bolt body ID

[GusM]

Is there a way of telling if a bolt body is 03 or 03-A3 just by looking at it?

Thanks
Gus

[John Beard]

Most collectors associate circumferential undercutting along the bolt body with M'03-A3 bolts. Undercutting, however, first started with mid-production Remington M1903 rifles. So, undercutting is not exclusive to M'03-A3 bolts. But all M'03-A3 bolts had undercutting.

In addition, a large quantity of spare replacement bolts were made by Springfield Armory and contractors during WWII. These bolts have undercutting along the bolt body, but were never originally issued in Remington or Smith-Corona M'03-A3 rifles.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[Devil Dog]

Can you explain "undercutting"?

[John Beard]

Can you explain "undercutting"?

Undercutting consists of shallow narrow circumferential grooves around the bolt body. A groove appears in each of the following locations:

(1) directly in front of the bolt handle,
(2) on both sides of the safety lug,
(3) directly behind the locking lugs.

The grooves eliminated the need for hand-filing these areas for a smooth appearance and precise fit, but in no way compromised the strength and integrity of the bolt. Other than appearing somewhat unsightly, the grooves accelerated bolt production during WWII and reduced cost.

The undercutting grooves are commonly associated with M'03-A3 bolts, and all M'03-A3 bolts are indeed grooved. But late production spare replacement M1903 bolts were also grooved, so the relationship is not exclusive.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[GusM]

It helps, and thank you very much.

Gus

[tanker trash]

a "10 foot method" is to look at the safety lug. Squared is 03A3 simplified. Contoured could be 03. Also having a straight or swept back bolt handle is fairly visually obvious.

[Randy A]

Actually the squared lug bolts only represent a minority of the 1903A3 bolts produced. Also, the swept handle appeared in the later half of 1918 on up, so that's not a very good indicator either.
I'l give it a shot, with the exception JB mentioned above (later Remington 1903s) most 1903 bolt bodies are uniform diameter from one end to the other (smooth). Of course there are two lugs, a safety lug and a handle protruding but the rest of the bolt body is the same size all the way.
The A3 bolts have recesses in them like mentioned above, easiest to recognize is the opposite side from the safety lug, there will be an obvious depression that wraps around the bolt.

[Devil Dog]

thanks!

[DWL in TN]

An old picture that may show what John is describing........top 2 are Remington 03-A3s, the bottom one is a Remington 03...