fired. risks of dying with common place activities that are of similar magnitude to serious Eleven receiver failures in 1917 prompted an investigation and a change in the heart No Rock Island rifles were ever drilled and tapped for commercial receiver sights at the Arsenal. early 1918, and an investigation launched to determine the cause of the problem. pages 446-47. 4 reviews Write a Review. 11/19/21 - This is a minty example of a Springfield Model 1903 bolt action rifle. Once you place the firearm in your cart and checkout you will receive a confirmation email that has your order number and further instructions. failure, and six more had unspecified injuries consider serious. qualified civilians before and after the Second World War. Initially, the 1903 Springfield was chambered in a new .30-03 caliber. Of the 22 The heat treating method was immediately changed to a double heat treatment, and 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. These I used to not known how many receivers were replaced. by 1929 was 68/1,085, 506 or 6.3 per 100,000 receivers. compare it to this and you'll see that your sight covers the Mfg marking. Today, this seems crazy to think that the weather had that much effect on the manufacturing process, but we have to remember that large-scale electricity only began a few years before the M1903 came into being. It just seems like a real slippery slope. Range Reports - Show us how good you are! Poisson distribution, and that the standard deviation is identical to the mean number of Antique (Pre-1899) Rifles - Flintlock Misc, Antique (Pre-1899) Rifles - Matchlock/Wheellock Misc, Century Arms International (CAI) - Rifles, Muzzleloading Modern & Replica Rifles (perc), Winchester Rifles - Modern Bolt/Auto/Single, Winchester Rifles - Pre-1899 Bolt/Single Shot, Century Arms International (CAI) - Pistols, Colt Automatic Pistols (.25, .32, & .380 cal), Colt Single Action Revolvers - Modern (22 Cal. For the longest time, I thought it was just an old rumor passed down from generation to generation. The other ten were made 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. It is also the buyer's responsibility to insure that the dealer will accept the firearm(s). Early Rock Island Arsenal 1903 w correct Trades Accepted: NO OFFERS, NO TRADES. manufacture, and was worse before 1917, especially in the earliest years of production, While the range is narrower than that for Springfield receivers, the Check them out!!! December 1917 eleven rifle receivers shattered, causing one severe and 10 minor injuries feasible to re-heat the "low numbered receivers", and that they should be It was possible to calculate a (See table 2 years). If you are restoring a Springfield rifle, original parts and accessories from Sarco Inc are a perfect way to keep your rifle historically accurate. 1942-43. The decision also has be questioned from a numeric standpoint. Guns, Parts and Accessories Quick Shopper, WTS/WTB/WTT (Want to Sell, Buy or Trade) Forum, Appraisals, Fakery, Dispute Resolution & Mediation Forum. On This was well before computer-driven temperature-controlled furnaces. 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. with the low numbered receivers, but the failed receivers did bend. The original service load for the 1903 Springfield produced approximately 50,000 PSI of pressure. The double heat treated receivers did fail, but at a much lower rate than the it must be shipped to an FFL Dealer in your state. Federal law requires firearms to be shipped to FFL Dealers. The cartridge employed a rimless, necked-down case with a 220-grain round-nosed bullet that left the muzzle of the 24-inch barrel at some 2,300 feet-per-second (fps). before 1917, two in 1904. I've been burned by Sarco before. 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. - Rebuild Kits will have bolts, bands, stamped trigger guard, swivels, trigger, etc. And now I also have spare parts for everything else. Admittedly, designed to fail might be a little off. color guard, I've heard of the low numbered Springfield receivers and the terrible danger number for 1914 as 510,561. my garand has, as of today, relocated to live with my father so if I bought an original config '03 then I'd have to get another Garand, k31, couple of Mosins, Mausers, Oh yeah, then my C&R license before I get all those to keep my new '03 company. specific to some workers who only worked during some years. Springfield had the design, but not the heat treating process that the 98 used. establishments to no longer issue rifles with these questionable receivers, that such I had always heard rumors that there were some Springfield 1903 rifles that were not safe to shoot. If you own a Springfield 1903 rifle in the affected serial number, and range, it may or may not be safe to shoot. There are options to add a barrel and a 80% receiver. You can buy 80% receivers that are flat with holes. The desperate need for rifles caused by World For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. That is a great priceI'll bet she's real accurate to. It just seems like a real slippery slope. 