1903 Springfield un-sporterizing project

[Baltimoreed]

I know its not a Krag but a few years I picked up a sporterized 1930 vintage 03 Springfield that was not drilled for scopemounts. It had been cut to 21 inches. Well the original build idea didnt work out so I recently decided that I would kinda un-sporterize it. It wasnt worth a true rebarrel but I had an ugly scant stock which had a mix of milled and stamped parts so I figured that Id cut the stock 3 inches to match the bbl, pick up some milled parts and reshape the stock to eliminate the ugly scant grip. When my milled lower band arrives I think that i will move it a tad closed to the rcvr. I also plan on cutting finger grooves using a round router bit and my HF milling machine. It needs a bbl trim and recrown too, gotta borrow my buds crowning kit again. I will post photos soon.

[Baltimoreed]

Started whittling on it. Got the muzzle end roughed in and the scant removed. I will work on it some today before it gets too hot in my barn/shop. Still need to slim down the forend and remove more wood from the butt. I have another upper hand guard so I might trim some off of the rear end of the handguard if I move the band location toward the rcvr. The front sight band is simply driven on. I put 8 rds through it [my light krag loads- 9.7 gr of Tin Star with a 170 gr gc lead bullet]. Im thinking that some jb weld along with friction will hold it tight. I will shorten the bbl of course and as I'm into the lightening cut so Ill have to fill that in too.

[butlersrangers]

Why don't you set it up to accept your faux Krag Bowie bayonet?

Kind of a Philippine Constabulary '03. :D

[Baltimoreed]

Thats an idea butlersrangers, there supposedly was a Springfield Bushmaster carbine with an 18 inch bbl but it wouldnt take a bayonet. If nothing else when Im done Ill have a nice 1903 school gun. I am thinking about getting a repro 03 bayonet and opening the muzzle ring to fit the shorter bbls slightly larger diameter. My milsurp rifle theory appears to be if its got a bayonet mount its gotta have a bayonet.

[butlersrangers]

My 1903A3 has a 'scant' grip stock of beautiful walnut.

I love that stock! Not its appearance, but, how it fits for position shooting. That odd 'nub' comes in handy!

[Baltimoreed]

The c stocks with the pistol grip look the best to me. I did some caliper measurements and the only way that my krag bayonet would work is with machine work on the cut 03 bbl to make it smaller. But I do have my spanish mauser bayonet that is actually pretty close in the lock and bore but is a little long in the body. I trimmed the lock and opened up the bore so it goes on fine except for just barely catching the too long bbl. More tinkering tomorrow.

[Baltimoreed]

Update-Still waiting on a nice checkered buttplate, better front sight and lower milled band to arrive. An unissued windage screw assembly came the other day, screwed right in. Nice and tight with a little bit of spring. Got a repro Kerr sling coming too. Loaded up some of my Krag formula loads in .30-06 LC67 brass 9.7 gr Tin Star with a pointed 170 gr gc .310 cast bullet that I cast. I can hit my 10 inch 60 yard gong offhand with no problem. And with a just drove on wiggly front sight. Ill sight it in on paper when I get the sights 100%. When those milled parts arrive Ill work on the stock some more. Dont want to remove too much wood. Im thinking that the milled parts are thicker than the stamped parts. Film at eleven.

Tried some 154 gr lead fp a few minutes ago, rifle likes them too with no last rd pop out.

Update 9-11- The milled buttplate is only a few thousands thicker. Moved the lower band to the rear about an inch and reshaped the high hump handguard to blend it into the lower band step. Now Ive got to move the band spring too. Still have more wood to remove to make the stock look correct with the new band locations. Got the Kerr sling but Ive got to recut the rear sling swivel inlet as I removed a lot of wood on the bottom of the stock getting rid of the scant. Got another front sight base [crosspin in the rear] which was a lot tighter on my bbl, thinking that friction and a crosspin should hold it on. With the tighter base it doesnt drive on the bbl as far so I dont think the bbl needs cutting just a crowning.

[FredC]

" there supposedly was a Springfield Bushmaster carbine with an 18 inch bbl but it wouldnt take a bayonet"

The Bushmaster's carbine was a real thing, maybe not officially sanctioned by an arsenal, but they did exist. My father was in the 158th Regimental Combat Team (Bushmasters), part of the Arizona national guard mobilized at the start of the war. He told me about the shortened Springfields and using them in patrols in the dense Panama jungles. Full length rifles were impossible to carry over the shoulder before they were cutoff. In his describing them, they were done locally, maybe in the canal zone machine/maintenance shops. Later research said they were crudely done locally (in the canal zone) and later destroyed. The article said they were used only in training, my father said patrols actively guarding the canal used them.
Because almost all were destroyed and the local work was crudely done it is hard to tell if any still exist, I guess crudely done is easily copied today.

[Baltimoreed]

Moving along with it. Trying to set it up in my mini mill to cut the gripping grooves next and then staining with Birchwood-Casey red walnut. Got the muzzle crowned nice, it was way off. Also replaced the thick trigger with one of the slender early krag style triggers and opened the bow up some more. Reblued it too.

Update milled my grasping grooves, now Im working on the exposed lightening cut. Hopefully will stain over the weekend.

[butlersrangers]

Cute Bantam '03! - "Tanker Model"