springfield 1903a3

cremley · 07-09-2008, 10:52 PM

my local gun shop has one for $300. it looks lide it has the original stock but may have been cut a little short and it doesn't have the wood piece on the top but just a free floating exposed barrel. I saw that it was manufactured in 1912. how much is this firearm worth? I don't know anything about the springfield 1903's at all.

Thanks,
Chris

Aarant · 07-10-2008, 06:22 AM

you might try posting on the 1903A3 section of this site. I don't know much about them, but they area really good guns. I think the one your talking about has been sporterized. lowers that value some. Good luck. and ask the guys in the 1903A3 section. alot of good info there.

Dookiebutt · 07-10-2008, 06:32 AM

Where was the rear sight? On the barrel or on the receiver? They did not make 1903A3s in 1912. Was it drilled and tapped? Blued or parked? Serial number?

nathangdad · 07-10-2008, 07:02 AM

I don't get a really good feeling about this one. Personally, I would pass but, of course, it is your decision.

I would really check the receiver to see if any sporterizing has removed
metal. Unfortunately, many of these guns were to some degree altered in the past as sporterizing was a fad. Metal removal especially lowers value.
Also, check the bore for rust/wear and tear.

samuel · 07-10-2008, 07:53 AM

I don't know if they mfg,d them in 1912 but they did in 1903.Some of the early ones are supposed to be unsafe because of bad heat treating.The frame is supposed to crack with modern ammo. sam.

cremley · 07-10-2008, 10:44 AM

the rear sight was next to the bolt on the receiver. it looked like it had a parked? color to it or brownish? it looked like there were two holes on the right side of the receiver, one just in front of the sight and one on the front of the receiver. the sight on the rear had a cool looking circle that you look through kinda like the ones found on an ar15. the 1912 mark was stamped into the wood on the left side just bellow the rear of the receiver so it probably isn't the real date. other than that it looked to be in good condition and the bolt moved very nice.

samuel · 07-10-2008, 02:23 PM

Well from what I hear about it,at best it would be a shooter and at worst you would be investing $300.in something you could only get money for the value of parts.$300 would make a good payment if not pay it all on a firearm that you can use and be proud of. sam.

Capt'n Mil Coll · 07-10-2008, 02:39 PM

Is it a 1903 or a 1903a3? I think $300 is a little much for a sporter.

cremley · 07-10-2008, 03:05 PM

well I am not sure now. can you tell by where the sight is located and the info I gave in an earlier post? I don't know anything about these firearms.

Jersey Jailer · 07-10-2008, 03:16 PM

Sounds like an '03 with a Lyman 57 sight. Check the s/n at the Real Springfield Armory http://www.nps.gov/spar/ you will also find out if its a low or high number reciever. 800,00 and below are not safe from Springfield and abou 28000 and below are also unsafe, but you'll need to double check the RI numbers. If there's no Mfg on the recieve ring, its been ground off or not a US Military reciever. If nothing is stamped on the barrel behind the front sight then it was rebarreled or the military marks were ground off.

I don't know if the CMP has any '03's left but they were going for about $450 depending on the MFG. I know where a an 03A3 is from CMP for $600 which is the going rate around here.

samuel · 07-10-2008, 07:33 PM

If any of the things mentioned above were done to the firearm it has no collectors value and is only worth what you can get for parts,maybe $50. sam.

cremley · 07-10-2008, 10:30 PM

thanks sam. I wasn't really considering it to much anyway. I just thought it could be a deal but I guess it is probably not.

M14man · 07-10-2008, 10:30 PM

Judging by your description, do not buy.

Bravo · 07-11-2008, 05:39 PM

It depends on its condition...I bought a sporter 2 years ago for $280. I then bought an M1903 stock/handguard + hardware on ebay and other sights, and came out with profit after selling my sporter stock.

Now I have a M1903 with a WWII era stock for about $270...sadly the receiver is butchered with scope drill taps, but it doesn't bother me too much. Makes a nice shooter, just not much of a collectors item.

07-09-2008, 10:52 PM	#1
cremley Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 943	springfield 1903a3 my local gun shop has one for $300. it looks lide it has the original stock but may have been cut a little short and it doesn't have the wood piece on the top but just a free floating exposed barrel. I saw that it was manufactured in 1912. how much is this firearm worth? I don't know anything about the springfield 1903's at all. Thanks, Chris __________________ There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who have guns and those who dig. You dig.

