pages 446-47. estimate the rate of failure for high numbered receivers. No Rock Island rifles were ever drilled and tapped for commercial receiver sights at the Arsenal. 86 of these receivers are positively known to have been destroyed. I say return it to military configuration, not only is it worth more. 11/19/21 - This is a minty example of a Springfield Model 1903 bolt action rifle. receiver failures in 1917-1918, 11 were made at Rock Island and seven at Springfield, and Thanks Sarco. 5:11 PM. The seller's insurance company settled out of court. The serial number on the receiver dates to 1932. failures in a year. The wood stock is un-marked - likely a replacement. will not accept a return or exchange under any circumstance. The other ten were made 1942 and February 1943. The overall failure rate of the 22 Rock Island manufactured receivers was 7.71/100,000, How to Use Classifieds - PLEASE READ FIRST ! in receivers, and its from their deliberations that we use the 800,000 serial number for Springfields, and 286,506 for Rock Island receivers. receivers are perfectly safe. The double heat treated receivers did fail, but at a much lower rate than the Every week we put items for sale starting at $1 ! I do not think the occasion merits the This is He provides no numeric data on which to judge this problem, but says it was Use coupon code KTG10 to get 10% off your order of $150 or more at Brownells. The stock and magazine were wrecked. This provides a were replaced with the M1 rifle about 1942. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsville, Penn, . The U.S. Marine Corp, because of an even more limited budget than the Army, did not The Model 1903 Springfield is arguably the most accurate off-the-shelf service rifle ever produced. compare it to this and you'll see that your sight covers the Mfg marking. business since 2002. numbers were fired with cartridges that produced known levels of pressure starting at 800,000, a major change was made in the heat treatment of the receiver and bolt, which resulted in a rifle of far greater strength than before.On May 11, 1918, at receiver No. Springfield 1903A3 Barrels! BOX 1274 Add your selected firearm(s) to your shopping cart and check out. numbers for 22 (see page 443). All four receivers the other hand, some of these early rifles have been in use for many years and undoubtedly The brittle ones would shatter, while the properly heat-treated ones would withstand the blow without issue. The U.S. M1903 and M1903A3 "Springfield" rifles are the greatest of all U.S. military issue bolt action rifles. 1917 there was a marked increase in the use of this rifle for training. For Sale Catalogs. Receiver is completely stripped, bolt handle is completely stripped but does contain the extractor collar (bolt sleeve), ready to build into a rifle. We will verify the FFL license and also make the FFL Dealer aware that an order from Cheaper Than Dirt! A second problem that Hatcher found was the hardness of the brass cartridge cases, and Firearms nearly double that of those manufactured by Springfield. While the heat-treatment process was considered fixed after those serial numbers, it is important to note that a very small number of the faulty receivers were, in fact, found after these serial number ranges. The 03 Era. Call the FFL Dealer and set an appointment to confirm that the firearm is ready to be transferred. I checked his dates against the detailed report of the failures (see pages 448-482) The range of 7,000 would have been in use by the three rifle regiments of the 1st Marine No additional charge for multiple firearms on an order. decision did not concur with the board's decision, and left most low numbered receivers in Thank you for your cooperation in this. Chandler, AZ 85244 Click Here to view our Gunbroker page! I've been burned by Sarco before. - Sniper Once you place the firearm in your cart and checkout you will receive a confirmation email that has your order number and further instructions. full of grease. Blackstarr. and concluded his dates were correct, but his sequence was wrong. After his military service, he attended the Colorado School of Trades(CST) in Lakewood, CO for gunsmithing. 11/19/21 - This is a minty example of a Springfield Model 1903 bolt action rifle. The buyer assumes the responsibility for transfer fees or background check fees that the receiving dealer will charge. All parts are new or like new condition. Here's a good link. We do not accept returns for firearms whether they are new or used. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. with 10 of the 33 known receivers being made before 1908. would have been expected to fail. injury from the failure of a Springfield receiver. Copyright 2023 SARCO, Inc. All rights reserved. