1903 Springfield (Manufactured in 1918) at 420 yards

[556nut]

better careful you have a low numbered receiver, poor heat treatment. serial<800,000 are low number for SA.

[TACTICALboom]

I own a model manufactured in 1918, ive shot it a few times but im trying to learn more about it.

[USMarineRifleman0311]

shooting a K98 at 500yds + w/ kentucky windage is like shaving with a rock

[m4TATICAL]

They should make a new Springfield to suit today's troops .... That would be freakin sweet !!!!

[txstang84]

03s are awesome

[flydfan]

Is the serial number on yours below 800,000? I've read not to shoot those. I've got one below it and it seems safe enough to me.

[The1FastGP]

Id love to own a 1903, whats the average price range for one?

[shydude1111]

can u use it as a hunting rifle?

[Dylanmg420]

@shydude1111

yup

[MrPettj]

My buddy showed me his springfield yesterday and he thought that 1903 was the manufacture date. I told him no that name of the rifle, but how do u find out the manufacture date on these things?

[mag30th]

@MrPettj Google "SPRINGFIELD ARMORY US MODEL 1903 RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER RANGES "

[palehorseone]

A fine, fine rifle indeed. Thanks for sharing Ernest

[ForRealProductionz]

how much would a springfield 1903 cost nowdays

[angryace13]

i love the Springfield 03 30-06 rifle, it makes a excellent sniper rifle, with a muzzle velocity over 2,800fps, and a range of over 800 yards with iron sights, and probably well over 1,000 yards with a scope. it is no mystery, it continued to serve so long as a sniper rifle.

and it was excellent as a standard rifle too, it was just as accurate and nearly as powerful as the Gewer 98 Mauser, except lighter and much easier to use, and more powerful than the Kar 98 Mauser.

[nocrap62]

@angryace13 ....an 03 is more accurate and the 30.06 round is more powerful than a mauser 8mm...GEW or other-wise. I am an old man and I have shot both many times over the years. I still have a 1918 dated GEW 98 and a 1909 dated '03.. Both are excellent rifles. I would not want to be on the receiving end of either.

[angryace13]

@nocrap62

i love the springfield 03 XD

[dumfart21]

iron sights, atleast somebody hasn't moved to scopes. Good shooting

[MosinDragunov1891]

Just wondering, how do you know when the rifle was made? I have a 1903A1 and the barrel is marked "12-41". I assume that's when it was rebarreled. There are no other obvious dates on the rifle that would suggest when it was made.

[Mossbergtactical95]

The XM8 has done far worse than the M16 in reliability tests, M16's may not be perfect, but they are far, far better than the XM8,

[DontBeAfraidToCare]

We got away from m1903s because combat has evolved a lot in the past one hundred years. Bolt action rifles were beginning to going out of phase in World War Two. Today they'd be completely inadequate for a modern military.

[M4XX3F]

you couldn't be more wrong; bolt action rifles are still very much in use, and adequate for the right type of warfare. a lot of modern sniper rifles use bolt-action receivers - like the Steyr Scout, Sako TRG-42 or Arctic Warfare Magnum. these rifles prevent large bursts of ammo being expended in a few seconds, which means the operator is forced to make every shot count. bolt action rifles are timeless - and probably my favorite kind of weaponry.

[DontBeAfraidToCare]

You are right, I stand corrected, bolt action rifles are still very much in use, and are among the most refined firearms in the world. What I meant to say was that rifles of bolt action design would not be fit to serve as a main combat rifle for modern infantry, since the introduction of the assault rifle.

[M4XX3F]

then you'd be right. the assault rifle has revolutionized modern combat. you're getting rapid fire combined with reasonable accuracy. however, nothing compares to the deadly beauty of a bolt-action sniper rifle. even semi-automatics, like the M14EBR, are truly awesome.

[PickofDestiny08]

yeah, snipers, who the hell'd want to run into the streets with one? Especially if you're pinned from lmg fire, or other things, what'd be better the bolt action or an assault rifle?

[majorporpoise]

What are you taking about?

Bolt action rifles are the choice of every sniper in the U.S. Besides the Barett, all the Army & Marines use is bolt action sniper rifle.

[drbackjack]

Haha. No. They do not only use bolt rifles. Just some of the semi-auto rifles currently serving the army and marines.

SR-25

M110

M21

[Pdark1]

Springfield is a awesome rifle.

