1903a3 Work

[Doble Troble]

 

Here are some pix of the 03A3 that I got from CMP a few years ago. I'd heard that it was unlikely to find an 03 in reasonable shape that wouldn't outshoot an unmodified Garand, and the Garand I got from them was very accurate, so I was really looking forward to this one when it finally arrived.

 

When it did arrive it was in beautiful shape for a surplus rifle. It had clearly been rebuilt and stored unused. After cleaning the cosmo out of the barrel, the bore was brilliantly shiny but only a 2-groove. I'd never seen a two groove before and it was shocking how little rifling there is in one of these. But I'd read that tests support no accuracy differences between two- and four-groove barrels and so I wasn't troubled...until I shot it.

 

With the Korean M2 ball that my Garand shoots into four inches at 100 yds, this 03A3 would put into a 12" shotgun pattern with the occasional flyer. Bummer. Everything was tight, and it looked really good, so I was stumped. Even Lake City M2 wasn't much of an improvement. The 91/30 that I hand drill counterbored could outshoot this A3 with slave labor-produced surplus ammo.

 

So this rifle has been sitting in the gun closet for years. Every once in a while I'd take it to the range, hoping that my prior experiences would somehow just go away, but it was the same every time.

 

I'd been thinking of selling it, or trading it. It really is a good looking rifle and I'm sure that any buyer would have been temporarily happy, but I just didn't feel right trying to sweep my problem under someone else's rug - I wouldn't expect anyone to try to do this to me, and if they did they'd hear about it.

 

So I was stuck with it, and of course am a Bubba at heart, and so despite it's excellent condition, decided I had to do something with it.

 

I had pretty-much decided that I was going to have to buy a 4 groove and rebarrel when I decided to check how the current barrel was fitting into the stock. It became clear that there was a lot of stock/barrel contact from both the handguard in the rear and much upward pressure from the stock at the muzzle end.

 

I coated the barrel with inletting black and put it back together. I took off the high spots with this barrel bedding tool that I wouldn't be without.. I repeated this about a thousand times until the barrel was free-floated. Although I'd accepted the fact that I was stuck with it and the Bubba in me didn't care, this modification didn't alter the appearance of the rifle in any way that I can tell. The barrel channel is actually better than when I started, and it was saturated with cosmolene and so its impossible to tell where wood was removed.

 

I took it out to the range last week and it now shoots Korean M2 ball into 4" at 100 yds just like my Garand (which is MOA with handloads). The only problem is that it shoots them 4" high with the rear sight as low as it goes.

 

Time for more modification. I removed the front sight (I had to make a drift by grinding-down a broken tap - that's a tiny, British-sized pin) and found that it was an A which is the highest issue blade. These blades are 0.050" steel. I had some aluminum stock, which just wasn't right even for a Bubba like me, so I orderd some steel (and too much other stuff) from Online Metals. It took about 15 min to fabricate the sight shown which is 0.035" taller than the issue blade. I'll be taking a file with me to the range as I suspect there will be a few thous more to remove ( based on Brownell's sight height calculator).

 

The load shown is a Hornady FMJ 150 gr that are very reasonably priced. I've loaded sets of five rounds each, from 42.5 to 44.5 gr AA2495 seated out to 3.333" OAL. These are Garand loads. I'm hoping one of these will shoot into a ragged hole with the modified 03A3.

 

Hope springs eternal! I think this is a big reason shooting and milsurps are so much fun.

[Clemson]

Good work on the sight, DT. That round you show has the bullet loaded WAY out. I usually go ahead and seat to the cannelure. Is your throat long enough to take that round?

 

For what it's worth, I bought an 03A3 (Remington) and a 1903 (Springfield) from the CMP a few years ago. The 03A3 also has a two-groove barrel. I cannot tell the difference between the two rifles in terms of grouping. Both are VERY accurate. Don't be afraid of the CMP 1903's. They have all been rearsenaled, just like the '03A3's. Mine has a 1918 receiver, but it is in just as good condition as the '03A3.

 

Let us know how it shoots now.

 

Clemson

[Doble Troble]

Thanks, Clemson. The 03A3 throat is far enough out, but I haven't tried to run this bullet/OAL combo through my Garand yet. The reason I seated it out is because of a comment on the MidwayUSA site (where I bought the bullets) that seating these to the cannulature wasn't far enough for the Garand and resulted in some type of gas-related problem. I probably pay too much attention to comments elsewhere due to the excellent advice I've been able to trust here.

 

I've been very sensitive to throating issues since loading various bullets for my K-31 Swiss. Mine has the shortest throat I've run across so far. I'm not sure it even has a throat I've got to seat the bullets so far in. I learned this the hard way loading to the OAL recommended in the Hornady manual and not checking feeding with a dummy first. I got to the range, placed a cartridge in the magazine (a Mauser habit), closed the weird straight-pull action closed with authority and...it didn't go into battery. With effort I managed to get the bolt open by pounding with the palm of my hand...the bullet stayed in the barrel and about half the powder dumped into the action. I was done for the day and completed my first experience reloading for the K-31. The bullet took a bit of pounding with a cleaning rod to dislodge and there was about 1/4" of rifling engraving in the jacket. Most bullets (e.g. my favorite cheap Rem 150 gr CLs) I have to seat significantly further than the cannulature for easy chambering with that K-31.

 

Anyway, now that I've waxed off topic for WAY too long...we have a Garand match tomorrow. I was considering using the 03A3 but didn't get a chance to sight it in today so I'll probably stick with my Garand unless I get a wild hair at the last minute. But I'll be taking it with me and should be able to get enough Lake City M2 rounds down range with it to tell if its going to be as accurate as I'd originally hope (and as accurate as everyones elses seem to be).

[Clemson]

So, DT.......

 

How did the Garand match go?

 

I have two of them, but I have never shot either in a match. I really should make the effort if ever I can find a match near South Carolina.

 

Clemson

[Doble Troble]

Well we got rained-out. Thunder, lightning and a torrent from heaven at 8:30 am. As soon as the match was officially called off it pretty-much cleared-up.

 

We all had a great time anyway shooting everyone else's Garands and 03s and ammo.

 

I did get a chance to shoot the 03A3 (but only about 5 rounds of lake city before a new guy ["I've never seen one of those in person"] cut in). The five LC M2 ball that I shot was a nice 2" group with three touching so I'm pretty sure the modifications did the trick.

 

I won't have time to put it through its paces and fire the handloads until July sometime.

 

Clemson, I don't know what part of SC you're in, but we're in Greenville NC and (having come from Oregon the states out here seem to change as fast as you need to stop and make water). It can't be too far of a drive and its a very new person friendly environment. You should bring up those Garands and put them through their paces.

 

The plan is to make-up this match in August, probably the 14th (if that's a Saturday). Please let me know if you want to come up and I'll do what I can to get you set-up.

[Clemson]

Thanks for the invitation. It looks as though you are a good six hour drive away for me. It takes about 3 1/2 to 4 hours to get to Florence from here.

 

I may have to let the August date slide by. That is close to my anniversary, and SWMBO might not take kindly to a rifle match in the midst of the moment.

 

Thanks anyhow,

 

Clemson