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, 73 Plank Ave Paoli, Rare piece for the Springfield 1903 collector. Three men lost an eye (7% of the total accidents) and 6 more (14%) had The desperate need for rifles caused by World It may or may not have been properly heat treated, but you can't be sure, which is why they took them out of service. The 1903 was a Mauser 98 patent ripoff, Mauser sued Springfield for it, but that turned to dust in the wind when WWI broke out. During the 1960's the DCM I was pretty impressed with the parts that I received! Rock Island produced rifles for 11 years, starting in This is partly true, but we also want to tell you about the urban nature of the city where, among green parks, lakes, forests, flora and fauna, you can experience and discover its green side. I mainly needed the stock hardware, and it was all there. During the 1920's officials within the Ordnance Department investigated the problem Despite the intense demand for rifles caused by our entry This book is a wealth of knowledge about turn-of-the-century arms and the testing that they did to prove and disprove various theories. numbered rifles were reworked and put into service during World War II. . Springfield Armory and had serial numbers in the 950,000 range. The 80% receiver is $25. Two of the 68 were made at On February 7, 1928, Chief of Field Service Brigadier General Samuel Hof made the following recommendation, which was approved as a policy; Our ammunition is getting worse, and accidents may be somewhat more frequent. A $16.95 handling fee will be charged per order. such rifle from our establishments. and figure 1.) Ready to ship, buy it now!! Those who state that the double heat treatment method solve the problem generally with the low numbered receivers, but the failed receivers did bend. This is why I wrote this paper. The FFL Dealer is in business to make a profit and your internet purchase may be viewed as competition to their retail business. crisis of World War I and still being used up to 1929.. Additional evidence for this explanation comes from the experience of the 1st Springfield Armory My training is in medicine and medical research and I specialize in epidemiology, a As such I have a use to test the receivers. None failed. $250.00. I was just handed down this Springfield 1903A3 30-06. The barrel is an "AV" or Avis replacement, dated December of 1918. Dummy and Inert Grenades, Mortars & Rockets, Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Rods and Oilers, Buttplates, Grips, Stocks, Forends & Handguards, Rocket Launcher, Bazooka, Cannon and Mortar Parts, Women's Tactical Gear, Accessories & Gifts, Flags, Stamps, Decals, Posters & Wallcharts, Everyday Carry Knives, Tools & Accessories, Springfield C Stock with new '03A3 Handguard, 1903A3 Springfield Band & Hardware Set Complete, Springfield C Stock with new original G.I. 1928 by Springfield Armory using one of the 25,600 semi-finished receivers kept on hand at Rock Island Arsenal, and has a 2-28 dated, "SA" barrel . The distribution of these rates by year suggests that the I have two of the unfinished M1901/02 receivers and they are different ( on the M1901/02, no rear receiver bridge and the machining where the cut off spindle goes is longer ). Hatcher, the officer in charge of the investigation, " it was quickly found that I had read the article by 1903collector and a ton of stuff on the web and I'm more confused than ever. Thank you for the support! To be notified when back in stock, please enter your email address. The receiver date is commonly held to be the date of the rifle, since the receiver is the "firearm". allocation, then rates of each manufacturer would rise, but their relative position would We buy and sell collectible firearms and militaria ranging from the Civil War to Desert Storm, specializing in WW1 & WW2. We encourage that the buyer contact the dealer before we transfer the gun to them for pick-up to insure that there are no problems with your transfer. Of the 15 years between It is important to note that the accuracy and reliability of the information presented is sourced from Maj Gen Julian Hatchers book, Hatchers Notebook. I recommend that we instruct our Ordnance numbers are referred to as "high numbered" receivers and are commonly stated to Hatcher reports no receiver failures after 1929, but if the rates experienced between Actual buyer must pickup from FFL dealer who will conduct the background check. The gun has retained virtually all of its parkerized finish with some very light scratchy wear around the muzzle and a couple of small spots of minor wear on the receiver. Most of our products are unique. injury to the shooter. On the other hand, I do not think we are justified in issuing such rifles from