I wept.

myarmor · 03-19-2005, 10:26 AM

I went to my local hardware store/guns shop the other day. I saw a strange Mauser in the corner, so I asked to see it. I picked it up and started examing it. It had been rebarreled and had a nice very old Redfield scope on it. Was fairly light too. Some one welded a nice bent bolt on it and put a new piece of walnut for a stock.
Upon further examing, I started to weep inside:

It was a total Bubbed 1903 Springfield.
It was already sold, and the price....$400

PAPA G · 03-19-2005, 11:06 AM

its a shame you weren't around in the 50's-60's. some where being made into "floor lamps"!!! at least bubba rifle could be shot.

gunssb · 03-19-2005, 11:06 AM

poor 1903 :insane:

myarmor · 03-19-2005, 11:25 AM

Floor lamps? Well since they are not as easy to come buy and have such a high collectability it saddens me to see such butchering.
I mean I am not at all against building rifles, but man, at least do it to an old Turk or Yugo Mauser. Anything but 1903.

PAPA G · 03-19-2005, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myarmor

I went to my local hardware store/guns shop the other day. I saw a strange Mauser in the corner, so I asked to see it. I picked it up and started examing it. It had been rebarreled and had a nice very old Redfield scope on it. Was fairly light too. Some one welded a nice bent bolt on it and put a new piece of walnut for a stock.
Upon further examing, I started to weep inside:

It was a total Bubbed 1903 Springfield.
It was already sold, and the price....$400

sounds like too nice a rifle to be a bubba-job, probably an old sporter job.

myarmor · 03-20-2005, 08:23 PM

A try at a sporter-yet hacked none the less. If this was done by a decent gunsmith, then it would have been executed more professional like. No my friends, it was a raped 1903. It did make me sad to see such.
Yet I do have good news. About 3 months ago I went with my friend (which has sadly passed away) to see one of his past accuantinces (spelling?-sorry) While there I kept looking over at his gun rack. I finally asked "Is that a K-98?" He said "I don't know, I have a few old rifles in there." So he finally took it out and it happened to ba a perfect Yugo Mauser-blue, wood, all perfect shape.
Then he handed me a rifle and said "..and this is my 30-06. Yeah it's a good shooter. I took it out about a year ago and shot it." To my shock....a mint, and I mean MINT!, 1903 Springfield! I stared at it untill he practically had to pry my hands off it :right:
I told him I have been looking for the same rifle to add to my collection, and that he has a nice little collection of his own. I also told him if he ever wanted to sell them..he stopped me and said "to keep you in mind?" I said "PLEASE." I would love to have his little collection of mint rifles. But I am glad he shared them with me.

Full MeTal Jack · 03-20-2005, 11:48 PM

Found a sporterized Remington 03-A3 at a pawn shop while out of town recently on business. Not going to tell you 03 hounds where. But price is under $300, Looks great. Going back Good Friday to buy it. Little over two hours from home.

asgard_prince · 03-21-2005, 04:50 AM

allready got me an 03-A3 with a very nice custom job on it.

BattleRifleG3 · 03-22-2005, 12:28 PM

I saw a 1903 at a gun show last fall with a 20rd trench mag. Pretty interesting. Pretty expensive too. Wonder if it was all original.

myarmor · 03-22-2005, 05:52 PM

I got to get me an 03. But prices are never cheap now'a days for them. Perhaps one day.

Apollyon67 · 03-22-2005, 08:06 PM

Gave mine up to pay for my wedding. Turns out I shoulda kept it. *hangs head in shame*

myarmor · 03-22-2005, 08:20 PM

O-well sacrifices are sometimes needed, yet they always seem to bit me in the !!!!!

Then that makes 2 of us back looking for and 03 :right:

Oxford · 03-22-2005, 09:02 PM

Hate to admit it guys but a few years ago I inherited my deceased father-in-law's 03A3. Had it standing alongside my fireplace brickwork for about three years and had no idea what the exact designation of this rifle was.

Eventually, I got curious enough to start checking around for more information and my brother-in-law suggested joining G&G for information. So I did that and a whole new hobby was renewed again for me. Can't believe now that I hadn't checked it out earlier. But that's honestly what got me really interested in learning more about all sorts of guns.

