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David R. Svatos
November 5, 2012, 09:51 PM
I am trying to find parts for an 03 with a manufacture date of 1919. It was my grandfathers, then my dads, and now its mine. While my dad was in Korea, his younger brother made a youthful mistake and in a poor attempt at sporterizing it bobbed the barrel and the stock. I hear dad was pretty mad when he got home! Anyway I would like to return it to original- as far as dates and manufacturers. I have had no luck finding either barrel or stock, any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks guys

tahunua001
November 6, 2012, 12:28 AM
well the stocks are easy. 1919s should have the straight style stock with grasping groove cuttouts, easily found on ebay, though matching handguards might be a little harder but still doable. they do not have dates stamped on them. barrels are a little harder but many pre WWII barrels were shot out during the war so it's next to impossible to find one. it's nearly as hard to find a rifle with matching barrel and receiver dates. if you can't find a 1919 barrel don't sweat it. as long as it's a springfield barrel to match to a springfield receiver(or rock island to rock island ETC) then nobody is going to bat an eye at it.

tahunua001
November 6, 2012, 12:46 AM
Here (http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-1903-Springfield-BARREL-SA-10-26-Vintage-03-A3-30-06-Gun-Parts-/200843390017?pt=Vintage_Hunting&hash=item2ec332ec41) is an auction for a pre WWII springfield barrel that has been stripped and blued, if you can get it cheap enough then it may be worth buying and having reparkerized to match military finish.

here (http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-US-springfield-1903A1-semi-pistol-grip-stock-A1-/110793561833?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item19cbcf96e9) is an auction for a scant style stock that would have been used as an arsenal replacement had the original stock been damaged in combat.

here (http://www.ebay.com/itm/DAL-marked-US-1903-Springfield-STOCK-WWI-WWII-Rock-Island-Remington-S-C-No-RSV-/200839593668?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec2f8fec4) is the proper stock style but does not have a matching handguard so you will have to shop around for one like this (http://www.ebay.com/itm/U-S-SPRINGFIELD-1903-HANDGUARD-w-CLIPS-ORIGINAL-USGI-EXCELLENT-UNISSUED-/261118964196?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccbe731e4) and hope that they are matching hues once you get them oiled up.


that is all that I see on ebay right now but it changes from time to time so it's always good to check back.

places like numrich gun parts gets in lots of USGI parts from time to time but it's mums the condition or proofs when you purchase so it's a roll of the dice, I've gotten rusty sling swivel screws and I've gotten parts still packed in cosmoline and look brand new.

RC20
November 8, 2012, 12:08 AM
Your best chance for a 1919 barrel is going to be another sporter, i.e. one with the barrel not bobbed.

That will be a long process as its date specific and if you want a real solid match, as near month specific as you can get.

They are out there but it takes a lot of looking

There simply are no surplus WWI barrels. As noted, they got shot out and then thrown away.

On the other hand, if the barrel simply needs to be cut and then crowned a gunsmith can do that. You won't have the barrel date, but you will keep the barrel and they tend to be accurate despite being shorter.

David R. Svatos
November 22, 2012, 02:43 AM
I found a barrel dated 4/19, the serial # puts the receiver on my rifle with the bobbed barrel at 1919. I was told the finish is good, the bore is dark but the lands and grooves are plainly visible. My questions are can the bore be cleaned up (brightened) and if not would this be worth buying just because the dates match? I can always put a new barrel on it for a shooter but it seems to me that having a barrel ( even if its not mounted to the rifle) with the same dates would be a good thing. Anybody have an opinion? The cost is only $50.00 + shipping.

RC20
November 22, 2012, 11:50 AM
David,

Thats a tough one, but if you are serious about the restorla its worth a chance for the $50 and then take the following steps.

As a first step: There are gauges that check muzzle and trhoat condtion. I can't remember the name but can get them for you if you want.

If you can't get the barrel checked with the gauges before (unlikely), then you can find a gunsmith that has the gauges when you get it. Those check the throat and muzzle for erosion. My brother has a set as he is into 03s. I forget what they are called. It gives you an idea of what condtion both ends are in before you commit to the barrel change.

The more critical one is the muzzle, a 2 or 3 is great, 4 ok and I think 5-6 is iffy. Anything past that is toast (that's off my head so those could be wrong, go by the details). Throat erosion is not so bad as that has far less affect but it does tell you a lot about how much it was shot.

You can also have or you can do it yourself, slug the barrel to see what the land and groves look like.

As for cleaning it up, there are a lot of copper cleaners (the usual culprit). Outers actually makes a kit that does it by electrolysis (for around $100). You do want a clean barrel and its a lot easier to do it before its on the gun than after.

You would need to find a good gunsmtih if you are going to do this and that's the other part. Get referral from him (or get them from friends). Make sure he has done a number of 1903s and they are happy.

A good 1903 smith will have the gauges, head space gauges and can slug the barrel as well.

The 1903 is not the worst but its not an easy one to do, so the guy has to know what he is doing with a 1903, not a Mauser.

David R. Svatos
November 22, 2012, 11:27 PM
What does it mean to slug the barrel I'm not familiar with that term.

David R. Svatos
November 22, 2012, 11:54 PM
I have placed my rifle as a 1919 went to a handful of websites couldn't find one that gave both the month and year. Where can I find this info?

highpower3006
November 23, 2012, 07:38 AM
Got to VI Shooters web page, they have a serial number-by-date section.

madcratebuilder
November 23, 2012, 07:54 AM
The CMP forum has good info and lots of parts in the for sale section.

Check here for dates.

http://www.vishooter.net/m1903.html

RC20
November 24, 2012, 11:43 AM
What does it mean to slug the barrel I'm not familiar with that term.

You take a soft lead oversize ball and push it through the barrel.

That imprints the lands and groves that you can then measure the lands and groves.

Its the least expensive way to check a barrel (there are gages and special machiens to do that but most gun smiths do not have that).

They should have a boro-scope that they can see the condition as well. Not something you want to do as what looks bad can be fine, you need to know what you are looking for.

Old barrel is very likely yucked up and copper is common (sometimes lead but lead id not shot a lot through these guns). It has to be removed to determine the barrel condition (though you can do the erosion test ok with it not cleaned up.

If its in poor condition they you have to decide if its a Restoration or a shooter.

Something not discussed yet is if you want it to shoot?

You want to go through the steps if you want it to shoot so that you are not wasting your money on a barrel removal and install and find out it won't.

The removal and install and head space probably costs $150 (also can ask what our local gun smith charged if you need some idea).