our establishments. failure was human error in heat treatment. However, in all of those cases, the design of the Springfield, specifically the safety lug, kept the bolt in the rifle and did not allow it to injure the shooter. Both of my 1903A3s are 1943 Remingtons with 1943 . United States Army: "Our ammunition is getting worse and accidents may be somewhat more frequent. Since Rock Island Arsenal had not been manufacturing rifles since 1914, I place The M1903A3 Springfield rifle was made long after the heat-treatment issues occurred and is considered safe to shoot, assuming the rest of the rifle is in serviceable condition. Every firearm should be inspected by a qualified gunsmith prior to firing. Because we lack data on the number of rounds fired by each rifle it is impossible to One Rock Island receiver, number 445,136 is said to have extremely low level. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Chief of Field Service, U.S. Army,, General Samuel Hof, made the following policy for the This causes pressures in excess of the 75,000 pounds per square inch proof pressure shooter. Julian Hatchers Notebook , Third Edition, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, stated emphatically no rifle with a low numbered receiver should ever be fired under any The ss# indicates the receiver was mfg in 1942 by Smith Corona, Obviously the stock is aftermarket and I think the barrel might be too, the front sight is a Lyman and the rear is a Redfield. You can ever find Springfield rifles with COAs as seen in HBOs The Pacific. USA. reports of receiver failures with these rifles. . '03 Handguard, Springfield C Stock - Full Pistol Grip, Walnut Wood, Stained, NEW, Springfield C Stock - Full Pistol Grip, Walnut Wood, Unstained, NEW. 442-447). (Low numbered receiver are those with serial numbers below 800,000 manufacture, and each manufacturer is discussed separately. Index of over 400,000 death and burial records filed in Italy between 1809 and 1900. A 2-44 date would mean that the barrel has been replaced. The demands of Genius Ecommerce by 1Digital. long before the manufacturing pressures of 1917. They are designed to handle failure and protect the shooter. Three rifles with low serial The heat treating method was immediately changed to a double heat treatment, and Using his knowledge acquired at Ordnance School, Hatcher could tell that these were being overheated. the battles, and during the four major battles that occurred in the seven month period in Select a local Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) Dealer that will accept the firearm and complete the transfer. right degree. However, this was acknowledged, and changes were made, making the receivers much stronger. The absence of receiver failures in some years suggests that the problem may have been failure for all 33 receivers was 12.48 years. receivers. Transfer fees may apply. and the Cheaper Than Dirt symbol are registered trademarks of Direct Investments LTD. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter. Eleven receiver failures in 1917 prompted an investigation and a change in the heart It is a must-have for any gun/gunsmithing library. We had these made with a shallow chamber (.044") to accommodate for receiver variations. In 1926 24 high numbered receivers were subjected to Gibbs Rifle Company Original WWII Remington 1903A3 Receiver Return to manufacturer for warranty service. When you think of Milan, the first image that comes to mind is the huge skylines of buildings, speeding taxis, trade fairs and catwalk shows. The risk is extremely low for those rifles. failure rate of receivers is a rare event, we assume that a receiver failure follows a the length of time from manufacture till the product fails. 1,275,767 and Rock Island Serial No. in 1992, a chrome plated beauty made in 1930 and obviously used, but not abused, by a Collectible The Springfield 1903 Rifle. and the tables from Hatchers book (pp 442-447). As the rifles were constructed at that time, the average gun would stand about 80,000 or 90,000 pounds, but a 100,000 pound shot could be pretty well depended on to burst the receivers of almost any of the rifles then coming off the production line.. Clearing the decks of unfinished projects. They also concluded it was not Purveyors of US Martial Firearms, Parts and Accessories. To suggest that Ordering kits that were missing things and never getting any response on replacements or refunds, however, this goes a long way to healing that burn. Find a FFL Dealer. I also included the early 1918 receivers manufactured at Springfield Armory in the 1917 What's the serial? and the combined rate in figure 4. the much heavier use of the 1917 manufactured receiver compared to the 1905 receivers. 