USMC M1903A1 Clone For CMP Games

[EdBowles]

I thinking of putting together a USMC 1903A1 sniper rifle clone for the CMP Vintage Sniper Match. I have enough 1903 parts to put together a complete rifle and Midway has the Leatherwood Hi-Lux William Malcolm 6X scope at a reasonable price. I need some info on the front ring, how its attaches to the barrel, and hand guard dimensions. Anyone have a source for this info or a list of commercial equivalents for the mounting hardware? Ed

[Liam]

Not mine, but a good-looking combo.

[Greg Ficklin]

I need to make one up too. I shot the test match at the Eastern Games with an M1-D. It was a blast. So to be a faithful tribute gun it should be a 1903A1 and not an A3 ?

[jgaynor]

To be accurate the scope depicted which appears to be a copy or the Winchester A5 should be used on an M1903 not an M1903A1. The Marines, according to knowledgable sources, never threw anything away. There is a picture in Senich of a Marine in New Guinea (I think) holding one of the M1903 A5 setups early in WW2.
Regards,

Jim

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Email me, Ed. I am not familiar with the Malcom scopes, but you can pick up a good used Winchester A5 in #2 mounts for around $600 and be more realistic. I know where to get the bases also. They are fun rifles to shoot, very accurate, and in my old mind, a close second only to the 1941's for looks.

Jim
jimtarleton@att.net

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

To be accurate the scope depicted which appears to be a copy or the Winchester A5 should be used on an M1903 not an M1903A1. The Marines, according to knowledgable sources, never threw anything away. There is a picture in Senich of a Marine in New Guinea (I think) holding one of the M1903 A5 setups early in WW2.
Regards,

Jim

Jim,

According to Senich, there were 40 A5 snipers in use by the Marines. I think that picture was from Guadacanal.

Jim

[jgaynor]

Jim that was the picture I was thinking of. Thanks.
I think they still had more of the A5's in inventory early in the war but i believe some were used in training. The ones in the field were probably allocated on "x" number of rifles per company.


Jim

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

You are correct. The Marines had 887 Win A5/Lyman 5A scopes in inventory in 1941.

Jim

[EdBowles]

Sorry Guys, fell off the face of the earth for awhile. The Malcom 6X scope is more in my price range @ $260 at Midway, while the "o" and "e" blocks can be had for $12 each at (http://www.steveearleproducts.com/scopeblocks.html). Still have a kid in college, so the collectible stuff is a ways off. Ed

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Steve Earle makes quality products, so you won't go wrong there. Good luck with your project.

Jim

[Griff Murphey]

In the 90's, my friend from shooting at Camp Bullis, 1967-1971, Col. Bill Dickman USMCR, TRIED to get me to buy his USMC 03 Sniper he had gotten away with. At the time the interest in 03's and M-1's was just beginning again and there was no vintage shooting. So just like those $59.95 Johnsons, I let it get away from me.

Bill did some sniping in WW2. As a marksman, and a pilot, he from time to time found himself working as an Air Liason officer (FAC) and sniping was his collateral duty. When I shot with him and the 4th Marine Recon Bn. snipers at Bullis he was CO of the USMCR Sniper School. Sigh.

[jgaynor]

Sorry Guys, fell off the face of the earth for awhile. The Malcom 6X scope is more in my price range @ $260 at Midway, while the "o" and "e" blocks can be had for $12 each at (http://www.steveearleproducts.com/scopeblocks.html). Still have a kid in college, so the collectible stuff is a ways off. Ed

The straight stock will probably be easier to find than a "C" stock and more accurate historically. The CMP rules may well be loose enough to permit either stock but you may want to verify that.

Regards,

Jim

[DMark]

.... Midway has the Leatherwood Hi-Lux William Malcolm 6X scope at a reasonable price. I need some info on the front ring, how its attaches to the barrel, and hand guard dimensions. Anyone have a source for this info....

Ed,

Did you ever locate the info you were looking for?

I'm also thinking about using the Leatherwood Malcolm scope for a Marine M1903 A5 clone. I can handle all of the gunsmithing, just need the mounting data for the scope and the info about the handguard mod for the build.

Regards,

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Mount the rear base on the receiver ring with the front base on 7.2" center to center (of bases). The rear base should butt up against the fixed rear sight base. That's it, folks.

Jim

[DMark]

Mount the rear base on the receiver ring with the front base on 7.2" center to center (of bases). The rear base should butt up against the fixed rear sight base. That's it, folks. Jim

Thanks Jim!

Any details or pictures of how the upper handguard is re-shaped for the forward mount?