[The1970lemans]

I don't know why we ever got away from the m1903s and the m1s they were great weapons now we have those pieces of junk! they jam all the time. alot of soldiers lost there lives because of the m16.

[captgeist]

You sir are an incorrect lemming.

Current issue M4/M16s are more accurate, reliable, and ergonomic then any other modern assault rifle in widespread use. Look up Pat Rogers and EAG, there Colts have been put to hard use with minimum cleaning and have racked up 28,000-40,000 rounds reliably with no failures, no jams not ammo related, etc... Get a fucking clue before you post bullshit drivel like that.

[captgeist]

DontBeAfraidToCare, you were right in your original post. Combat has evolved. Try and clear a house, or even one room, with multiple enemies, with a bolt action. Youll get murdered. Clear that same room with an AR15 or equivalent carbine, much better chance of survival.

[The1970lemans]

FOR ONE THING PAL I DID 2 DEPLOYMENTS IN IRAQ ASSHOLE I USED THE WEAPON IN COMBAT! I USED THE FORWARD ASSIST EVERYTIME AND IT STILL JAMMED! IF YOU READ MY POST YOU WELL SEE M16 NOT THE M4! AND YES THE MARINES AND ARMY STILL USE BOLT ACTION RIFLES! of course you can't clear a house with a bolt action rifle! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN SHOT AT AND CAN'T RETURN FIRE BECAUSE YOUR WEAPON JAMS. BESIDES THE MARINES AND AIRBORNE RECIEVED THE M4 BEFORE THE RESERVES DID! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT!

[M4XX3F]

the M16 is an absolute disaster in terms of reliability. its stock is made of plastic, not metal or wood. it isn't suited for desert environments, as the smallest grain of sand can jam any of the dozens of moving parts.. a far better choice in terms of reliability is the AK47. its got far less moving parts, meaning theres a lower chance of jamming.

heckler and koch has been working on a highly reliable rifle to replace the M16 - the xm8. look it up, its pretty impressive.

[gapanlilio33]

MAUSER or MOSIN or LEE ENFIELD or SPRINGFIELD?

[mahnameiswin]

Well personally I think everyone should own atleast one of each :) Its hard to own one mosin tho :(

[disturbedone5009]

Mosin Nagants are at almost every gun store I have been too. One of my local stores had 5 of them for $90

[warlord602]

I've heard that the 30/40 Krag always outshot the 1903 in military shoots, but is now no longer allowed to compete.

[bumsdrums]

where can you by one

[dmellow45]

honestly 420 yards aint that far... specially with a 1903

guess where i learned how to shoot.

[mag30th]

Ur correct, its not far at all, but what I try to do here is profile rifles, this 420 yard target is the standard target at my rifle range.

[dmellow45]

so its kinda just for standardized "testing"///?

[mag30th]

Yes, I have numerous rifles profiled here, most all I profile here on YouTube are demonstrated here at the same 420 yard shooting range. Some Ill take out to 1000 yards (on another shooting range), but the standard profile I do is here at my range is at the 420 yard marker for reference.

[rlfawcett]

@dmellow45 what scope can i get for my springfield? its old and i dont want to do any grinding. its old and i would like it to be like ww1 or even ww2 sniper style. I don't want to muck it up as I got it from my dad and want to pass it on to my son or grandson eventually.

[batiittos]

thats pretty accurate.

how much youve practised reloading? you seem fast as hell

[mag30th]

Thanks, Ive been shooting & reloading since the late 70s.

[markunit72]

is that in socal?

[dime9876]

do you like this or your mauser more?

[ironpwns]

thats accuracy got dam the springfield is the shit

they should remodel the gun into a more modernized version with 10 round clip and make it more accurate

[Hubscharber]

Like an Enfield?

[angryace13]

the springfield is probably one of the most accurate rifles ever manufactured, it had a muzzle volocity of over 2,800fps, and there is a vidio on youtube of a guy hitting a steel plate from over 600 yards with open sights with a springfield, people think beacuse that its american that its garbage, but there head is to far in call of duty to look at the real facts,

the german kar98k, the japanese arisaka, and even in my opinion the russian mosin nagant, out perfomred by the springfield.

[aerodynamicband]

you are so right anyways if somebody says the springfeild is garbage send them back in time to belleau wood and put them in the german lines so they could get shot by a marine at 800 yards

[angryace13]

pff 800 yards, i bet that gun could pick someone off from 1,000 yards away with the correct scope and enough focus XD, its just troops are never given the opertunity to shoot somthing from over 800 yards away.