In addition, once I found out what I had before me I got invited to go deer hunting for the first time. Used that 03A3 my first year...but didn't even see a deer. Then I put it on display in my new gun cabinet and I'm using my Rem 700 in 30-06 now.

So that's the rest of my 03A3 story, as Paul Harvey would have said.

myarmor · 03-23-2005, 10:09 AM

Pretty cool Ox. Inhereted guns can be a great surprise-such as your case. So when's the last time you shot her?

Boncray · 03-25-2005, 09:08 AM

My elderly uncle gave me my 03A3. It had a rough sporterized walnut stock on it that I sanded and finised properly. Wanted so much to put a scope on it until I was discouraged by two gunsmiths. Doesn't look like it has seen much firing in it's shape. I'll have it at the range tomorrow to try out the peep sights.

Oxford · 03-28-2005, 03:45 PM

Boncray and others...For the benefit of anyone interested, Boncray and I have PM'd each other and I've learned that he has the original 03A3 gunstock for that gun. That was good news. :right: And...thanks, partly to the gunsmith who pointed out to him that drilling holes in the receiver to install a scope might not be a good choice, either. So this means that another one of the few remainiing 03A3's has been saved from disaster and for viewing and use by future generations. It's value will only increase in time. :cheer:

My Armor: My 03A3 still gets exercised regularly just before hunting season...even though I take the Rem 700 with me looking for Bambi. My hunting buddies and I do a lot of target shooting with several of our toys at that time just to re-acquaint ourselves with some of our favorite family members.

One big reason is the weight differential. My 03A3 weights around 10 lbs and the Rem 700 weighs around 7 1/2 lbs. Gotta carry it quite a ways in to our tree stands, plus a lot more gear so I'm always looking for ways to lighten the load. :nod: Still, I love that 03A3 and how it handles.

myarmor · 03-29-2005, 01:47 PM

Yeah Totally understandable there Ox. My dad told me about one of his friends who restored an M1 Garand to pristine shape spending well over a grand, this was a few years ago. His buddy asked if he could borrow it for deer season. He agreed. The guy took his Garand and went up to get into his tree stand...slipped.. from like 15-20 feet..and buried his M1 muzzle first in mud, like an Africian spear. Yeah...needless to say he never got to borrow another rifle from him or several other guys because of this little mishap.

Boncray · 03-29-2005, 05:22 PM

I've heard from a hunter falling asleep in a treestand 25 feet up, and falling to the ground with a spinal injury. His rifle flew down with him and stuck in the mud, muzzel first within inches of his head!

Boncray · 03-29-2005, 05:23 PM

I met the Rehab patient personally at in our hospital during his recovery!

Gyrene · 03-29-2005, 07:26 PM

BRG3 - The 1903 with the 20 round mag may have been one of the "Mail Service" 1903's that were built especially for those barnstorming flyboys of yesteryear, to protect the U. S. Mail they were carrying. Today, they can command quite a pretty price tag, upon being proved to be an Original!

"I saw a 1903 at a gun show last fall with a 20rd trench mag. Pretty interesting. Pretty expensive too. Wonder if it was all original."

Ox - That is good the 1903 gets its regular annual exercise. I have a full set, plus, of 1903's & 1903A3's which do not get as much exercise as they should, but I did take them and their distant cousins the M1917's out and shot in a Postal Match about a year and a half ago. We were on our honor to record the rifle, ammo, date, and time the targets were shot, on a 100 yard range.

I didn't win anything, but remember everybody was on their honor and it would have been far too easy to cheat by using a different rifle or a shorter distance, and some people have no ethics, based upon the groups some people claimed to have shot (it is true the holes were in the targets they submitted), but I doubt they were telling the whole truth.

Mine did well but when you have to shoot 20 rounds with 11 rifles (220 shots) it can take a while, and I didn't have the time to do in in 1 day, it took 4 days. I had a couple of 20 round 3 3/4" groups, and the rest were out to just under 5" (out of the 11 rifles); that can't compete with a claimed 20 round group of just under 5/8" (was it real or was it Memorex?)! If it was a 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" it might be a little more believable! I like to think the winner was either a Lawyer or a Politician; that seems to be where the ethics seem to fall apart.