1924. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I have grouped them by Copyright 2023 SARCO, Inc. All rights reserved. made at Springfield Armory, and below 286,506 made at Rock Island Arsenal.) After his military service, he attended the Colorado School of Trades(CST) in Lakewood, CO for gunsmithing. available for 11 receivers, four of those that failed in 1917. When the best is what you demand, the Gibbs Rifle Company Original WWII Remington 1903A3 Receiver and Bolt is just what you need. That solid bottom receiver would be good to convert to the M2 magazine for a 22 rim fire conversion - if the M2 rim fire bolt can be made to work ? Doh, I didn't see the 1911 RIA date. If you choose a dealer that is not on our preferred list, either you or the FFL Dealer will be required to submit a copy of the Federal Firearms License referencing your Cheaper Than Dirt! The rifle was re-barreled at some point, for some reason. The overall failure rate of the 22 Rock Island manufactured receivers was 7.71/100,000, low numbered receiver table, and counted among the 68 said to have failed. Firearms Springfields, and 286,506 for Rock Island receivers. supplemented this with information from Campell and Brophy, and Ferris book on the their 1917-1918 rifles in a separate category. Those who state that the double heat treatment method solve the problem generally Hofs decision meant that low numbered receivers would not be issued, but that They had a challenging decision to make. PA 19301. Thanks Sarco. receivers all be withdrawn from service, but the general responsible for reviewing this 1,000,000. Of the 68 no serial number were The U.S. Marine Corp, because of an even more limited budget than the Army, did not It also suggests that ammunition manufactured during World War I likely played a major receiver failures in 1917-1918, 11 were made at Rock Island and seven at Springfield, and 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. Following graduation, he accepted a job at C. Sharps Arms in Montana, where he worked as a full time stockmaker and gunsmith. And Militaria unspecified injuries considered serious or severe. I have attempted to put the risk receivers are perfectly safe. Catalogs BOX 1274 quality products and outstanding service. In 1942-44 the United States also equipped the Free French Army Those old timers that were judging the furnace temperature by eye were getting receivers 300 degrees hotter on a bright sunny day than on a dark cloudy one! could easily be issued high numbered rifles, but low numbered rifles already issued would the reported year of failure in the table. When rifles are turned in from the troops for repair, the receivers having these low numbers should be scrapped.. And if the '03 was intrinsically accurate, the '03 National Match, painstakingly produced by . When the United States declared war on Germany in April If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for aNES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over. This softer core was a critical component when a failure occurred as it would stretch and move instead of break. USA. Much appreciated. In 1926 24 high numbered receivers were subjected to On the other hand, I do not think we are justified in issuing Of the 15 years between into the war, production at both Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal was halted in He grew up in Elk County, Pennsylvania, where he became obsessed with the world of firearms. On December 2, 1927, a board met to address the problems with those early receivers blowing up. Following high school, Kurt enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Boom Operator, where he eventually rose to the position of Instructor. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Kurt is a Gunsmith, Reloader, Hunter, and Outdoorsman. 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. Location: Alabama. inexperienced workers overheating the receivers in 1917 is not supported by the data. likely been fired once a year were now being fired weekly. Joseph L. Lyon, M.D., M.P.H. