What "version" is this 1903 Springfield?

[Choctaw111]

A good friend of mine is wondering what this version of his '03 was used for?
There are several features present that are not seen on the typical rifles of the day.
It looks as though the Redield rear sight was installed at the factory. What about the front sight?
The stock at the front end looks different as well.
Also, take a look at the trigger. This thing must be about a half inch wide.
In addition, this rifle is not manufactured by Springfield but rather by Remington.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/47642_1620686291476_1666007414_1410322_8114564_n.j pg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/163012_1620687051495_1666007414_1410324_6876648_n. jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/155527_1620687931517_1666007414_1410327_4584101_n. jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/156374_1620688491531_1666007414_1410329_7424455_n. jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/63988_1620689811564_1666007414_1410332_3713501_n.j pg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/148278_1620690571583_1666007414_1410333_352096_n.j pg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/154826_1620691851615_1666007414_1410335_5696841_n. jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/PublicPhotoAccount2/155172_1620689251550_1666007414_1410330_818728_n-1.jpg

[Airmail109]

Looks like a target rifle to me.

http://www.nationalmatcharmory...ts%20For%201903.html (http://www.nationalmatcharmory.com/Target%20Sights%20For%201903.html)

[Choctaw111]

Originally posted by Aimail101:
Looks like a target rifle to me.

http://www.nationalmatcharmory...ts%20For%201903.html (http://www.nationalmatcharmory.com/Target%20Sights%20For%201903.html)

Yes, it sure does, but why did Remington make it and for whom? Until this one, I've not seen another like it.

[barfo1983]

Those are modifications done by a civilian owner after he acquired it.

We used to call it 'Sporterizing'. It was a common practice from the late forties to the eighties.

I did the exact same modifications to a 7 x 57 Model 95 Mauser in the early seventies. Same sightes, cut down for-end, trigger shoe and refinished stock.

[iroseland01]

remington made a pile of rifles during the war ( I ) Springfield could not keep up with the demand so remington was building rifles. Kind of like running into a IBM Garand.

As far as the "sportster" job, it appears to have been done way more respectfully than was normal back in the day.

[Messaschnitzel]

Like the others wrote, it's a sporterized 1903-A3. IIRC, Remington was the manufacturer who picked up the production contract to begin making them again in WW2. The trigger looks like it probably is a stock trigger what gots a small plate mounted to it in order to widen the surface area of the trigger. It might be because the owner who did or had the modification done was because he very well could have been a missing trigger finger, or the first joint missing, etc, and needed the extra width to be able to reach it with his middle finger, or what was left of his index finger. A lot of folks back then had digits missing from accidents, etc, more than what you'd see folks missing today. A lot of the older machinists and tradesmen I was related to or was acquainted with growing up were missing pickers. The front sight looks like it is the factory one that was pressed onto the barrel, but got cut down and dovetailed in order to mount the aftermarket hooded sight. Also, there are business advertisements in the 'American Rifleman' from post war till the '60s - '70s what got plenty of these professionally done 'sporterized' type rifle conversions for sale.

[Choctaw111]

It appears to be the general consensus that no '03 Springfields came from the factory like this.
I have read about some Remington '03s being made for the Boy Scouts way back then.
Does anyone know about these?
If there were rifles made for the Scouts, I would picture them having the same features pictured above.

[barfo1983]

The factory 03 Springfields that looked like that are called Model 70 Winchesters http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

But seriously, you're right. No 03s 03A3s looked like that.

The Winchester 70 and O3 Springfield actions are Mauser 98 based. Springfield paid Mauser licensing fees until WWI.

[barfo1983]

Wow. I found this after you inquired about a Boy Scout Springfield

Love to have one of these. It looks just like your buddies. I handn't heard of this one before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Model_1922