[aerodynamicband]

it can but by 800 yards i mean 800 yards open site. talk about steady hands and good eyes. and that gun can shoot to 1200 yards but your right most engagements are closer than that thats why the military moved to assualt rifles with intermediate rounds

[243rem]

angryace13, you are completely correct. I shoot competition rifle and have competed in military bolt rifle matches. The winning rifle is almost always a M1903 or M1903A3. Mausers just don't cut it. For example, the German Mauser 98K has no windage adjustments (unless you pick up a Swiss version which occasionally have decent sights) and the elevation is a ramp style sight (which our ordinance department tried and threw out). I have 2 M1903s and they will both shoot a dime at 200 yds.

[aerodynamicband]

they probably can't get any more accurate because they are some of the best bolt actions ever made but they should remake this gun with a synthetic stock and reisue them with good optics as sniper weapons they'll do it the marines proved that in ww 1 but yeah i'm with you springfeild is the stuff

[DekodeIsGay]

Thats the Gun I was tought to shoot with when I was only 5, It had alot of kick then. Now its just like a Toy to me, a Beautiful accurate toy. You should have tried for a longer distance, That guns a workhorse!

[angryace13]

its amazing how accurate the springfield is!

[Eguan0]

What are the iron sights called?

[aerodynamicband]

this one has a rear ladder sight and a front blade sight

[terraformer5]

the springfield chambers a 30-06 round right

[noelchan127]

Yes. The .30-06 Springfield or 7.62x63mm in metric

[mknirbd]

mausers and springfields are both ecellent field pieces if zeroed in and kept clean especially after shooing berdan primerd war surplus ammo. i hv both and a 1917 bsa enfield which was converted to a 22cal trainer in the twenties annd sold to new zealand. a very rare and fine shooter with all of the proper markings.

[Conan568]

I have an A303.

It's in mint condition.

These are great rifles, and a lot of them were converted into custom hunting rifles.

[oysteinbaadsvik]

I am from Czech republic so i am not patriot. I know the mauser was used in Finland,Norway,Austria,And many many states. MAuser s cup sistem is great similar syslem we can see on remington 700 Bud mauser is 100years old:-D .

And reload system is easier then Mosin Nagant. And 7,92x57mm call.. ..in secon World War it was the best rifle with cilindric cap!! But i thing springfield s not bad rifle.

[oysteinbaadsvik]

Springfield is maser copy :( and mauser is better!

[mag30th]

And how is the Mauser better?

[ihatecommies72]

The Mauser is not better, thats bullcrap. The folks at Springfield Armory took the best of what the Mauser had, tweaked and refined it and remade a whole different rifle, with a Mauser concept. The 1903 is a better rifle in my opinion and I have shot several, the '03 & the 1903 a3, both shoot more accurately than the Mauser K98, not a lot better, just better. The Enfield though is my favorite, being born in England. But the '03 is right there too...

[ihatecommies72]

They used the basic stripper clip bolt concept from the Mauser, but the '03 is a totally different gun, believe me I own both. They are both great, but saying the '03 is just a copy is nonsense.

[Alexn1067]

I have a mosin nagant and that is a good rifle and for a 100 dollars you can't beat that value, but I would certainly love a springfield 03. I really want to get one.

[RifleGlory]

You are a awsome shot with everything you own i wish i could do that.

[QuestionMarker]

Would you recommend this beautiful rifle to hunt or more of the line of target shooting.Or even better, both!

I'm still deciding to get a Lee Enfield, or a springfield.Hopefully you can help me out.

Cheers,

[mag30th]

They are both great rifles! Either one you would be very happy with!

[QuestionMarker]

You're right!

I would be very happy with either one.I will own both rifles eventually, but I want to have that feeling "this" is my first rifle.

I'm leading more towards the 1903 Springfield,obviously it's good for target shooting, would you recommend hunting with it as well?

Thanks,

[mag30th]

Yes, the great thing about the 30.06 round is its versatility; you can shoot 100 grain pinker bullets from it, all the way up to 240 grain hunting rounds. The .303 will not offer that type of choice, even if you reload.

[himrchp]

im new to understanding what smaller bullets fit in bigger chambers. i was just given a 1903 by my grandpa who thinks it was his army service rifle, but looks too modified and new compared to all others i see. what rounds will fit a 30/06 chamber? this rifle is in 90% condition and is a beautiful rifle..... possibly taking over my favorite rifle my remington model 600, 350 magnum.