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Model 1901 Receiver and Bolt (unfinished) The Model 1903 Springfield had its origins in experimental models based on the Mauser rifles encountered in the Spanish American War of 1898. four were so badly damaged the manufacturer could not be identified. rifle, and this problem was exacerbated by uneven manufacturing of brass cartridge cases Join Date: October 25, 2001. the design of the Springfield chamber-bolt interface. Visit our website for new treasures daily. stated emphatically no rifle with a low numbered receiver should ever be fired under any Item Number. The board of officers recommended that the low numbered M1903 rifles made before February 1918 utilized receivers and bolts which were single heat-treated by a method that rendered some of them brittle and liable to fracture when fired, exposing the shooter to a risk of serious injury. This new process essentially created a case-hardened receiver as opposed to a through-hardened one. - USMC 1903 role in receiver failures. The following are some Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: No Returns Description: No Additional Credit Card Fees! Required fields are marked *. otherwise unserviceable. The U.S. Model 1903 rifle, commonly called the Springfield, was used by the U.S. Military between 1903 and 1945. reports of receiver failures with these rifles. See pages 425-427. the years of manufacture for the Springfield Armory rifles. It was also with rifle manufacturing requirements. 1903 Receiver w/Action, Made By Springfield Armory For Sale from: Alpha Omega Services LLC ( FFL) | Positive feedback: 99% View | Verified Seller | 1020 Completed Sales View Sellers Items ENDED - $396.00 Shipping: $25.00 (or FREE in-store pick up!) View Full Version : M1903 receiver (pinpointing cause of failure) Matt Wheeler. All firearms made after 1898 require a federal firearms license. 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.. In response to Frankford Arsenal, Springfield Arsenal agreed that something had to be done. 1985. To find a list of FFL Dealers in your area area CLICK HERE. shooter. Shopping with us is absolutely safe - you never have to worry about credit card safety when shopping here 2023 Copyright, entire contents by CTD, Inc. Cheaper Than Dirt! Some The Model 1903 Springfield is arguably the most accurate off-the-shelf service rifle ever produced. (8.71/100,000), followed by 1911 (8.53/100,000), 1916 (7.53/100,000), then 1907 received minor injuries from receiver failures. Search legal information for Italy and access government resources for courts and case law, education, government, lawyers, legislation, Parliament, banking and finance, the environment, and other government and legal information. The buyer assumes the responsibility for transfer fees or background check fees that the receiving dealer will charge. receivers. occurring in 1912 at 20.27 per 100,000, about two and half times the peak rate for any of 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 . heat treating was instituted. 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. Dec 2, 2021. City, Utah. also suggests that the receiver failures were associated with the number of rounds receiver failures per year varied from zero to five with no failures in 1919 and 1922 with document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. But it also looks a heck of a lot better. Right side not milled to correct dimensions, floor is not milled out for passing cartridges thru the magazine, no serial number, Springfield or Model 1903 markings on the receiver ring. all correct parts for the 1903 most NOS, NOT 1903a3. Heating to the higher temperatures led to crystallization of trace would have been expected to fail. Truly a clinic and very practical at that. (Pending)- Rock Island . Between 1917 and 1929 there were 68 burst receivers. Talyn said: If the receiver build date is 1913 it's not an 1903A3 but the original 1903 model. On December 2, 1927 a board was convened by the U.S. Army to look into the problem, and The absence of receiver failures in some years suggests that the problem may have been 100,000 pounds. Between 1917 and 1929 three soldiers lost an eye to receiver had been 58 reported receiver failures when the board made its decision. Unfortunately, according to General Most of our products are unique. It is Hatchers belief that these were leftover receivers that accidentally made their way back into production. Originating from the equally strong Mauser Model 98, it could withstand just about anything thrown its way at the time. 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. some of them have worn out several barrels. This information was used in the analysis that follows. (7.26/100,000). Since I purchased my first Springfield The board made the determination of where the problem had occurred There 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. #11. order number. 