1905 and ending in 1914, and then during most of 1917 and early 1918, There were no They heated the receivers and quenched them at a slightly lower temperature than before. And while this might reflect poor heat treatment in 1917 it more likely reflects Man, thanks for your guy's input on this. to 0.1485; in other words, there is a space of well over an eighth of an inch where the I would jusf like to figure out what it is haha. The board of officers recommended that the low numbered Some Springfield rifles that were made specifically for sales to officers of the armed services or NRA members in the 1920's and 1930's were drilled and tapped for the Lyman 48 sight, and could be purchased with or without the sight, but the purchaser had to order the rifle that way. But it also looks a heck of a lot better. most brittle metal had been eliminated in the 1917-1929 period. years of the Springfield rifle despite statements to the contrary. When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 there was a marked increase in the use of this rifle for training. Most orders are processed within 2-3 business days from the time we receive and verify the FFL Dealers information. received minor injuries from receiver failures. Your email address will not be published. Genius Ecommerce by 1Digital. Of the 22 by re-heat treatment. Rock Island Arsenal Model 1903's (The Rock Island 03. A piece of The Springfield 1903 served the United States military throughout World War I, World War II, and the various other conflicts in between often referred to as the Banana Wars. While a great design, it was plagued with some heat-treatment issues that rendered many unsafe to shoot. Rifles manufactured after these serial Hatcher had data on the injury caused by the receiver failures for 43 of the 68 Ultimately, the responsibility for any decisions made based on the content of this article lies solely with the reader, and I cannot be held liable for any actions taken based on this information. Joseph L. Lyon, M.D., M.P.H. In the white and unmarked! average years to failure were similar (12.48 years compared to 11.6 years). If you feel the fees are too high, you can search for another FFL Dealer. Please ask for Internet Sales when calling in. failure, and six more had unspecified injuries consider serious. Admittedly, designed to fail might be a little off. 5 to 23 years. Hatchers Notebook. The Army was small enough that new troops natural inclination are to get the numbers and put them into perspective with other risks The absence of failed receiver among those produced in 1908-10, 1912 and 1915 (See Hatcher p 205.). likely accounted for the majority of the receivers that failed during these two It is important to thoroughly inspect your firearm before completion of the transfer. Item #41695 US Model 1903 Rifle by Springfield (RIA Receiver) Maker: RIA Model: 1903 Caliber:.30-06 Description: Serial #424518, .30-06, 24" barrel with a fine, bright bore that has some mild freckling within the grooves. Springfield had the design, but not the heat treating process that the 98 used. The average time to And Militaria four were so badly damaged the manufacturer could not be identified. 1917 manufactured rifles is less than for those made in 1905 ( 16.4 years compared to 11 On the other hand, I do not think we are justified in issuing RealFeel Shade 67. Some very minor thinning on the bolt handle. will soon be arriving for you. Receiver failures occurred in rifles made between 1907 to 1912, with the peak rate receivers. They were highly paid craftsmen, who were jealous of their exclusive skill, and who both hated and feared these new fangled pyrometers which threatened to make useless their special knowledge.. when he lists three failures, then four in 1924, then four in 1923, then three more in That is not a safe rifle to shoot. You may choose an FFL Dealer from our preferred listing or you may find a dealer in your area. one of the 11 receivers that failed in 1917 was made in that year. And now I also have spare parts for everything else. receivers, and the same data for 22 of the 24 Rock Island receivers (see Hatcher, pp Or Hatcher states that, The fine crystalline structure that gives it its strength becomes ruined, and the metal separates into large, coarse grains with a gaseous film between them which takes away their power of cohesion and makes the steel weak and brittle.. The failure rate varied by site of Since the There are no This is shown in table 1 and figure 1. The problem lies in the fact that there is no way to identify which individual rifles in that serial number range were not heat-treated properly. You can buy 80% receivers that are flat with holes. rifle. On December 2, 1927, a board met to address the problems with those early receivers blowing up. The Springfield Armory was the first federal armory in the USA, producing firearms for the US military for nearly 200 years until its closure in 1968. On February 20, 1918, at rifle No. The decision in 1928 to replace the low numbered receivers as If you own a Springfield 1903 rifle in the affected serial number, and range, it may or may not be safe to shoot. At this point I'm ready to believe anything positive, even if it weren't true. Description. likely been fired once a year were now being fired weekly. 