07-10-2008, 07:02 AM	#4
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,432	Mmmm, . . . . I don't get a really good feeling about this one. Personally, I would pass but, of course, it is your decision. I would really check the receiver to see if any sporterizing has removed metal. Unfortunately, many of these guns were to some degree altered in the past as sporterizing was a fad. Metal removal especially lowers value. Also, check the bore for rust/wear and tear.

07-10-2008, 10:44 AM	#6
cremley Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 943	the rear sight was next to the bolt on the receiver. it looked like it had a parked? color to it or brownish? it looked like there were two holes on the right side of the receiver, one just in front of the sight and one on the front of the receiver. the sight on the rear had a cool looking circle that you look through kinda like the ones found on an ar15. the 1912 mark was stamped into the wood on the left side just bellow the rear of the receiver so it probably isn't the real date. other than that it looked to be in good condition and the bolt moved very nice. __________________ There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who have guns and those who dig. You dig.

07-10-2008, 02:39 PM	#8
Capt'n Mil Coll Military Rifle Collector Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Right behind you. -NRA Member- Posts: 2,255 Images: 4	Is it a 1903 or a 1903a3? I think $300 is a little much for a sporter. __________________ Let's light this fuse and see what happens!

07-10-2008, 03:05 PM	#9
cremley Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 943	well I am not sure now. can you tell by where the sight is located and the info I gave in an earlier post? I don't know anything about these firearms. __________________ There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who have guns and those who dig. You dig.

07-10-2008, 06:22 AM	#2
Aarant Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: south Texas Posts: 105	you might try posting on the 1903A3 section of this site. I don't know much about them, but they area really good guns. I think the one your talking about has been sporterized. lowers that value some. Good luck. and ask the guys in the 1903A3 section. alot of good info there.

07-10-2008, 06:32 AM	#3
Dookiebutt Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: America's North Coast Posts: 1,156	Where was the rear sight? On the barrel or on the receiver? They did not make 1903A3s in 1912. Was it drilled and tapped? Blued or parked? Serial number?

07-10-2008, 07:53 AM	#5
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	I don't know if they mfg,d them in 1912 but they did in 1903.Some of the early ones are supposed to be unsafe because of bad heat treating.The frame is supposed to crack with modern ammo. sam.

07-10-2008, 02:23 PM	#7
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	Well from what I hear about it,at best it would be a shooter and at worst you would be investing $300.in something you could only get money for the value of parts.$300 would make a good payment if not pay it all on a firearm that you can use and be proud of. sam.

07-10-2008, 03:16 PM	#10
Jersey Jailer Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: SOUTH Jersey Posts: 499	Sounds like an '03 with a Lyman 57 sight. Check the s/n at the Real Springfield Armory http://www.nps.gov/spar/ you will also find out if its a low or high number reciever. 800,00 and below are not safe from Springfield and abou 28000 and below are also unsafe, but you'll need to double check the RI numbers. If there's no Mfg on the recieve ring, its been ground off or not a US Military reciever. If nothing is stamped on the barrel behind the front sight then it was rebarreled or the military marks were ground off. I don't know if the CMP has any '03's left but they were going for about $450 depending on the MFG. I know where a an 03A3 is from CMP for $600 which is the going rate around here. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Austrailian Shepherds are like potato chips... You can't have just one

07-10-2008, 07:33 PM	#11
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	If any of the things mentioned above were done to the firearm it has no collectors value and is only worth what you can get for parts,maybe $50. sam.

07-10-2008, 10:30 PM	#12
cremley Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 943	thanks sam. I wasn't really considering it to much anyway. I just thought it could be a deal but I guess it is probably not. __________________ There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who have guns and those who dig. You dig.

07-10-2008, 10:30 PM	#13
M14man Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: FLA Posts: 425 Images: 10	Judging by your description, do not buy.

07-11-2008, 05:39 PM	#14
Bravo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 1,877	It depends on its condition...I bought a sporter 2 years ago for $280. I then bought an M1903 stock/handguard + hardware on ebay and other sights, and came out with profit after selling my sporter stock. Now I have a M1903 with a WWII era stock for about $270...sadly the receiver is butchered with scope drill taps, but it doesn't bother me too much. Makes a nice shooter, just not much of a collectors item.