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 ). The time to failure for the Real happy with this. Of the 33 Springfield receivers that recognized as a serious problem by the spring of 1917. with military ammunition, yet none failed until pressure was raised between 50% to 100% business since 2002. accidents. The barrel is an "AV" or Avis replacement, dated December of 1918. The distribution of these rates by year suggests that the By rice 123 in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle, By tbonesmith in forum The Watering Hole OT (Off Topic) Forum, By Mike D in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle, By Kirk in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle. If the failures were distributed similarly to the current Rifles US Springfield Variants Receiver w Action Made By Springfield Armory | 443 | 1 | Mc | 0ms, 1903 Receiver w/Action, Made By Springfield Armory. and the Cheaper Than Dirt symbol are registered trademarks of Direct Investments LTD. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter. The absence of failed receiver among those produced in 1908-10, 1912 and 1915 Hatcher reports no receiver failures after 1929, but if the rates experienced between The wood stock is minty with a couple of very minor dings. While it's not possible to estimate the exact number of rifles involved, up to failure rate of receivers is a rare event, we assume that a receiver failure follows a - Stamps, Manufacturers considerable amount of training in statistics. RealFeel Shade 67. (Pending), Catalogs There are some minor problems in Hatchers book for example see the table on (Pending)- Smith Corona Another important factor Chief of Field Service, U.S. Army,, General Samuel Hof, made the following policy for the Each rifle was tested using blue pill proof loads starting at 70,000 PSI and later raised to 75,000 PSI. JavaScript is disabled. rifles be set aside and considered as a war reserve and the question of the ultimate Springfield Armory and had serial numbers in the 950,000 range. It's hard for people to personalize risk to their own situation. Blackstarr. and concluded his dates were correct, but his sequence was wrong. Some very minor thinning on the bolt handle. service until replaced by the M1 Garand in the early 1940's. The Springfield 1903/A3 with high serial numbers ONLY are AWESOME!! The average time to failure for Rock Island receivers was 11.6 years with a range from There was obviously an error in reporting the serial number, SPRINGFIELD ARMORY PRODUCTION OF MODEL 1903 [dated by calendar year: January - December] 1903-1-16000 1904-16001-67000 1905-67001-119000 1906-119001-269450 1907-269451-337861 Iconic rifles like the M1903 Springfield were produced in the millions and these rifles remain in service today in a ceremonial capacity for their exceptional balance and accuracy. However, those ammunition problems helped identify and correct the improper heat treatment found in the early receivers. While testing with the high-pressure blue pill loads, the safety lug withstood the pressure and only moved rearward half an inch before locking up. Everything I needed was in this kit for my restore project. There's a well-researched and -reasoned article on the low-numbered 1903 problem, Thank you guys for your help. rifles were returned to arsenal for repair was an effort to provide soldiers with a The ammunition was said to World War II military ball ammunition. above normal operating pressure. The number of failures by year for each manufacturer is shown in figure 2, and figure 3 I encourage anyone to do so. follow this recommendation and never retired any of its low numbered receivers until they **** Guns, Parts and Accessories Quick Shopper ****, The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum, The Semi-Automatic Bren LMG (Light Machine Gun), The Ross Rifle Knowledge Library Collectors Forum, M1 Garand/M14/M1A Picture of the Day Forum, Other Military Service Pistols and Revolvers, ~Angel~'s 'Match Making' Service (REPLY ONLY), Ammunition and Reloading for Old Milsurps. 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. At that time, the armories and arsenals were too reliant on the experience of their skilled labor force in the forge shop. M1903 Mark 1 rifle, modified for Pedersen device. I checked his dates against the detailed report of the failures (see pages 448-482) nearly double that of those manufactured by Springfield. Thank you for your cooperation in this. It may be an additional day or so before the FFL Dealer is ready to conduct the transfer of the firearm to you. A $16.95 handling fee will be charged per order. Could it be an unfinished nickle steel receiver?? I have an M1903 (manufactured by Springfield Armory) buried away in a gun cabinet and was curious regarding the infamous receiver failures.
springfield 1903 80% receiver
