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Gil Martin Super Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 1837 Location: Schnecksville, PA
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Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:52 pm Post subject: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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I spent some time at the range today getting two 1903 Springfield rifles ready for deer season. Both had been sporterized when I bought them years ago and have a scope mounted on them. One is a low number Springfield made in 1908 that appears to have spent a lot of time in the woods. Note that there are warnings against shooting low number 1903 Springfield rifles and doing so is a personal decision. The fact is, there were about one million low number Springfield rifles made before February 1918 at Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal. These rifles served in WWI and WWII and have been in use by hunters and shooters to the present day.
The other is a high number Springfield made in 1928 with a perfect barrel. Both rifles shot very well and are not fussy about what i feed them. Anyone else getting a surplus arm ready for big game season? All the best...
Gil
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slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
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Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:13 pm Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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Gil, the two old military rifles I have are an M1 Garand and 1868 Rem Rolling Block rebarrelled in .45-70. I've set the RB up with a 1960's Weaver 1.5x scope but having used it to hunt with yet. What scopes do you have on your Springfields? Why do you need two?
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
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Suzanne Super Member
Joined: Jun 27, 2009 Posts: 3323 Location: Eugene, Oregon
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Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:21 pm Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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I just love the old guns and I'm just getting interested in the transition era from black powder muzzle loaders to metal cartridge conversions. It's interesting to see how many ways they thought to come up with breech loading rifles and the various methods and ideas for breech blocks and design of cartridges. They utilized the original muzzle loader designs (because that's all they had to go by) and under the stress and need of superiority in war, came up with a faster loading rifle, an easier to carry ammo and more fire power than a single man had ever had. A lot of ingenuity over a lot of years. I don't want a reproduction of an oldie, I want the original oldie. It tells a story you can feel and taste.
I have a really nice Mauser that impressed me so much, I bought 2 actions and made 2 modern hunting rifles out of them. One is a .270 tack driver and the other is an 8mm Mauser tack driver. Really great and reliable rifles. My old Mauser won't shoot as accurately as my new 8mm will, but in a pinch if you need a good hunting rifle at 100yds I know it'll be within a 3-4inch grouping.
Recently I got ahold of a Rem. rolling block (needs a barrel) and a Springfield trap door. I'm in love all over again. The trap door was a love at first sight carbine that had been gone over. Barrel is original but freshly sanded, polished and blued. The stock is smooth undented, looks ready to go. I love it. It's exactly what I would have wanted to do to one if I found one to play with. There's little historic value or collector value in a gun that's been freshened like this and that's perfect for me.
The rolling block needs work, it's a charming old war horse that could be easily just hung up on the wall and admired, it has so much to say to you. I want to rebarrel it and restock it and make it mine. I just love the mechanism of the action and the simplicity. You can't beat old-world good looks and charm, they just had a way with it back then. I don't think I'll ever buy a new gun again, (don't quote me on that) they've turned to plastic, sharp edges and ergonomics, nothing to do to them but add a sight you can easily use and go shooting. It's never yours, it's like buying a car and never putting any personality to it (mag wheels, tinted windows, foam dice hanging from the rearview mirror, wide tires, pin stripping), it's never yours, it's preserved for resale value. Custom Nova gets restored to show-room new and gets better price. Why? So someone can make it their own some day.
Suz
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Gil Martin Super Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 1837 Location: Schnecksville, PA
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:14 am Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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slimjim,
I have a 3x-9x Bushnell Trophy on the newer Springfield and a 4X Bausch & Lomb on the elder one. I have two Springfields because I bought them cheap some years ago. You can never have too many surplus arms. All the best...
Gil
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Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15704 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
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SingleShotLover Super Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2007 Posts: 1005 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:56 am Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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Gil Martin wrote: |
One is a low number Springfield made in 1908 that appears to have spent a lot of time in the woods. Note that there are warnings against shooting low number 1903 Springfield rifles and doing so is a personal decision. The fact is, there were about one million low number Springfield rifles made before February 1918 at Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal. These rifles served in WWI and WWII and have been in use by hunters and shooters to the present day.
Gil |
Absolutely right. My sporterized 1903 was manufactured in 1917 by Rock Island Arsenal and is quite sound. However I do not subject it to stupid pressures; being quite happy with standard '06 pressure ranges. If a person wants a .300 magnum they should buy one, not be silly enough to overload even a modern rifle, let alone one of these old war-horses.
_________________ If you can't hit it with one, you probably can't with two either!
The biggest problem with a closed mind is that it never seems to come with a closed mouth.
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Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15704 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
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chambered221 Super Member
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 3455 Location: Lost for good !!!
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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Gil, Could you elaborate a little more on these low numbered 03's !!!
What is it about them that has prompted a warning ???
_________________ Ask as many people needed, sooner or later your question will be answered the way you want it answered !!!
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.
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English Mike Super Member
Joined: Jan 08, 2007 Posts: 1709 Location: Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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chambered221 wrote: |
Gil, Could you elaborate a little more on these low numbered 03's !!!
What is it about them that has prompted a warning ??? |
The receivers were incorrectly heat treated:
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It was determined that the workers responsible for heat treating the receivers had used an "eyeball" method that relied on the color of the heated metal to determine if the steel had been heated to the correct temperature. Unfortunately, according to General Hatcher, the officer in charge of the investigation, "... it was quickly found that the ‘right heat’ as judged by the skillful eye of the old timers was up to 300 degrees hotter on a bright sunny day than it was on a dark cloudy one" (See Hatcher, Julian Hatcher’s Notebook , Third Edition, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1966, page 215). Heating to the higher temperatures led to crystallization of trace elements within the steel, making it too hard, and rather than deforming under high pressure, the receiver shattered, often permitting the bolt to exit the receiver, causing injury to the shooter. Between 1917 and 1929 three soldiers lost an eye to receiver failure, and six more had unspecified injuries consider serious. An additional 34 soldiers received minor injuries from receiver failures. There were no deaths reported from the failure of a Springfield receiver. |
Read the rest here.
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chambered221 Super Member
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 3455 Location: Lost for good !!!
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 8:52 pm Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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Interesting..........thanks for the info !!!
_________________ Ask as many people needed, sooner or later your question will be answered the way you want it answered !!!
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.
~George Washington |
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Elvis Super Member
Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 9239 Location: south island New Zealand
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Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:22 am Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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sounds almost as bad as hangfire ammo!!!!!
but if you consider the amount of rounds fired through that type of rifle in that period of time...........
_________________ You shot it You pluck it !
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Gil Martin Super Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 1837 Location: Schnecksville, PA
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 5:03 am Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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chambered221,
The link below covers the low number Springfield topic very well. Hope this provides some clarity. All the best...
Gil
m1903.com/03rcvrfail/
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MacD Super Member
Joined: Apr 08, 2011 Posts: 1052 Location: Canada
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:01 am Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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Gil Martin wrote: |
chambered221,
The link below covers the low number Springfield topic very well. Hope this provides some clarity. All the best...
Gil
m1903.com/03rcvrfail/ |
Very interesting read. Incident rates are seldom considered when people assess risk on a personal level.
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chambered221 Super Member
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 3455 Location: Lost for good !!!
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: Getting surplus arms ready for hunting |
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My dad will definitely appreciate this info......... he's currently looking for one to use in a local military fun shoot !!!
_________________ Ask as many people needed, sooner or later your question will be answered the way you want it answered !!!
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.
~George Washington |
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