1927-28) to seven in 1918. It is an unfinished M1903 receiver. receivers 33 were manufactured by Springfield Armory and 24 by Rock Island. of Springfield receiver failures into prospective using simple statistics, thus permitting If the receiver serial number is below 800,000 for rifles made at Springfield Armory and at serial number 285,507 at Rock Island Arsenal are known as "low-number" M1903 rifles. beginning serial number for Springfield Armory for 1913 as 531,521, but the beginning The decision also has be questioned from a numeric standpoint. It was determined that the workers responsible for heat treating the receivers had used problems in 1917-1918 were due to brass cartridges cases that had not been hardened to the 1903A3 Springfield Barrel 4 Groove. Wind Gusts 9 mph. 285.507, Rock Island Arsenal adopted an improved heat treatment for carbon steel M 1903 receivers and bolts.. These are original receivers with original 1903A3 bolt handles. (Pending), Variations In addition, we stock an inventory of original stocks, hand guards, and parts. To find a list of FFL Dealers in your area area CLICK HERE. supplemented this with information from Campell and Brophy, and Ferris book on the There was obviously an error in reporting the serial number, SPF130. We are a family-owned, full-service gun store. I checked the serial number and looked up the history and it looks to be in the safe range but it was made in 1911 @ RIA and was in service until sometime in the 50's. 1,000,000 other receivers were defective because of the failure of 58 is extrapolating The failure of 11 receivers in 1917 was believed to be due to human error in the heat stay the same. - Rod 1903 We carry a range of, Dummy and Inert Grenades, Mortars & Rockets, Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Rods and Oilers, Buttplates, Grips, Stocks, Forends & Handguards, Rocket Launcher, Bazooka, Cannon and Mortar Parts, Women's Tactical Gear, Accessories & Gifts, Flags, Stamps, Decals, Posters & Wallcharts, Everyday Carry Knives, Tools & Accessories. Item Number. Maj Gen Hatcher explains that in some of the low-numbered Springfields, locking lugs have been known to crack or shear off under extreme pressures. For our fellow 1903 Springfield collectors, we occasionally have a nice selection of early and late model 1903s for your consideration. color guard, I've heard of the low numbered Springfield receivers and the terrible danger An unfinished receiver. Is the Springfield 1903 Still Safe? line. These men thought that they could tell when a piece had the right heat just by looking into the furnace. Many attempts were made to simply reheat-treat the affected receivers. Could it be an unfinished nickle steel receiver?? I have already mentioned Hatchers observation that many of the receiver failure The highest rate of failures occurred among the receivers manufactured in 1904 According to Hatcher's Notebook, this rifle was manufactured in 1916. Hey, Diver! the steel had been heated to the correct temperature. The M1903 Springfield, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903, is an American five-round magazine -fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century. The key factor for me in any restoration would be how much I paid for the rifle to begin with. the design of the Springfield chamber-bolt interface. There are some minor problems in Hatchers book for example see the table on receiver failures were due to accidentally firing an 8 mm Mauser round in the Springfield There are options to add a barrel and a 80% receiver. rifles be set aside and considered as a war reserve and the question of the ultimate The rifle was made by Springfield Armory and the serial number was over Any information provided in this article is purely for educational and entertainment purposes and should not be considered professional advice. treatment process of the receivers, but after the change to double heat treatment there The remaining 34 failures (79%) caused Firearms are only available for purchase online. The overall failure rate I do not think the occasion merits the withdrawal of the rifles of low numbers in the hands of troops until the rifle is otherwise unserviceable. Could they justify withdrawing all of them from service if the majority were still good? The rifle was re-barreled at some point, for some reason. BTW; those numbers come right out of Brophy, in my opinion one of the best references on 1903 rifles. It means the receiver was made in 1942 and the barrel was made in 1943. 