`

03-19-2005, 10:26 AM	#1
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	I wept. I went to my local hardware store/guns shop the other day. I saw a strange Mauser in the corner, so I asked to see it. I picked it up and started examing it. It had been rebarreled and had a nice very old Redfield scope on it. Was fairly light too. Some one welded a nice bent bolt on it and put a new piece of walnut for a stock. Upon further examing, I started to weep inside: It was a total Bubbed 1903 Springfield. It was already sold, and the price....$400

03-20-2005, 11:48 PM	#7
Full MeTal Jack Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 1,427 Images: 1	Found a sporterized Remington 03-A3 at a pawn shop while out of town recently on business. Not going to tell you 03 hounds where. But price is under $300, Looks great. Going back Good Friday to buy it. Little over two hours from home. __________________ [IMG]http://img287.echo.cx/img287/63/9130110x100a4vb.jpg

03-21-2005, 04:50 AM	#8
asgard_prince Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: BACKWOODS PA Posts: 168	allready got me an 03-A3 with a very nice custom job on it. __________________ ALL FEAR THE SENTINAL

03-22-2005, 12:28 PM	#9
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Images: 13	I saw a 1903 at a gun show last fall with a 20rd trench mag. Pretty interesting. Pretty expensive too. Wonder if it was all original. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

03-22-2005, 08:06 PM	#11
Apollyon67 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 2,235 Images: 17	Gave mine up to pay for my wedding. Turns out I shoulda kept it. hangs head in shame __________________ "To err is human, to repent divine; to persist devilish." Ben Franklin

03-19-2005, 11:06 AM	#2
PAPA G Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: somerset, kentucky Posts: 12	its a shame you weren't around in the 50's-60's. some where being made into "floor lamps"!!! at least bubba rifle could be shot.

03-19-2005, 11:06 AM	#3
gunssb Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: socal Posts: 1,833	poor 1903 :insane:

03-19-2005, 11:25 AM	#4
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Floor lamps? Well since they are not as easy to come buy and have such a high collectability it saddens me to see such butchering. I mean I am not at all against building rifles, but man, at least do it to an old Turk or Yugo Mauser. Anything but 1903.

03-20-2005, 08:23 PM	#6
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	A try at a sporter-yet hacked none the less. If this was done by a decent gunsmith, then it would have been executed more professional like. No my friends, it was a raped 1903. It did make me sad to see such. Yet I do have good news. About 3 months ago I went with my friend (which has sadly passed away) to see one of his past accuantinces (spelling?-sorry) While there I kept looking over at his gun rack. I finally asked "Is that a K-98?" He said "I don't know, I have a few old rifles in there." So he finally took it out and it happened to ba a perfect Yugo Mauser-blue, wood, all perfect shape. Then he handed me a rifle and said "..and this is my 30-06. Yeah it's a good shooter. I took it out about a year ago and shot it." To my shock....a mint, and I mean MINT!, 1903 Springfield! I stared at it untill he practically had to pry my hands off it :right: I told him I have been looking for the same rifle to add to my collection, and that he has a nice little collection of his own. I also told him if he ever wanted to sell them..he stopped me and said "to keep you in mind?" I said "PLEASE." I would love to have his little collection of mint rifles. But I am glad he shared them with me.

03-22-2005, 05:52 PM	#10
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	I got to get me an 03. But prices are never cheap now'a days for them. Perhaps one day.

03-22-2005, 08:20 PM	#12
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	O-well sacrifices are sometimes needed, yet they always seem to bit me in the !!!!! Then that makes 2 of us back looking for and 03 :right:

03-22-2005, 09:02 PM	#13
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,023 Blog Entries: 4	Hate to admit it guys but a few years ago I inherited my deceased father-in-law's 03A3. Had it standing alongside my fireplace brickwork for about three years and had no idea what the exact designation of this rifle was. Eventually, I got curious enough to start checking around for more information and my brother-in-law suggested joining G&G for information. So I did that and a whole new hobby was renewed again for me. Can't believe now that I hadn't checked it out earlier. But that's honestly what got me really interested in learning more about all sorts of guns. In addition, once I found out what I had before me I got invited to go deer hunting for the first time. Used that 03A3 my first year...but didn't even see a deer. Then I put it on display in my new gun cabinet and I'm using my Rem 700 in 30-06 now. So that's the rest of my 03A3 story, as Paul Harvey would have said. __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

03-23-2005, 10:09 AM	#14
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Pretty cool Ox. Inhereted guns can be a great surprise-such as your case. So when's the last time you shot her?

