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Old April 18, 2013, 09:06 AM   #1
kraigwy
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M1903a4---It's finished

Put this together for the CMP GSM Vintage Sniper Matches. Legal per CMP Rules. SC '43 receiver, 6-43 barrel, all GI parts except the CMP Stock. Weaver K2.5 w/post recital, vertical split rings, Redfield Jr Base.

Finished it last night, soon as it warms up a tad I'll shoot it a bit to get it to settle in the stock then see how it shoots with good ammo.


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Old April 18, 2013, 11:26 AM   #2
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very nice kraig... I kindof miss mine, I hope to one day hand another vintage sniper, possibly a M41B
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Old April 18, 2013, 12:38 PM   #3
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That's pretty neat, Captain.

So is that what an Army sniper would have carried in Europe or more along the lines of what the Marines would have issued in the PTO?
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Old April 18, 2013, 12:45 PM   #4
Romeo 33 Delta
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That's SUPER SWEET! I'd say a FIRST RATE JOB!
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Old April 18, 2013, 02:05 PM   #5
Baba Louie
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So is that what an Army sniper would have carried in Europe or more along the lines of what the Marines would have issued in the PTO?
More ETO and Korea than PTO. IIRC the USMC used their 03-A1s with Unertls up top. Not to say they did not also use the A4 later on, however.

Looks good Kraig. What fodder will you be feeding it?
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Old April 18, 2013, 02:25 PM   #6
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Sweet ole rifle sir, I got to shoot this one my uncle got from my father before I was born. The scope is a K3 weaver I believe.
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Old April 19, 2013, 07:46 PM   #7
Josh Smith
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Targets, people! Targets!

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Old April 20, 2013, 08:13 AM   #8
madcratebuilder
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Most excellent!

I keep thinking about building a A4 clone or buying a new repro. I have a A4 bolt and a K2.5. Just need to find a rifle I can D&T, or already D&T'ed.
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Old April 20, 2013, 09:49 AM   #9
Screwball
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M1903a4---It's finished

I went a little different with my M1903...







I was thinking about an A4, especially when AIM had those Gibbs, but I really don't have another $1,000 to put into another rifle. My solution was to get a PU sniper, since it was a little over half the price.
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Old April 20, 2013, 12:03 PM   #10
Josh Smith
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Betcha' the PU will outshoot the M1903a4
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Old April 20, 2013, 12:07 PM   #11
4V50 Gary
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Nice work guys.

As far as the Mosin, so long as it's a rebarreled Finnish Mosin, I think it will outshoot most Springfield. The 03-A4's greatest weakness was its Weaver scope but I see Kraigwy has Lyman Alaskan which is a much better unit than the old Weaver. The Weaver fogged up and was very low powered. The Alaskans held up better.
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Old April 20, 2013, 03:56 PM   #12
kraigwy
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No sir, the one on my rifle is a Weaver K 2.5 with tapered post. And yes there are much better scopes but this is the one is legal, and what I was able to locate around here.

I'm not worrying about fogging as I'll only use it for the CMP GSM matches so I doubt fogging will be a problem.

I'm not worried about the lower power of the Weaver, I've shot a ton of High Power Matches using Iron Sights. The Vintage Sniper match is fired at 300 and 600, the tapered post on this 2.5 power scope wont be that much of a disadvantage.

It can't be any worse then the 2.2 M-84s we used on the Garand's when I was running sniper schools for the Guard.

As to the Mosin.................I don't think so. Springfields dominate the GSM Vintage Sniper Matches.

As non-snipers the Springfields has it's own match, and the scores on the average are higher then the Military Match Scores (where the Mosin's are used) and even a bit higher then the Garand Match Scores.

I said it's only for the CMP games but it may be added to the list for deer hunting, again, in the dry Wyoming air, I'm not worried about fogging.
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Old April 20, 2013, 07:07 PM   #13
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Very nice!

Well done, sir.
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Old April 21, 2013, 11:01 AM   #14
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Gary, I think the K2.5 Weaver is a better scope than the Lyman Alaskan. I have a Alaskan and All Weather Lyman and two of the K2.5's. 1" tube vs 3/4" tube gives you a little more light. The quality of glass is very similar. The post reticule is a nice option on the K2.5.

The Lyman would be correct on the Springfield.
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Old April 21, 2013, 12:13 PM   #15
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I'm in the process of building one.

One important difference between the Lyman Alaskan,which I have,and the Weaver...

The Lyman is a 7/8 in tube.Folks,I promise there are more 1 in rings out there than there are 7/8 in rings.

It is also true,dollarfor dollar,you can get a Weaver for less money than a Lyman.

Over my lifetime,A Weaver K-4 was the go-to scope to put on all manner of hunting rifles.Once I was dragging an elk(with a friend) and my feet went out from under me.I was carrying my rifle slung.The scope hit a rock on the ground and the steel tube was dented.It did not loose zero,at least it still hit where it looked at about 100 yds.

All that said,This Lyman seems a sweet little scope.

Now,I guess I need to go see what I can do to my bolt handle to scope mod it.

Kraig,I don't know,but if you do take that on a hunt and if scope fogging is a concern,maybe some weld shop or weld supply shop or someone would have a bottle of compressed dry nitrogen .I would think a purge job could be done inside a clear plastic bag,like a trash bag.Leave the bag collapsed,minimal air,take the eyepiece off,slip the scope and receiver and eyepiece inside the bag with a nitrogen tube.

I'm looking forward to the range report!
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Old April 21, 2013, 01:33 PM   #16
kraigwy
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HiBC,

The project wouldn't have gone as smooth and fast if it wasn't for your help with the action and parts.

Although you forgot to send me a "zero", Working on that, but slow now with our weekly blizzards and the neighbor being on nights, I don't like shooting when she's napping.

I got it settled into the stock and will start working on match loads in a day or two.
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Old April 22, 2013, 09:48 AM   #17
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The major work is done on my bolt.Started with a new Browne and Sharpe bolt.Locking lug surface to bolt face was off .0002 from the bolt I chambered with.

I turned a mandrel for inside the bolt,.421 under the threads,.463 for the ID at the cocking cam.Snug slip fit.

I drilled a 3/16 hole up the middle of the outside shank end of this mandrel,then I side drilled a port in it to feed water to the root of the bolt handle.I also cut a shallow groove in the od of the mandrel through the port.

So,the mandrel did two things,it supported the id of the bolt,and it fed cooling water to the id at the root of the bolt handle so the cocking cam would stay cool.I hung an old Camelback hydration bladder and hose to provide an "IV" bag to supply the water

First step was to straighten the bolt handle out pretty much like an old mauser,not perfect,but mostly.

Then,took an abrasive wheel,and about at the edge of the receiver rail,I cut from the top down about 3/4 the way through the bolt handle,leaving about a .100 web on the underside of the bolt handle.

It was easy to heat that thin section with the torch,and use it as a hinge to bend the bolt down.We used that water feed through all this,worked great

Now there was an open vee to weld up.Used a flux core wire welder a second or two at a weld,then dunked it in water after each weld

It looks just like an original A4 so far,and the cocking cam stayed cool.No pit/porosity problems.

I bought the New Zealand repro Redfield 7/8 rings/Redfield JR mt.Cant recommend them,Should have waited for some originals to E-bay.

Had to re-machine bases to fit receiver properly.

Worse,the rear ring windage screws are undersize to the pockets in the base so the heads are unsupported when you tighten them.

The screw cups fit the rings poorly.

I found some original base windage screws ,color case hardened.They are a larger OD,the base will support the heads.I have to re-cut that crescent shaped cut in the rings to accept them.Next project!
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