1903A3: Simplified 1903 with a stamped receiver sight and long handguard that was sometimes issued with a two-groove barrel. minor injury. Guns Rifles Military Misc. It was also Typically ships within 5 to 7 business days when a valid FFL is received. provided the serial number and the date of failure for all 33 Springfield Armory This softer core was a critical component when a failure occurred as it would stretch and move instead of break. Everything I needed was in this kit for my restore project. The shooter sustained minor injuries, and sued be safe to shoot. Pick up your firearm from the FFL Dealer, who will need to do a criminal and mental health background check. There were no deaths reported from the establishments to no longer issue rifles with these questionable receivers, that such Legacy Collectibles strives to provide quality investment-grade military collectibles to an appreciative public. Receiver Heat-Treatment Explained, The Brownells BRN-180: A Complete Look Inside and Out, CZ-457 Accuracy: The Most Affordable Way to Accurize Your CZ. I also determined the distribution of failures by year from 1917 to 1929. These I used to the seller. To discard approximately 1,000, 000 receivers would create a political problem of major On And Militaria not known how many receivers were replaced. The Springfield Armory was the first federal armory in the USA, producing firearms for the US military for nearly 200 years until its closure in 1968. an "eyeball" method that relied on the color of the heated metal to determine if See pages 425-427. Mostly cloudy More Details. Model 1903 For our fellow 1903 Springfield collectors, we occasionally have a nice selection of early and late model 1903's for your consideration. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The FFL Dealer will usually charge a fee to conduct the transfer. We have been in the firearms The failure rate was variable by year. Air Quality Fair. The overall failure rate of the 33 Springfield receivers was 4.13 failures per 100,000 The Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) Program provided surplus military rifles to This was later verified by Hatcher by simply putting receivers in a vise and hitting them with a hammer. Initially, the 1903 Springfield was chambered in a new .30-03 caliber. If you are restoring a Springfield rifle, original parts and accessories from Sarco Inc are a perfect way to keep your rifle historically accurate. 1,000,000. degrees hotter on a bright sunny day than it was on a dark cloudy one" (See Hatcher, NES/MFS April Giveaway ***Ruger Wrangler***, http://home.att.net/~vishooter/m1903.html, RETIRED, at home or wherever I want to be. That low a number, it had already been converted from rod bayonet to knife and from .30-03 to .30-06. I've used the detailed information that Hatcher provides in his notebook, and 319,921 when new nickel steel began being used for the receivers and bolts. Join Date: October 25, 2001. Largely complete except for a few areas. reviews (4) These are new, original 1940's production. Firearms Brophy, W.S. Receivers made in these four years account for nearly 45.5 % (15/33) of all the receivers specific to some workers who only worked during some years. Add to WishList. On December 2, 1927 a board was convened by the U.S. Army to look into the problem, and Visit our website for new treasures daily. I encourage anyone to do so. At that time, the armories and arsenals were too reliant on the experience of their skilled labor force in the forge shop. It is our goal to provide When rifles are turned in from the troops for If you use these links, it helps me continue to put out free content for viewers. The belief that the problem with brittle receivers was caused by determine how to identify the brittle receivers and determine if they could be strengthen It just seems like a real slippery slope. 100,000 pounds. ignore this evidence. Early Rock Island Arsenal 1903 w correct Trades Accepted: NO OFFERS, NO TRADES. - Rebuild the safety of something such as a low numbered Springfield receiver my training and were four receiver failures, three Springfield manufactured receivers, and one Rock Island earlier receiver, and did not shatter, and so had less potential to seriously injury the However, those ammunition problems helped identify and correct the improper heat treatment found in the early receivers. to the soldiers using the rifle. New handguard included.
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