Local shop has a Nat. Ord 03 for $430, should I buy it

[jjrothWA]

and locate a decent action and swap parts??

Most parts on the NAT ORD. are good used USGI.

What does the brethern say?

[M1Garandy]

One has been sitting in a local shop for a long time at $250-300 with no takers.

[Dave in NGA]

Unless you've got a lead on a A3 action, you're going to have as much in this rifle as you would need to buy yourself a decent 1903A3 rifle. Now if you have to pay someone to switch out parts and the headspace doesn't come up right then you might be out more than the cost of an original rifle. I'd say this deal depends upon how much of the work you can do yourself and how much risk you're prepared to take.

[chuckindenver]

unsafe to fire with live ammo

[Tom]

unsafe to fire with live ammo

Why is that Chuck? I've never read about them failing.

[musketshooter]

I believe there have been numerous tests of these and none failed. THe major draw-back its that they have no clip slots so the can't be loaded with chargers.

[Tuna]

No that's not the major draw back with them, it's the receivers. Some were made from scraped cut receivers, some were made from cast receivers that were never properly heat treated. They are not considered to be safe and that is why Chuck said don't fire them.

[Tom]

Hey musketshooter. Are those muskets in your picture? Or is that a gunstore?

[dave]

430 is allot of money for parts, more then half of cost of a decent GI 03A3!

[Jeff L]

The receivers are cast, not forged steel. Take a pass on it.

[chuckindenver]

now youv seen some that have failed.

[barretcreek]

That is some crystallized steel.

[Doug Douglass]

Great drill rifle for shooting salute blanks......worth very little.

[chuckindenver]

my mentor gunsmith, used to make 22 hornet, 22 mag, and a 410 shot shell rifle, that shot 3 buckshot...low pressure was fine..when he died a few years ago, i got the 6 he made, and cut them up, Max was a neet guy, but didnt want them being made back into high power rifles again.. iv seen some made into reinactor rifles, set up for blanks...

[Jiminvirginia]

Looks like the first two pictures are the same rifle, not sure about the third. I wonder about a couple of other factors like who and how the receiver was drilled for scope mounts. Would also wonder about the ammo used. I have a feeling there is really more to the story.....

[chuckindenver]

no...i have several...here the skinny...they are junk., unsafe, big POS...thats the story, no more to it then that.
want to look more into them, second geuss them? be the expert on National Ord. Santa fe arms ???get on it, just think...i told ya...and even showed you pictures,, both failed with factory ammo, case head failures, nothing more... i also have pictures of one that was cut in have with a hand hacksaw..try that with a Remington...they are cast , soft junk...
i can load a Remington A3, so hot it flows the brass case into the bolt face...and it wont blow the top of the ring off...

[Jiminvirginia]

I'm not a big fan of cast parts in a firearm. I think there is too much room for error in the process. Might be ok for low power cartridges.

[blackhawknj]

There were some postings on this board on this topic 3 years ago or so,I just looked them upon Google.
Nothing wrong with cast parts provided you make them correctly-like Bill Ruger did.
These National Ordnance receivers seem to be a commercial version of the Low Number M1903. You could get a good one,you could get a bomb. I have one, about 12 rounds though it, accurate,good shooter.

[mack]

The receivers were made in the north of Spain in the early 60s and are not suitable for firing high-power ammo through. I know that for many years people thought the South El Monte guys had made their stuff in Mexico, but Spain is the correct location. Same folks, as I understand it, who made cheap cast-frames for .25 auto imported "midnight specials" in that same time period. If you own one, either scrap the parts or drive a drill rod into the breech with a ball peen hammer.

If anyone has better info, please post it. This is my understanding from my exposure to them in the 1960s but I am always willing to be corrected, as I have been many times.

[chuckindenver]

these are nothing close to the investment casting of the Rugers...matter fact most modern bolt action rifles are made with Rugers idea, these are sand cast made junk, so out of spec, that most had to have the barrels turned at the shoulder to headspace,
i have taken several down for parts, more then 20. and have seen and heard of well more then 50 examples of failures...
the rifle on the left 2 pictures was one that was on display locally for years, shot with standard factory ammo, rifle on the right failed on the 71st factory round fired, i have many other pictures of these gems failures, and many first hand tails from other shooters that had failures as well. if you choose to second guess this warning...its in your lap... these have a big cavity behind the recoil lug that gives way during case head failure.

[Art]

I agree with the conventional wisdom here. As far as I'm concerned if the barrel has a lot of life in it and you have a line on a good receiver it would be worth $200.00 - $250.00 as a parts gun. I personally wouldn't shoot a low number '03 even thought the chance of a failure is quite low and I would look on a National Ordnance gun as being much, much more risky than a low number '03. I always was a cautious fellow though.

[Jiminvirginia]

I don't have one of these NO's yet but I wonder if they could be converted to safely fire 7.62X39? Wouldn't want to do that with a real 03.

[chuckindenver]

762x39 may be ok, you would have to work on feeding issues..
a note.
i looked close at a undamaged N,O, action...were the first one gave way, i saw cast lines...another weak area....yikes..

[Jiminvirginia]

Wondered about the feeding. I read where a guy did this with a couple of 8mm Mausers. One fed fine, other did not. It seems likeit would work though.

[crossfire]

chuckindenver , not to change the subject but do you still sell drill fixtures for the scope blocks on the 1903 usmc sniper rifle ? I need one.

[chuckindenver]

no, i had a small group made up, sold all but 2, and i use them weekly.. they were very costly to have made...
i offered everyone in the forums a chance at them first before i sold them on Ebay... one guy i know may sell his...ill ask and see, he got frustrated. and just payed me to drill 10 rifles...