03-25-2005, 09:08 AM	#15
Boncray Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 7	It's how I became a proud owner My elderly uncle gave me my 03A3. It had a rough sporterized walnut stock on it that I sanded and finised properly. Wanted so much to put a scope on it until I was discouraged by two gunsmiths. Doesn't look like it has seen much firing in it's shape. I'll have it at the range tomorrow to try out the peep sights.

03-28-2005, 03:45 PM	#16
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,023 Blog Entries: 4	Boncray and others...For the benefit of anyone interested, Boncray and I have PM'd each other and I've learned that he has the original 03A3 gunstock for that gun. That was good news. :right: And...thanks, partly to the gunsmith who pointed out to him that drilling holes in the receiver to install a scope might not be a good choice, either. So this means that another one of the few remainiing 03A3's has been saved from disaster and for viewing and use by future generations. It's value will only increase in time. :cheer: My Armor: My 03A3 still gets exercised regularly just before hunting season...even though I take the Rem 700 with me looking for Bambi. My hunting buddies and I do a lot of target shooting with several of our toys at that time just to re-acquaint ourselves with some of our favorite family members. One big reason is the weight differential. My 03A3 weights around 10 lbs and the Rem 700 weighs around 7 1/2 lbs. Gotta carry it quite a ways in to our tree stands, plus a lot more gear so I'm always looking for ways to lighten the load. :nod: Still, I love that 03A3 and how it handles. __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

03-29-2005, 01:47 PM	#17
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Yeah Totally understandable there Ox. My dad told me about one of his friends who restored an M1 Garand to pristine shape spending well over a grand, this was a few years ago. His buddy asked if he could borrow it for deer season. He agreed. The guy took his Garand and went up to get into his tree stand...slipped.. from like 15-20 feet..and buried his M1 muzzle first in mud, like an Africian spear. Yeah...needless to say he never got to borrow another rifle from him or several other guys because of this little mishap.

03-29-2005, 05:22 PM	#18
Boncray Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 7	I've heard from a hunter falling asleep in a treestand 25 feet up, and falling to the ground with a spinal injury. His rifle flew down with him and stuck in the mud, muzzel first within inches of his head!

03-29-2005, 05:23 PM	#19
Boncray Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 7	I met the Rehab patient personally at in our hospital during his recovery!

03-29-2005, 07:26 PM	#20
Gyrene Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: CA Posts: 886	BRG3 - The 1903 with the 20 round mag may have been one of the "Mail Service" 1903's that were built especially for those barnstorming flyboys of yesteryear, to protect the U. S. Mail they were carrying. Today, they can command quite a pretty price tag, upon being proved to be an Original! "I saw a 1903 at a gun show last fall with a 20rd trench mag. Pretty interesting. Pretty expensive too. Wonder if it was all original." Ox - That is good the 1903 gets its regular annual exercise. I have a full set, plus, of 1903's & 1903A3's which do not get as much exercise as they should, but I did take them and their distant cousins the M1917's out and shot in a Postal Match about a year and a half ago. We were on our honor to record the rifle, ammo, date, and time the targets were shot, on a 100 yard range. I didn't win anything, but remember everybody was on their honor and it would have been far too easy to cheat by using a different rifle or a shorter distance, and some people have no ethics, based upon the groups some people claimed to have shot (it is true the holes were in the targets they submitted), but I doubt they were telling the whole truth. Mine did well but when you have to shoot 20 rounds with 11 rifles (220 shots) it can take a while, and I didn't have the time to do in in 1 day, it took 4 days. I had a couple of 20 round 3 3/4" groups, and the rest were out to just under 5" (out of the 11 rifles); that can't compete with a claimed 20 round group of just under 5/8" (was it real or was it Memorex?)! If it was a 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" it might be a little more believable! I like to think the winner was either a Lawyer or a Politician; that seems to be where the ethics seem to fall apart. `