Springfield M1903

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Bases and Rails

The History of Springfield

The Springfield Armory's history began in 1777 during the Revolutionary War when George Washington approved the Springfield Armory's establishment in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the early years, the armory produced various products, from brass ordnances, cylinders, and muskets to howitzers. By 1795, it had produced the first flintlock musket.

Over the years, they played a crucial role in providing weapons for the American Army, most notably during the War of 1812. The Springfield Armory's contribution to the Industrial Revolution came with many improvements and adaptations to its models over time. During the Civil War, when the Harpers Ferry Armory was destroyed, Springfield Armory was the sole manufacturer of firearms in the country, with production skyrocketing to 276,000 rifles in 1864 alone.

In 1865, Erskine Allin introduced the "Allin Conversion," modernizing old muzzleloaders. By 1891, the Armory had become the main small arms testing and development lab for the army. The superior performance of the Spanish Mauser Model 1893 during the Spanish–American War led the armory to develop the improved Model 1903, which later resulted in a patent infringement lawsuit with Mauser. At the time the United States entered World War I, the Armory had already manufactured around 843,239 standard Model 1903 rifles. An additional 265,620 rifles were produced during the war, alongside M1911 pistols. In 1906, they came up with what was to become one of the most famous cartridges of all time – the .30-06 Springfield. It remained in the official US military use until the late 1970s.

The year 1936 saw the Armory introduce its first semi-automatic rifle, the M1 or "Garand." The last small arm developed by the armory was the M14 rifle, essentially a highly modified version of the M1 Garand. This rifle served as the U.S. Army's primary combat rifle from 1959 to 1970. During the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory supplied the US Army with several other weaponry such as grenade launchers and machine guns. However, in 1968, the Springfield armory was closed due to the belief that private industry could produce military-grade weaponry more efficiently and cost-effectively than government armories. The decision was declared by the then-appointed Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. The Main Arsenal was turned into a Springfield Armory Museum and opened its doors to the public in 1974.

In the same year, the Reese family reignited Springfield Armory's legacy by bringing back iconic models like the M1A, 1911-A1, and the M14. They introduced several new models of firearms over the years such as the XD, Hellcat, SA pistol series, and rifles like the Saint, Model 2020, and Hellion. As of 2023, the company still operates, expanding the offer each year.

Springfield M1903 Rifle Review

The Springfield M1903 is an American bolt-action service repeating rifle. Its development was primarily a response to the superior performance of the Spanish Mauser 1893 rifles during the Spanish–American War. The military forces officially adopted the rifle in 1903, and it was extensively used during World War I. Even after the war, its usage continued until 1936, when it was officially replaced by the semi-auto Garand M1 rifle.

The M1903 wasn't only employed as a standard service weapon but was also used as a sniper rifle, thanks to its long-range capabilities. Even though it was replaced by the M1, it was still used as an infantry rifle during World War II. Beyond that, many rifles had been used in the fields of Korean and even Vietnam War.

Over the period of its production, the Springfield M1903 saw several modifications. In 1905, for instance, the rifle was updated with new sights and a knife bayonet. Most key technical components; however, remained the same throughout the production.

The ammunition was loaded into the rifle through a clip-loaded magazine, and it was assessed to be able to fire 20 shots per minute. The stripper clips used for loading could hold up to 5 rounds. The rifles originally featured a rear sight leaf that could be adjusted for elevation and windage.

One unique component of the M1903 rifle is the cocking piece located at the bolt's rear, which allows the shooter to release the striker without dry firing or re-cocking the rifle. The bolt on the 1903 model includes two front locking lugs and an additional one at the rear end of the bolt's body. There is a Mauser-inspired flag-type safety, located at the rear end of the bolt, which blocks the trigger and locks the bolt in place.

Another feature found in the 1903 models is the magazine cutoff selector, which was integrated into the rifle with the purpose of conserving ammunition, a suggestion proposed to the engineers by senior military officials who had been active during the Civil War. When the lever of this selector is pushed into the off position, the rifle operates as a single-shot firearm, and when pushed to the on position, the rifle could be loaded using stripper clips to use the ammunition from the magazine. Moreover, if the lever is in the off position, the bolt only pulls the top bullet and does not feed from the internal magazine.

Springfield M1903, chambered for .30-06 Spr.

Figure 1: Springfield M1903, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.fernwoodarmory.com/sam1903.html)

Springfield M1903 Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.30-03 (early models only)
.30-06 Spr.

Springfield M1903 Variants

The rifle is available in the following variants:

Springfield M1903 NRA
Springfield M1903 Air Service
Springfield M1903 Mark 1
Springfield M1903 NM
Springfield M1903 Bushmaster carbine
Springfield M1903 with ‘scant’ stock
Springfield M1903 A1
Springfield M1903 A2
Springfield M1903 A3
Springfield M1903 A4

The receivers of Springfield M1903 rifles come without holes, so they will have to be manually drilled by a gunsmith for scope mounting purposes.

The receiver of Springfield M1903, chambered for .30-06 Spr.

Figure 2: The receiver of Springfield M1903, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.fernwoodarmory.com/sam1903.html#mz-expanded-view-199969440013)

A: 21.84 mm

B: 103.9 mm

C: 10.36 mm

The distance between mounting holes (A, B & C) is provided based on the EGW pivot mount that we recommend and is one of the frequently used hole positionings for this rifle.

Please note that the positioning of the holes on the rail and receiver is determined by a gunsmith before drilling and can vary.

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Springfield M1903

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Springfield M1903

For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension.

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Springfield M1903

To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart.

Currently, we cannot find any rifles that would match the exact dimensions of the Springfield M1903 mounting surface thus we are unable to provide you with a list of interchangeable scope mounts. Should you happen to own this rifle and would be willing to share with us more information regarding interchangeability, we kindly ask you to contact us at info@optics-trade.eu

Thank you for your help!

Best Scope Mounts for Springfield M1903

Picatinny Rails for Springfield M1903

If you are looking for a quality Picatinny rail, you might consider this one manufactured by the American company EGW. It is made of light aluminum and comes with predrilled holes that can be used as a template for drilling positions on the receiver.

If you need to customize the holes’ spacings on the rail to match the ones of the receiver, you can purchase the undrilled rail which you can find here:

Depending on the variant and model of 1903, you might also consider one of the following Picatinny rails:

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu