WW I Prototype...

[glindes]

I was in a Local Gun Shop today, and asked to see this 1903 with large box magazine that was for sale for ~$900 something... The young man handed it to me and went on to explain that the 3.3M Springfield M1903A3 was a WWI prototype... I remembered why I don't frequent that LGS... sheesh...Geoff

[Rick the Librarian]

Some people don't like to be confused with the truth!! :D

[PhillipM]

It reminds me of a NM 1903 I saw locally once with a scope, turned down bolt and requisite cut down stock. The owner said, "It was a winner at Perry" and had $1200 on it. JB was able do do a drive by at the shop and confirmed it was a butchered authentic 1.2 mil NM. I still cry about it sometimes.

[Fred]

I was in a Local Gun Shop today, and asked to see this 1903 with large box magazine that was for sale for ~$900 something... The young man handed it to me and went on to explain that the 3.3M Springfield M1903A3 was a WWI prototype... I remembered why I don't frequent that LGS... sheesh...Geoff

I'm confused about the mention of a large box magazine. Did it (1903A3) have an extended magazine attached to the trigger guard?

[Floyd1977]

The box magazine may be a 20 round "Air Service" magazine which could be attached to a 1903 milled trigger housing (sans floorplate). That magazine, if it is an "Air Service" magazine could be worth quite a bit of money by itself. The "Air Service" magazines were a short-term effort to arm planes in WW I (machine guns took over from hand held small arms rather quickly).

[Fred]

If it WAS a 25 round magazine, then the rifle couldn't have been a 1903A3 because such a magazine Cannot be attached to a 1903A3's sheet metal trigger guard. Only a Model 1903. I'm still very confused here...

[dave]

I assume you are going by the serial when you say 03A3, but don't you know a 03 TG will fit in an A3?

[Fred]

I was in a Local Gun Shop today, and asked to see this 1903 with large box magazine that was for sale for ~$900 something... The young man handed it to me and went on to explain that the 3.3M Springfield M1903A3 was a WWI prototype... I remembered why I don't frequent that LGS... sheesh...Geoff


No, the poster mentioned that it was a 1903A3 as well as it being in the 33XXXXX range. I don't know, I Need to check up on when the 1903A3 began. The thing that I was wanting answered though has been. The rifle was indeed sporting a 25 round extension magazine. Yes, I know about the trigger guard being able to be switched. There was the possibility I thought that the rifle was a 1903A3 or A4 whose floor plate had been cut so that a BAR magazine could've been brazed on.
It worked for the guy in the photo below. He couldn't use a 25 round extension magazine on his rifle for obvious reasons without having a 1903 trigger guard and floor plate mounted.


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/Whitedog333/Springfieldsniperriflewithextensionmagazine_zpsfde 43484.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/Whitedog333/media/Springfieldsniperriflewithextensionmagazine_zpsfde 43484.jpg.html)

[Kragrifle]

Great Photo!

[RCS]

Looks like the M1918 BAR magazine (which is one inch wide at both the front and back, unloaded) would not fit inside the 1903. They cut the top section off the BAR magazine then welded it to the 1903 trigger guard. Makes a nice wartime photo but was it reliable ? difficult at best to reload, not much, if any improvement over the M1903A4

[Fred]

Yes, It is a BAR magazine as previously noted. They probably Brazed it onto the 1903A4 (same as the 1903A3) trigger guard because welding easily burns through sheet metal. Notice the built up brazing along the joined edges.

[RCS]

I really doubt it worked very well. You never here much about the German magazine for the Mauser 98 in WW1, the British had designed a curved magazine of 20 rds for the Lee Enfield Mark 3 in 1918