903A4 … US Springfield Armory Model 1903 Serial number 987627 30-06. Reasonably priced NRA marked 1903 Springfield. In the last six months of 1917, eleven M1903 rifles were reported to have shattered – yes. *** Exactly when the change in metallurgy occurred at Springfield Armory wasn't recorded. It's better safe than sorry to shoot something well beyond the 800,000 cutoff. Having written the above, I admit to having a low numbered 1903 Springfield that I have shot on a regular basis since acquiring it 3-4 years ago. When they were turned in for repairs at a later date, the guns were to be set aside as a war reserve and not reworked or reissued. Springfies Armory 03s that are serialed as 800,000 or higher are safe to shoot, same goes for Rock Island Arsenal rifles with a serial number of 286,506 or higher; anything below that is unsafe to fire. Serial number is in the 447XXX range well under the Army's "safe shoot" million mark. Heat treating is exceptionally important to the rifle’s success. Above a certain number they should be perfectly safe to shoot. Yes, the “low number” 1903s really do have problems, regardless of your own prior personal experience with them. "Block" for these rifles and possible future orders were 4922001 5784000. have been more obvious, given that it was on the top of the receiver, but the lighting wasn’t right and I hadn’t spotted this half-inch crack the day before. should not be an expensive fix but you need to check the headspace after you install the bolt. They were well-crafted, finished in black-tinted Parkerizing and utilized the same type of heat treatment as found on late production Springfield M1903s. can be found on ebay and gunshows. I didn’t do my initial due diligence and I bought a gun with a fatal flaw. Serial number is in single heat treat range, not safe to shoot. Please enter a serial number and click the submit button. Please check out my Patreon! I’ve never met an “old-timer” who has encountered one that was cracked or had failed. Since very high M1903A3 SNs in this range have been observed (for example: 4,014,348), it is presumed that ALL 15,000 numbers were used for the M1903A3 program (per Clark Campbell letter of 3/27/00). I have a SPringfield Armory M1903 with a 975XXX serial, which is considered a High Serial, so it is safe to fire; it has to do with the forgings. Specifically, armory employees in charge of the process were using the “eyeballing” method to measure temperatures. Additional Information – bolt action, mfg. ). Those with serial numbers marked between 1 and 800,000 are questionably safe to shoot and should probably remain "wall-hangers" The 1903-A1 which had a pistol grip stock (I own one manufactured by Remington) The 1903-A3 This one should have been more obvious, given that it was on the top of the receiver, but the lighting wasn’t right and I hadn’t spotted this half-inch crack the day before. I've seen Winchester makes a 30.06 round specifically for springield a but I am unsure whether or not that makes it a low powder round or not. The risk was deemed acceptable and orders went out that no more “low number” guns would be issued, but that those already in service would not be recalled. There were 74500 rifles built with bayonets built in and are known as model 1905. There is a lot of internet chatter about whether or not it is safe to shoot a “low number” Springfield M1903 bolt-action rifle. This was unacceptable to military leaders based solely on the numbers. Permitted rifles are the Caliber .30 U. S. Model 1903 and Model 1903 A3 Springfield rifles, except that Caliber .30 U. S. Model 1903 Springfield rifles manufactured by Springfield Armory with serial numbers of 810,000 or lower or by Rock Island Arsenal with serial numbers of 285,506 or lower may not be used in any CMP-sanctioned competition. Now, not all of those are going to be specific to the problem, but even if just 10% are, well then, man, that’s a lot of bandwidth on this topic! Just because you haven’t seen something yourself doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The previous owner was a shooter, and I know that this rifle has seen quite a few rounds. I guess this would make sense when you have countless work stations doing the same process, some actions are bound to make it through processes and checks faster than others. I've seen some sources say 810K and below to weed out those few. I grabbed my lighted magnifying glass to get a better look. 1903-1930. That’s when I saw it: a crack on the left side of the receiver, about one-inch in length. 1 (Andrew Schmidt Photography, LLC). Three men each lost an eye, six more received “serious” injuries, and the remaining 34 injuries were deemed “minor.” Still, even a minor injury is a major problem for the person receiving it. Concerns about the guns began at the peak of their production when their reliability truly was a matter of life or death for the soldiers fielding these arms. - These will all have the Double Heat Treated receivers, and will be safe to shoot. I used to commute more than 30,000 miles per year, so I was OK with those odds. What is the serial that 1903's got the double heat treatment? http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=209950. 1903 rifles were manufactured in only 3 caliber's :22 caliber --303 Caliber and 30-06 caliber's . JH. I recently picked up an M1903 rifle made at Rock Island in 1909. I shot a quick note off to the seller explaining what I found. The serial number is 537xxx it is a springfield. Vi Shooter's M1903 Page 8) Should I care one way or another about rifles cut for a Peterson device, I want to shoot it bolt. Cracks in an M1903 receiver made at Rock Island in 1909. Serial Number – 159584 mfg. Early rifles only had 2 lands and 2 grooves . When I say “a lot,” I mean a whole lot: a Google search of the phrase “1903 safe to shoot” brings back 20.2 million hits, including 148,000 videos. The second "block" of "03 A3" numbers was used only to about 4168800 before cancellation of contract ended "03 A3" production 28 February 1944. Part of it is an issue of lighting. There were a very small number of cutaway model's produced . barrel. It will be interesting stuff, indeed. To remedy the situation, the receivers (and the bolts) made from now on would undergo a double heat treatment with their temperatures being measured by pyrometers instead of a visual determination. Those Springfields made before this change are commonly called “low-number” rifles. 08-18-2010, 06:40 PM. As soon as there was enough to fill a batch they went in. Tang above floor plate is marked NRA under flaming bomb. On Springfields and other U.S. military long arms, the importance of the wood being original, unsanded, and with crisp, clear cartouches cannot be overstated. Rifles manufactured after these serial numbers are referred to as "high numbered" receivers and are commonly stated to be safe to shoot. On cloudy days when the sun did not interfere with the ability to see the metal’s true color in the fire, the “right temperature” was deemed to be 300 degrees cooler than on a sunny day when colors were harder to see. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 7 of 7 Posts. I inherited a Springfield 1903. So they sold 800-810 as high numbers but don't really consider them as such? Of course, each branch of the military was free to make its own judgment call. I have one of them. View Full Version : Are all 1903-A3s safe to shoot (serial number wise)? Not that I would recommend that. The latter issue is what was being examined. This was commenced at Springfield Armory at approximately serial number 800,000 and at Rock Island Arsenal at exactly serial number 285,507. – and caused one severe and ten minor injuries. Damn. Barrel date should match within a month or two of the serial number, following the links on this site. Springfield Armory 1903's under #800,000 are also unsafe. In my professional life, I’ve personally handled countless M1903 rifles with low serial numbers and have never observed one with a compromised receiver. Anything below those numbers are considered to be “low number” guns that are dangerous to fire. $2,450.00: 0 $2,450.00 $2,550.00: 6d 18h 33m 17119748. This would lead to all of the guns being removed from service eventually – not immediately. Mfg. Serial number ranges for the production years of M1903 Springfield, including Springfield … Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. T. Logan Metesh is an historian and writer who runs High Caliber History LLC. These receiver's are very brittle. by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal, 24 in. It is in the unsafe zone of serial numbers to shoot. 895. That is, until I put the gun on my workbench and took it apart for a good cleaning before heading out to the range. 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.