Guns International #: 102441720
Seller's Inventory #: 2309-0025

Category - Springfield Rifles - 1903 - Custom Rifles

Category
Springfield Rifles - 1903
Custom Rifles

Springfield Model 1903 Mark 1 Custom Varmint Rifle 6mm Remington

Description:
The Model 1903 Springfield rifle was designed to replace the U.S. Army’s Krag Rifle in service. It was built around the one-size-fits-all concept, and so did not have a cavalry/artillery specific model as did the Krag rifle. The M1903 was originally chambered for the .30-03 cartridge, which featured a 64.5mm long case and a 220gr round-nosed bullet. With the introduction of the German 8mm S Patrone and its 154gr Spitzgeschoss or Spire Point Bullet, the US had to follow suit and by 1906 the .30-06 was born (with its 150gr spitzer bullet and slightly shorter 63mm case length). As the Springfield was essentially a Mauser 1898 with a small ring receiver, royalties were paid to Mauser up until the U.S. declared war on Germany in 1917. During World War 1, some M1903 rifles were built with a cutout machined in the side of the receiver for the attachment of the Pedersen device, essentially an adaptor that allowed the 1903 to fire the .30 Pedersen cartridge in semi-automatic mode. As it was essentially just a low-powered pistol cartridge, the whole setup would have been ill-suited to the trenches of World War 1, particularly when compared with the German Stormtroopers (Sturmtruppen) running around with full-auto MP18 submachine guns chambered in 9mm Parabellum. While the semi-auto feature of the Pedersen device provided a higher rate of fire than the bolt action configuration, it was still slower than a true submachinegun, and therefore, was not high enough to justify the drop in power. Worse, it would have required the soldier to carry two different types of ammo on their person – three if you count their standard-issue M1911 pistol as well (.30-06, .30 Pedersen, and .45 ACP). World War 1 ended before the device could be fielded, and ultimately, they were kept on hand until 1931 when they were declared surplus. Most of them ended up being destroyed, with only a handful surviving in museums or private collections. Production of the Mark 1 started in 1918 and continued until March 1, 1919, when the contract was canceled, with up to 101,775 rifles produced. Most Model 1903 Mark 1 rifles were converted to M1903 standard in 1937, though the cutout slot remained. After World War 2, they were sold off as surplus. As collectability was not even remotely a consideration back then, most of them were sporterized over the years, as the M1903 is an excellent rifle in any form. This is one such rifle. It has been converted into a heavy varmint rifle. It features a 27-inch heavy barrel and is chambered in the classic 6mm Remington. Designed in 1955, the cartridge was initially marketed under the name .244 Remington and was loaded with a 90gr bullet and used a 1:12 inches rate of twist. Remington chose to use the slower twist to avoid “excessive spin”. Contrary to popular belief, the .244 Remington was NOT marketed as a varmint cartridge as this hole was filled in their catalogue by the .222 Remington. Indeed, the 90gr bullet was intended for deer or antelope. However, when Winchester introduced the .243 Winchester in the same year, it used a 100gr bullet with a faster 1:10 inches twist. Through excellent marketing, Winchester was able to convince the gun buying public that a 100gr bullet was the bare minimum for hunting deer. Attempts by handloaders to use 100gr bullets in the .244 failed due to the slower twist. As such, the .244 essentially flopped early on, though it was a capable cartridge in its own right. Remington responded to the complaints quickly and changed the twist rate to a 1 in 9 inches twist. At the same time, the company went ahead and renamed the cartridge to the now familiar 6mm Remington to avoid the poor reputation of the original .244. There is no physical difference between the two cartridges other than the headstamp. Although the 6mm Remington did not achieve the popularity of the .243 Winchester, it is still a fine cartridge and has a very dedicated following, thanks to its superior cartridge capacity and ballistics. It is favored by handloaders for the case’s long neck which facilitates loading operations. In terms of condition, the rifle is in great shape for a varmint rifle. The receiver has been drilled and tapped for a scope, and then given a Parkerized finish to match the barrel. The finish is in excellent shape, with little rust present. The metal remains in excellent physical shape with little to no pitting. The heavy barrel has an outside diameter of 0.863 inches at the muzzle. It provides quite a bit of heft to rifle, which has an overall weight of 13.0 lbs. The scope is the excellent Leupold Vari-X-III 6.5-20x50mm. It is a bit old but the view through the lenses is still good. The bolt hand is a replacement added to accommodate the scope. It is brightly polished. Some light micro pitting is present on the shaft, but this can be fixed with the application of some Flitz polish. The wood stock is most likely Walnut and has a Monte-Carlo style cheek rest. It has a checkered plastic butt plate. Since this is a heavy varmint rifle in 6mm Remington, recoil will be negligible, and a butt pad is unnecessary. The fore end is fairly wide rather than thin – a common feature of varmint rifles. The idea is to rest it on sandbags or something similar, with the wide forearm providing a stable shooting platform. Wear of the furniture is essentially just “handling wear”. There are no serious dings or scratches. The cutout for the bolt handle is slightly crude though it has been smoothed out for the most part. The serial number of the rifle puts it well into the double heat treat range though a bit before the introduction of nickel steel. Nonetheless, the action has more than enough strength for the 6mm Remington. The bore of the barrel is in superb shape. Capacity of the rifle should be roughly 5 cartridges in the magazine plus one in the chamber.
 

SOLD

Rifle Caliber: 6mm Remington
Manufacturer: Springfield Arsenal
Model: M1903 Mark 1 Custom
Serial Number: 1044217
Bore: Rifled, 6 grooves, 1:9 inches (1 in 228.6 mm) RH Twist
Ejectors: Manual ejection
Condition: Excellent
Barrels: Carbon Steel
Barrel Type: Heavy
Action: Bolt action, Mauser ’98-style action with CRF
Triggers: Single
Stock: Fajen, Walnut, Monte-Carlo style
Fore End: Walnut
Butt Pad: Fajen checkered plastic butt plate
LOP: 13.75 inches (350 mm)
Finish: Parkerized
Weight: 13.0 lbs.
Sights: Leupold Vari-X-III 6.5-20x50mm
Manufacture Date: 1918