Richard H Brown Jr
07-06-2011, 12:04
Dear Right Wing Types
Was in a local RI gun store today, saw that they had a 1903-a4 clone by Gibbs on display, and had a look. Not really impressed with the quality control.
Upper fore stock, Rough with open pores. It was sanded down but the wood selection was so poor it had so many below surface openings, it would have been better just to buy NOS, from a Parts supplier instead of using whatever wood, iirc the Philippine stock supplier used.
Receiver: obviously rebuilt from a drill rifle, you could see under a fairly good re-park job, a below surface mark, from where the spot weld was ground off, I mean they could have rewelded and ground it down a little better.
Markings: Up on the front of the Receiver on the left hand side below the scope mount, Remington 1903a3 stamped parallel to the horizontal axis of the rifle. On the right hand side up by the front scope mount, serial no was stamped 2x on the receiver.
Bolt action: Seemed really really rough, like they reparked the receiver and just put a barrel on and finished boring the chamber, really rough unlock, pullback, chamber and locking action.
Nothing a few thousand bolt cycles couldn't cure.
Parkerization: seemed to be really cleanly done on the exposed barrel part and the mount and receiver. Can't remember off hand if they did the bolt too. (Except for the ding where the spot weld was ground out, on the receiver).
Overall, I'd say for $995 or whatever going rate, a bit too much, as a purist would can the stock and go for NOS from a parts supplier.
Note: I didn't mention the optics, because I have no experience with a scoped rifle, and absolutely no experience with what an *original* scope for the a4 to compare.
Cross hair type, and probably a little thick for 200yrd + shooting. I tried to get a proper cheek weld, but the cross hairs were below middle of the optical field when my cheek was tight on the stock. Maybe for some people a leather sock to raise your cheek up would work.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/968412579/Guns/Rifles/Gibbs-Rifles/GIBBS_03A4_SNIPER_3006_W_SCOPE_NIB.htm
Store listing on guns america $929.99 + $30 shipping 3 days examination time. No pix on listing.
RHB
Was in a local RI gun store today, saw that they had a 1903-a4 clone by Gibbs on display, and had a look. Not really impressed with the quality control.
Upper fore stock, Rough with open pores. It was sanded down but the wood selection was so poor it had so many below surface openings, it would have been better just to buy NOS, from a Parts supplier instead of using whatever wood, iirc the Philippine stock supplier used.
Receiver: obviously rebuilt from a drill rifle, you could see under a fairly good re-park job, a below surface mark, from where the spot weld was ground off, I mean they could have rewelded and ground it down a little better.
Markings: Up on the front of the Receiver on the left hand side below the scope mount, Remington 1903a3 stamped parallel to the horizontal axis of the rifle. On the right hand side up by the front scope mount, serial no was stamped 2x on the receiver.
Bolt action: Seemed really really rough, like they reparked the receiver and just put a barrel on and finished boring the chamber, really rough unlock, pullback, chamber and locking action.
Nothing a few thousand bolt cycles couldn't cure.
Parkerization: seemed to be really cleanly done on the exposed barrel part and the mount and receiver. Can't remember off hand if they did the bolt too. (Except for the ding where the spot weld was ground out, on the receiver).
Overall, I'd say for $995 or whatever going rate, a bit too much, as a purist would can the stock and go for NOS from a parts supplier.
Note: I didn't mention the optics, because I have no experience with a scoped rifle, and absolutely no experience with what an *original* scope for the a4 to compare.
Cross hair type, and probably a little thick for 200yrd + shooting. I tried to get a proper cheek weld, but the cross hairs were below middle of the optical field when my cheek was tight on the stock. Maybe for some people a leather sock to raise your cheek up would work.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/968412579/Guns/Rifles/Gibbs-Rifles/GIBBS_03A4_SNIPER_3006_W_SCOPE_NIB.htm
Store listing on guns america $929.99 + $30 shipping 3 days examination time. No pix on listing.
RHB