Remington 03-a3 Valuation
- Thread starter japhi
- Start date
From what we can see things look original except for The stock which is a military replacement. Virtually all Remington 03-A3 parts are stamped with the letter "R". What is the bore like-clean/shiney, rusty, pitted?
Well, while i could go into the history of the 1903 springfield, that is available at any wiki or history site so I'll just ramble a little about what I know when putting a price tag on something like this.
As there is no such thing as a matching gun when it comes to US rifles as they are all refurbished/arsenal repaired after a war, the best you can do is ensure that everything functions and isn't damaged. All rifles are arsenal repaired or refurbed after service so they get stripped down to the screws, the parts dumped into bins, bad parts melted down, good parts fitted to a new gun. So forget "matching numbers," as the Americans weren't big on stamping every little piece anyway.
What you look for are 4 things.
1. is the barrel in good shape?
2. does it headspace properly?
3. does it shoot straight?
4. is the stock/metal in good shape?
From what I see from your pictures, I 'm going to say you have #4 squared away. If the barrel has good rifling, a good crown, no counterbore or bellmouth, and is free of pits, corrosion, and communism, then you can scratch that off your list. You can check bellmouth by putting a bullet into the muzzle, there should be about 3ish millimeters of actual bullet showing between the crown of the barrel and the neck of the case.
Finally, if you haven't already, load up some ammo and see how it prints at the range. A good 1903 springfield is realistically in the 1000$ mark. Mint shape, it can get to the 1200$ mark. The ones you usually see on gun sites for 1500+ are still there because the seller is smoking some really good drugs asking those kind of prices. They stay on those sites forever until somebody dumb enough to pay the price finally comes along and drives the market up. Price it realistically, be honest with whoever is buying it, and remember, unless it was carried by a troop who won the medal of honor and you have the paperwork to back it up, any story that goes with the gun doesn't add crap to the value. You're selling a rifle, not sentimental value.
Hope this helps,
D King
As there is no such thing as a matching gun when it comes to US rifles as they are all refurbished/arsenal repaired after a war, the best you can do is ensure that everything functions and isn't damaged. All rifles are arsenal repaired or refurbed after service so they get stripped down to the screws, the parts dumped into bins, bad parts melted down, good parts fitted to a new gun. So forget "matching numbers," as the Americans weren't big on stamping every little piece anyway.
What you look for are 4 things.
1. is the barrel in good shape?
2. does it headspace properly?
3. does it shoot straight?
4. is the stock/metal in good shape?
From what I see from your pictures, I 'm going to say you have #4 squared away. If the barrel has good rifling, a good crown, no counterbore or bellmouth, and is free of pits, corrosion, and communism, then you can scratch that off your list. You can check bellmouth by putting a bullet into the muzzle, there should be about 3ish millimeters of actual bullet showing between the crown of the barrel and the neck of the case.
Finally, if you haven't already, load up some ammo and see how it prints at the range. A good 1903 springfield is realistically in the 1000$ mark. Mint shape, it can get to the 1200$ mark. The ones you usually see on gun sites for 1500+ are still there because the seller is smoking some really good drugs asking those kind of prices. They stay on those sites forever until somebody dumb enough to pay the price finally comes along and drives the market up. Price it realistically, be honest with whoever is buying it, and remember, unless it was carried by a troop who won the medal of honor and you have the paperwork to back it up, any story that goes with the gun doesn't add crap to the value. You're selling a rifle, not sentimental value.
Hope this helps,
D King
The "OG" stamp on the stock indicates that it went thru inspection and/or some level of overhaul at Ogden Arsenal. A lot of 03A3s went through there at the end of the war before being put in storage.
Assuming the barrel is sound and unpitted it should fetch something in the range of $1000-$1200.
Generally speaking the military doesn't allow the troops to keep personal weapons on discharge, but there are always possibilities incl accountability records and other things. My late uncle brought home his personal issue S&W revolver. Some of the other vets had things like STENS and a Thompson SMG. Pistols are attractive and easier to conceal than a rifle.
Assuming the barrel is sound and unpitted it should fetch something in the range of $1000-$1200.
Generally speaking the military doesn't allow the troops to keep personal weapons on discharge, but there are always possibilities incl accountability records and other things. My late uncle brought home his personal issue S&W revolver. Some of the other vets had things like STENS and a Thompson SMG. Pistols are attractive and easier to conceal than a rifle.
- Location
- Central AB
That means it was refurbished at the Ogden plant.
Most people here are very much interested in the history and any provenance that might be attached to a firearm such as the one in question. You may want to consider that when asking help from the fine, knowledgeable people on here.
You say you know nothing about it ....if you are interested in finding out more than just a number, these people will teach you more than any google search will.
Provenance is always great when it can be authenticated, and quite often it can enhance the value in the estimation of specific collectors. There have been some fine examples of WW1 revolvers and pistols on here with rock solid documentation as to provenance. In the absence of provenance the rule of thumb is, buy the gun, not the story.
I'm sorry to advise this, but it's basically impossible your relative carried this rifle.
For starters, 03-a3's were not issued to marines in the Pacific campaign, they were issued to rear echelon army infantry after 1943. Next, it's been rebuilt likely post WW2. And thirdly, gi's could buy these post war, but it would not be the gun they carried, only one just like it (or same model).
For starters, 03-a3's were not issued to marines in the Pacific campaign, they were issued to rear echelon army infantry after 1943. Next, it's been rebuilt likely post WW2. And thirdly, gi's could buy these post war, but it would not be the gun they carried, only one just like it (or same model).
ThatM305Guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- North Texas
At risk of provoking an argument...you are mistaken. The marines did use 1903's in the Pacific. Specifically Guadalcanal. At that time they were still using their WWI water cooled machine guns too.
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