Just acquired my first '03 Springfield.

[AustinWiseguy]

I just bought this old gun from a seller who said that they acquired it from CMP some years back and have never shot it. The barrel looks possibly original to the receiver and I was just wondering if I could get some thought and comments from some here who have way more experience and insight than I do.

Some questions:
1. If the rifle was manufactured in Feb 1918, is it possible that it would have seen combat before war's end in November?
2. The inspection stamps on the furniture are really faint (except for the deep Greek serial ID stamp). On the left side, just rear of the grip it looks faintly like "CJB". Can someone confirm or tell me what this is? Anything else that might indicate it saw any action in WWII?
3. Were barrels ever not replaced if the rifles were used in conflicts post-WWI?
4. Besides the stacking swivel, is there any other obvious parts that don't belong to this rifle?

Thanks so much in advance. As soon as this current virus thing settles down, I want to take this rifle out to the range.

1Rifle.jpg2Receiver Serial Number.JPG3Barrel Date.JPG5Barrel Underside 1.jpg8Left Stock.jpg

[AustinWiseguy]

9Trigger Guard.jpg11Trigger Guard Underside Rear.JPG14Magazine.jpg15Magazine Underside.JPG13Bolt.jpg

[AustinWiseguy]

16Stock.jpg17 Bore.JPG18 Muzzle.JPG

[JimF]

I think you have a “Greek returned” rifle with a pinned floorplate. (The “B” stamped on the floorplate is the tell-tale.)

[Merc]

Browse around www.m1903.com to learn more about your rifle.

SRS records can sometimes indicate the history of a rifle’s service. Post a separate message on this site requesting a SRS check and you will be contacted. In the absence of any such records, most milsurp gun owners can tell a war-worn rifle by looking at its condition.

According to www.m1903.com, CJB is an unidentified Springfield inspector.

The rebuilders often used 03A3 bolts in place of the old Springfield bolts for safety reasons. The swept back angle of the handle on your bolt is a characteristic of the 03A3 bolt. Look under the handle for a small R stamped in the bolt body indicating it was made by Remington. Rebuilders often used other 03A3 parts (butt plates, barrel bands, swivels, etc.) simply because they were available and they worked.

The 03s that were sent to Greece were put through a rebuilding process and any worn or unsafe part would have been replaced. Obviously, the original stock and barrel on your rifle survived. Some rifle’s were assigned to Navy ships and rarely used compared to those used by the grunts and might be the reason for your rifle’s condition. I have a 1943 Remington 03A3 in similar condition. It’s serial number is close to some that served aboard the USS Reno.

Good shooting. Let us know how she does.

[AustinWiseguy]

JimF: indeed it appears its seen time in Greece. The "B" is present on the floor plate along with the last 4 digits of the serial on the stock and bolt. Thank you for your response!

Merc: Appreciate the advice. I will get that request for an SRS check as you directed. I'll definitely post a range report when this virus-thing allows.

[AustinWiseguy]

Merc: SRS check turned up empty.. but I hear that's fairly common.

JimF: I checked under the bolt and there indeed is a Remington "R" stamped. Additionally, and it may not be any kind of artifact, but there's a dimple stamped just above the "R".

20200414_115455.jpg

[Merc]

I checked under the bolt and there indeed is a Remington "R" stamped. Additionally, and it may not be any kind of artifact, but there's a dimple stamped just above the "R".

[ATTACH=CONFIG]47473[/ATTACH]

The rebuilders often used various ways to indicate that an item had been tested or inspected. They usually used an initials stamp but something as simple as a punch mark would serve a purpose. Don’t forget, your rifle was given to the Greeks who had their own ideas on marking them, so anything’s possible.

[AustinWiseguy]

Merc, can you envision a scenario where a rifle like this one was built in early 1918 and went through both world wars and the Greek civil war and the barrel not being replaced? I'm thinking this gun maybe spent a whole lot of time on guard duty and not much else. The previous owner indicated it's still in the same condition as he bought it from CMP. Thoughts?

[Merc]

The SRS report might hold some interesting possibilities. The rifles Johnny mentioned in his report with close serial numbers were assigned to an US Army Training Center (USATC) and USN IND which is probably the WW2 aircraft carrier USS Independence. IMHO, a rifle that’s rarely fired and minimally handled would more likely have been part of a ships’ arsenal.

[AustinWiseguy]

I appreciate your opinion on it. Thanks!

[Art]

I had a similar situation with an M1903 Greek return rifle. It is a 1921 rifle with a correct 1921 barrel. MarineA1Sniper whose knowledge of USMC rifles is encyclopedic and who no longer posts here...unfortunatly confirmed that it was a USMC rifle. So did John Beard. The barrel has the letter "A" under the date which means that it passed inspection during a rebuild. when I asked how the rifle could go that long without a new barrel the answer was that it probably was issued to a bandsman or cook and never left the United States. It does happen. In fact very rarely a rifle will show up that apparently was never issued or was used very lightly and never went through rebuild.

Congratulations on your rifle.

[Merc]

The Greeks seemed to have taken good care of the 03s they were given. My 1925 03 Greek return was still mostly covered by the heavy grease they used as a preservative when I bought it. A friend bought from the CMP in 2002 sold it to me last summer. He never cleaned or shot it and didn’t have a clue that it was a Greek return. You could say that he never really got to know the rifle.

I baked the stock in the sun to get some of the oil out of the wood fibers and then treated it several times with acetone. It was a mess but there was no rust or rot anywhere after being in storage for more than 50 years, so I tip my hat to the Greeks. It has a Remington 03A3 stock, a Remington 03A3 bolt and a High Std 9/44 barrel. It’s finish is 99% with no measurable wear (and shoots nice groups).

[AustinWiseguy]

Thank you again, Art and Merc. I'm continuing to research and came across a guy on the MilSurp forum who also had a Greek return. His had that mysterious mark under the barrel which I think is a small-case "pi" symbol. Read that this Greek letter sometimes refers to pressure and if it means anything, I'm guessing it might be another inspection mark of theirs. The point about being issued to support troops is a good one. I suppose mine may have been rear-guard issued and then made its way to a Navy ship's small arms arsenal.

Question: Is there a difference between an 03 and an 03A3 stock? Can you point me to any references that would describe it? Thanks again for helping me get more familiar with this rifle. Love this history.

[lyman]

Thank you again, Art and Merc. I'm continuing to research and came across a guy on the MilSurp forum who also had a Greek return. His had that mysterious mark under the barrel which I think is a small-case "pi" symbol. Read that this Greek letter sometimes refers to pressure and if it means anything, I'm guessing it might be another inspection mark of theirs. The point about being issued to support troops is a good one. I suppose mine may have been rear-guard issued and then made its way to a Navy ship's small arms arsenal.

Question: Is there a difference between an 03 and an 03A3 stock? Can you point me to any references that would describe it? Thanks again for helping me get more familiar with this rifle. Love this history.

biggest difference is the cut for the rear sight, on the 03's and the cut for the rear band or retainer (that held the A3 handguard near the front of the receiver,)

there were replacements made that had both features,


after a very quick search the best pic I could find, of a replacement stock with both features

note the small cutouts in the stock just in front of the barrel mounted sight collar,