USMC Sniper project...

[Greg Ficklin]

I'm going through this with a friend that is bent on having a USMC sniper tribute for the CMP VS matches. He borrowed a rifle last year for the Eastern Games and he and his pal came in 6th overall in the team standings. He's hooked bad, and making unwise decisions like wanting to drill into a Remington 1903 that he picked up at a pawn shop, and biting hard on an 8X scope on Ebay that he finally won at $1875. There are always sporters that have already been molested to use for these tribute rifles. Drilling into any 1903 today is just foolishness. Even the A3's should be left alone because there are so many out there that have been sporterized. There is nothing wrong with the CMP stock sets despite some things you hear. 1903 stocks are notorious for cracking even the USGI stocks. The same is true for the complaints of the Leatherwood Malcomb "Chinertl". I have one on my CMP VS tribute, and took a Unertl off to use it. Even Unertl users back in the day had problems with the mounts coming loose, and not having them seated correctly. That's why they developed the POSA mount. Leatherwood did copy the Lyman mounts all the way down to the screw inside the thumb nut. This has to be tightened after the thumb nut is properly seated in the standard base scallop to lock the thumb nut. People that have problems with the mounting of the Malcomb need to know the difference in the Lyman system, and Unertl. Put a new inner screw in place of the original one and get it tight after the thumb nut is properly secure, and it will not loosen.

[wolley]

If you find a drilled and tapped 1903 and the spacing is different from standard Steve Earl will custom make blocks to fit your hole spacing.
I fought the chinertl mounts for two years and after two years of diligent searching finally scored a set of original Unertls on eBay for less than $300.
The Malcolm rings SUCK! They have 1.5moa of backlash between click engagements and when they do engage the clicker it is too fine and too soft to reliably count.
My final rifle is goofy accurate for a battle rifle.
Started with a bubba'd rifle at a gunshow for $375. Stock was still intact.
1919 receiver. Prewar "C" stock. Early handguard with the windage knob cut out and a previously modified NS bolt.
Found a fine deep checkered NOS buttplate. (For an M1922 I think?)
I now only need to blacken the bolt. It is polished at the moment.

[TDP0311]

I've been browsing through 1903s that have already been sporterized, and when it comes for my attempt to recreate an authentic look I have a question... the USMC M1941 sniper rifles were national match rifles without Hatcher Holes, correct?

[Promo]

Mines do have them.

[jgaynor]

I've been browsing through 1903s that have already been sporterized, and when it comes for my attempt to recreate an authentic look I have a question... the USMC M1941 sniper rifles were national match rifles without Hatcher Holes, correct?

FWIW this link will take you to a list of USMC sniper rifle attributes:

http://olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m1941usmc.php

[chuckindenver]

couple of things on that list i dont agree with..
the C stock was used on most, but not all.
bolts were blackened, but not blued. some may look blued.. a pickling chem was used to darken plished bolts.
have yet to see a genuine with a coarse checkered buttplate, have seen many smooth and fine checkered plates on real rifles, both plates were stippled.
shooting a NM type buttplate without a shooting coat with leather shoulder pad will result in a nasty rasberry..
though the barrels were star gauged measured, most had no marking at the muzzle.
have also seen tar on the rear sight base, as well as the front sight base, front and rear scope bases were later high temp soldered as well as screwed in place, this was one of the weak points of the set up, and why the iron sights were left so they could still be used if the scope set up failed in the field, all had the guard screws staked in place.
all slings had the keepers or hooks blackened, stocks were boned, or had the grain closed, most stampings were gone or rubbed off during this.
a rifle with sharp markings would be suspect.
all genuine rifles iv looked at, have had a punch mark ahead of the front scope base, after the high temp solder was done.
CV parts were not used on all rifles, only if needed or replacements after 1937.
the last genuine rifle iv seen and held, had an early WW1 type trigger, and a J5 bolt serialed just ahead of the safety lug.
rifle had been through a rebuild, but still retained its original parts..sans a sling,
also noticed that on some combat pics iv seen, that the stacking swivel is removed.

[jgaynor]

Chuck I am not crazy about the list either. For one thing the list of potential serial numbers includes almost 600,000 rifles. How helpful is that?
And you are right the directive called for Pistol grip stocks "if available". There is at least one combat photo of a sniper with a rifle equipped with a GG type "S" stock. Did it come that way from stateside or was it a filed replacement? Who knows?

Regards,
Jim

[Promo]

Chuck, I agree to some points of your description, but not all. Especially when it comes to blued or blackened bolts. Regarding the bluttplates, since most were made of NM rifles they originally did come with the coarse checkered buttplate. And if you tried, the coarse checkered buttplate has a slightly different curve and dimensions than a fine checkered one. This also becomes visible when trying to fit these to a stock which was originally issued with another buttplate.

Since these are USMC rifles, they were originally built in a specific manner. In the field or because of damages parts could be replaced. Also remember the long issue time, they were used in Korea, and of course some got in an overhaul process.

[Former0302]

Yeah...the NM heavy checkered buttplate is basically a meat tenderizer...

[chuckindenver]

most corse plates were tossed by the end user if on the rifle when issued, ALL bolts were blackened when issued...
why would any sniper want a brite bolt to give him away?? nothing on the rifle was pretty..if its pretty, someone other then the USMC made it that way.
bolt body was pickled if not already blackened..if it had a polished bolt, it was dulled to a dark ash grey. serial bolts iv observed were done so that if the bolt handle was up, and a scope installed, the serial could be seen. usually under the extractor.
shoot a 1903 with a corse checkered buttplate in a shirt sleeve just once...youll understand why.
and no...they didnt use JUST NM rifles.. all the guidelines for this rifle was...DHT action...that was it...
from 900,000 and up.
understand that the Sniper rifle was one of the most personal modified rifles issued for the end user, stocks, bolts, scopes, buttplates ect, were usually changed for the shooter to fit him. most snipers were cream of the crop, and very savey on how to shoot, and how the rifle worked... that saying,..feer the man with only one rifle...chances are he knows it very well.
after these weapons were turned back in, most were rebuilt or destroyed, they saw hard use. only a handful were truly sold as surplus.
id say more WW1 sniper rifles with the side holes plugged found themselvs back in service then the 1903A1s. do to hard service, use, and how the holes were drilled.
scopes removed, rifles taken down, and set for scrap, id say more scopes were smuggled back then any complete rifles.
just based on my observations on legit rifles.
and thats not very many, less then a handfull in private hands, and a few in museums that are real.
lots and lots of replicas....even more in the past couple years.