[TheLastPaladin]

A .30-06 chamber will accept .30-06 ammunition. Don't ever try to fire a different type of ammo other than what your gun is chambered for, unless you know for a fact that the two rounds are interchangeable. 7.62x51 NATO, for example, is safely interchangeable with .308 Winchester in most rifles that are chambered for one of the two rounds.

.30-06 is a very long cartridge by .30 caliber standards, so even if shorter rounds will fit in the chamber, they will not feed properly.

[TheLastPaladin]

For a WWII surplus Garand or 1903, your best bet is to find some surplus .30 cal M2 Ball ammunition, which was made for them.

I understand the modern stuff can cause increased wear on war-era barrels.

[xXpreflexXx]

if u ever do reenacting u can use the 03 for american stuff and im not sure but i think that the britsh ammo(.303) is more corrosive

[firerabbit456]

is this a good gun for christmas?

[mag30th]

HECK YES!!!!!!!!!!

[kjsh987]

you think that gewehr 98 is better than the mossin m44 as sniper rifle?

[RebelSince1776]

yes considering that the m44 is a carbine, but if ur reffering to the 91/30 the answer is still yes in my opinion

[UJS8X]

The Springfield 03 and the Mosin Nagant both seem like good sporting rifles priced about the same. I might go with the Springfield though just because the .30-06 is a more common ammo than 7,62x54mm.

[dlaws99]

I have both, but being left handed I hate the sling position on the Mauser...

[mihailolord]

98 Mauser is way better!

[mag30th]

and how is it better?

[mihailolord]

better quality,accuracy,mechanism and its way famous!every army in europe had in its arsenal k98!but i really want one 03'!!i have m-48 yugoslavian!my friend had 03' and selling it for 400euros!

[mag30th]

I personally feel both rifles are equal. Your comparison though over looks that the 03 was invented in 1903, and the 98k Mauser in 1935. Both actions are nearly identical, the accuracy, of both rifles is the same, and the power is nearly identical, this is why I would call it a tie, they are both very good rifles.

To each his own though, after all, I would prefer my Lee Enfield No.1 Mk III over the Mauser or the Springfield... :-)

[mihailolord]

maybe you are right...both rifles wroted history!great rifles btw!big hello from serbia!

[mag30th]

Serbia! Wow! And a hello from Los Angeles California!

[disturbedone5009]

where do you live in los angeles? i live in chino. how do you like the 1903? i ordered a garand from the cmp and noticed them selling an 03a3 for $500. i was thinking about getting either that or both but didnt have the money for both. i went with the garand because its by far my favorite.

[digiwolff]

i live in upland. lol

[bf3pwner]

so did u put 5 in the mag hold them down push the bolt slightly foward and drop one in the chamber(thats my only theray cuz i dont own a bolt

[mag30th]

Yes, that is what I did.

[JNT20]

in comparasin to other WW2 bolt guns, (98 Mauser, Mosin, Enfield) why are these things so expensive? BTW I just got a K31, can't wait till I pick it up!

[iceteaguy]

In my opinion, greater than the Garand... not by much though!

[whitey211]

Gotta love this gun. My grandfather made a new Manlicher stock for his (now mine) but other then that I'm pretty sure its all original with 2.5x scope. If I ever get a video camera I'll post it. By the way, very nice shooting not using a scope and all.

[mauser3846]

great rifle

[AlexeiVasilevich]

Very nice rifle

Looks like they have very smooth bolts!

[Friggenschnell]

beautiful rifle, but it sucks that it is hard to find an all original 1. I found an all original one but it costs $1500... but i know the owners well, and am agetting it for $420. 1919 dated RIA barrel and reciever in great condition

[mag30th]

Thanks, if this one only had the original 1918 barrel that would have been sweet! They are great rifes though!

[danwinsor]

where can i get one of these in canada Ontario

[humesie]

idk

hell dude i cant get one in MA

[mag30th]

Try gunbroker dot  com, that is your best bet!

[humesie]

k thanks

[themanfromwyoming]

You can't get an '03 in Massachusetts? Why not? It seems like it would be legal there, even with all of their gay gun control laws.

[DiVeronica]

ooo an old school one! nice

[heuplek]

Yes the springfield is a great rifle.