m1903 30.06

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30.06
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m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:25 am

Hello ya'll i am looking to build my first gun. and i am acquiring parts....luckily my greatgrandfather left me a few. I have a 03A4 barrel, trigger/magazine parts, bolts, firing pins, springs...and so on basically i need the receiver and a stock. I have never built a gun before, any advice would definitely be helpful, and if anyone knows where to find parts that would be great. I have my great grandfathers m1903 and basically want to build one like it with a few modernizations, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Sean
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by cshunter1908 » Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:49 am

here is a stock http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0711379318

Here are a couple of sites that sell 1903 parts. If they don't have what you are looking for you could always send them an email and they my be able to get it or point you in the right direction.
http://www.billricca.com/03_springfield.htm
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Sea ... catid=5843

Hope this helps you out.
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30.06
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:37 am

Thanks cs i am sure i will be need ing these sites. i am looking for a synthetic stock and have found some websites but they are out of stock. Thanks again sir.
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30.06
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:38 pm

got a book at the plant city guns show that tells me what parts i have and dont have to work on this project. i will be acquiring the last few parts i need to build this, and will be putting some pics up eventually. it is not going to be a pretty gun, but it will be the first one i build from pieces.
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30.06
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:33 pm

Well i have started to clean up and refinish some of the parts that my great grandfather left in his gun stuff. The parts i am done with for now were in rough shape, but i am happy with the results for now until i can afford to have someone else reblue, or reparkerize. This pic has all the parts i am done with for now. Trigger, triggerguard, triggerguard screws, floorplate, follower, ejector and ejector pin, 4 sear pins, 3 cutooffs and cutoff spindle.
m1903 build pics 012.jpg
close up of ejector and ejector pin
m1903 build pics 003.jpg
close up of floorplate and follower
m1903 build pics 009.jpg
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treefarmer
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by treefarmer » Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:45 pm

30.06, this will be intresting to follow. I started redoing a 1917 Enfield 50 some years ago and after a lot of work, I let a guy trade me out of it before I was done with it. There was an old gunsmith in Orlando, think his name was Don Hall and he let me into his shop and helped me with my project. The biggest issue was grinding the ears of the 1917's receiver. Keep us posted on your progress. Treefarmer

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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by blackpowderscout » Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:13 am

Keep it going!
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30.06
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:07 am

Thanks treefarmer and bps, encouragement is definitely helpful!!! i have tried to wait on this project, until my patience has gotten better, and hopefully it will pay off. However waiting has caused a problem of finding a receiver, and i am unsure of whether or not i need an 03, or 03a3 receiver. I dont have many options for help with this gun, and most of it is downright easy, but will be taking it to dow arms for the barrel install, headspacing and such. i have found 03a3 receivers online at a place out of Ohio. This gun wont be the beauty that my great grandfather built, nor will it be quite as customized, but i will treasure it always.
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by M12Gunboy » Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:21 am

Once you get all the parts, pieces and gunsmithing work done and all the "Metal Parts" are ready to be put into a stock, let me know. I have a gunsmith who can disassemble, clean, polish, blue it and assemble it into your stock and he will make it look like it came out of the O3 factory. He won't rape you either to have it done. PM me when you are ready. He is very reasonable with pricing for the quality of work he does. He has reblued at least 15-20 guns between three of us.

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nachogrande
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by nachogrande » Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:53 am

my opinion of dow arms has lowered after some poor work and taking forever to do a lousy job. I wouldn't give them such a difficult or important job.
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing

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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by Iluv2hunt » Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:56 am

I wouldnt use Dow arms to walk my dog. Over 6 months to cut and thread my barrel. And I had to add bluing to the spot that was cut. The cut was not smooth either.
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

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nachogrande
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by nachogrande » Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:04 am

hopefully they were able to get the threads in straight for you. have you patterned it yet?
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing

30.06
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:13 am

I know that ya'll had some problems with dow arms, but they have been helpful to me so far, plus they are the only place relatively close (50miles) that carries m1903 parts. Do ya'll know anyone else i can go to for the headspacing and barrel install? i guess i could buy/improvise some tools, and buy the headspace guages.
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nachogrande
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by nachogrande » Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:04 pm

imo, don't worry about shipping and don't use someone just cuz they are close. better to use a GOOD smith wherever they may be, esp on a gun that's important to you. I'm sure theres a 1903 web forum and they could likely steer you to someone good for that gun. I love seeing an old beauty being brought back to life.
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing

30.06
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Re: m1903 30.06

Post by 30.06 » Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:13 am

Hopefully i will be ordering my receiver this week. I have been unable to find any high number springfield receivers, but i did find a place out of ohio that just ran out of remington 03a3receivers, and still has some smith corona 03a3 receivers. These receivers came out of drill guns, and have been magnafluxed and refinished. guess my blueing work is all for naught, as i dont think blueing will come out good on the receivers, but i might still try. maybe after the build i will have it painted with duracoat, or cerakote.
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