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Posted: 11/19/2008 10:17:11 AM EDT
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I need a 1903 to complete my collection. I have many Garands and Carbines etc. My recent order for a 1903 from the CMP doesn't look like it made it in time. I was wondering if there was any trusted company that sells good 1903s. Someone like Deans for Garands etc. I checked out Miltech but I don't have any idea of their reputation. I am looking for a really nice 1903 high number rifle. I might be interested in buying a historic correct rifle and a rebarreled and restocked shooter. I am willing to pay a fair amount for a good rifle. I have been looking on Gunbroker but I am not sure if I feel comfortable purchasing such an old rifle online other than from the CMP or a respected dealer. Could someone give me some direction?
Thanks, Mike |
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I went to a local gun store today to see if they had any 1903s. They had one Smith Corona 03A3 so I took a look at it. The price was $800. It was a arsenal rebuild with a SC 1-43 barrel. The barrel was bright with great rifling. The overall finish was about 95% with no rust or pitting. Stock was very nice with almost no sign of wear. I think it would be worth the extra $300 over a shot out, rusted and pitted CMP 03A3.
Like I said, I was not looking for a 03A3 but I just might pick this one up for my collection. I am not sure about the price but it seems to be what they are going for on Gunbroker. What do you think? BTW, still looking for a 1903. |
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Bstock:
I have read where the CMP guns aren't all that bad - of course a lot of this is people going to the north or south store and picking one out. I think that SC's might bring a bit of a premium. Things to check are the serial number against the barrel date to see if it has been re-barreled, if it has, $800 might be a little steep. I dont know the serial number, but does sound like the right period. Also check which parts are parked, which blue, etc. (and whether or not they are supposed to be blued versus parked), and whether or not all parts are SC or not. I know more about Remingtons than I know SC, so couldnt help you with respect to 'correct' and finish, and correct markings. A lot of guns I have seen have the bolts mixed with respect to manufacturer. Re-arsenaled guns tend to bring a bit less money than non-touched examples, but the ones not touched are harder to find. If I had to make a guess, I would say that it is a bit over-priced, maybe a $100 or so. Of course these guns could have been through re-arsenal and never really touched, hard to say unless you look at it carefully. I have a 'correct' Remington up for trade here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=137&t=597046 Have looked into it and am convinced it was never re-arsenaled. I have had people offering cash for it, some as high as $800 or so, but I think its worth more, at least to me. Joe |
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BSTOCK,
If the SC you describe is a rebuild, it's a $600 rifle. A C-stock will demand a little more. Be prepared to spend this for a shooter and $1000-$2500 for an untouched common rifle. JMQ4, The parked safety on the 03A3 is proper. Keep that blued one away from it! How much ya askin cash for the rifle? |
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Dractser-
I have seen them both ways (blue and park), came with the parked safety lever so keeping it that way - did have an inkling to change it, more because I like the 'all-blue' look than anything 'correct'. Cash price, I honestly dont know, something in the $900 range. Thanks joe |
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Quoted:
BSTOCK, If the SC you describe is a rebuild, it's a $600 rifle. A C-stock will demand a little more. Be prepared to spend this for a shooter and $1000-$2500 for an untouched common rifle. JMQ4, The parked safety on the 03A3 is proper. Keep that blued one away from it! How much ya askin cash for the rifle? Depends. I would offer less for a Keystone C-stock on an 03-A3, as it is always a replacement, and I would then have to locate and pay for a correct S stock to replace it. To a shooter, they may well be worth more, but to a collector, a C or a scant stock dings the value. JMQ4 - all Remington 03A3 safety levers were parkerized. -Mark |
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Quoted:
I need a 1903 to complete my collection. I have many Garands and Carbines etc. My recent order for a 1903 from the CMP doesn't look like it made it in time. I was wondering if there was any trusted company that sells good 1903s. Someone like Deans for Garands etc. I checked out Miltech but I don't have any idea of their reputation. I am looking for a really nice 1903 high number rifle. I might be interested in buying a historic correct rifle and a rebarreled and restocked shooter. I am willing to pay a fair amount for a good rifle. I have been looking on Gunbroker but I am not sure if I feel comfortable purchasing such an old rifle online other than from the CMP or a respected dealer. Could someone give me some direction? Thanks, Mike Aw damn, I guess I missed it too. I'm guessing if they say sold out and you didn't get a notification yet, you are SOL? Man, they must have sold out on the first day, I thought I was quick. Edit: actually, according to the website, if you alredy submitted your order, there may still be hope. Stay tuned |
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I think that CMP lists them as being sold out, but thought someone said that Mark Is and some 03A3 were still available, that was a couple of days ago.
Mark- You are probably right about park on safety levers, although I do have a couple of blued Remington safety levers, maybe for 03's or arsenal repair? I tend to think you are correct in my case, doesnt seem probable that they would replace the lever on a nicely blued body with a parked example. Joe |
| I received a email 11/18 saying they received my order 11/6. Buy the time I received the email the website was listing them as sold out. Don't know if they have a lot of orders etc. because I also ordered another Garand on the same order and nothing has hit the estore yet. |
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Quoted:
I think that CMP lists them as being sold out, but thought someone said that Mark Is and some 03A3 were still available, that was a couple of days ago. Mark- You are probably right about park on safety levers, although I do have a couple of blued Remington safety levers, maybe for 03's or arsenal repair? I tend to think you are correct in my case, doesnt seem probable that they would replace the lever on a nicely blued body with a parked example. Joe Blued Remington safety levers are from '03 production, yes - early production. My April '42 Remington '03 has a bolt with a blued safety lever. -Mark |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
BSTOCK, If the SC you describe is a rebuild, it's a $600 rifle. A C-stock will demand a little more. Be prepared to spend this for a shooter and $1000-$2500 for an untouched common rifle. JMQ4, The parked safety on the 03A3 is proper. Keep that blued one away from it! How much ya askin cash for the rifle? Depends. I would offer less for a Keystone C-stock on an 03-A3, as it is always a replacement, and I would then have to locate and pay for a correct S stock to replace it. To a shooter, they may well be worth more, but to a collector, a C or a scant stock dings the value. JMQ4 - all Remington 03A3 safety levers were parkerized. -Mark No depends to it...on a shooter, a C-stock will bring more money. A shooter is a rebuild. There's no such thing as a proper stock for a rebuild...all are proper...it's a rebuild. Tell me something I don't know. |
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Quoted:
No depends to it...on a shooter, a C-stock will bring more money. A shooter is a rebuild. There's no such thing as a proper stock for a rebuild...all are proper...it's a rebuild. Tell me something I don't know. I suspect we are both saying the same thing. 
To me, it depends on how heavy the rebuild is and what the stock that's on there is. 1944-dated barrel, reparked, total bitser? Yeah, that's a pure shooter with little collectibility beyond being a USGI 03-A3. To someone that likes the C-stock more for shooting, it's worth more. However, a properly-cartouched S stock is always going to be more valuable to me, even if the rifle it's on is a bitser. You can easily sell such a stock, buy a CMP C-stock, and be money ahead. -Mark |
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I paid $350 a while back for an all-correct, non-rebuild exc condition Remmy 03A3. I guess those days are gone.
When you figure that those rifles were once so common and so cheap.... Very old friend of mine bought his genuine USMC 03 Match rifle, with ALL the bells and whistles for––at the time–– a tough $100, loooooooong time ago. Wonder what it's worth now. I've carefully restored some rifles, and helped others to do the same. If I sold mine, I'd feel honor-bound to say so. That said, 50 years from now, wnen I'm dead and the folks whose rifles I've helped restore are also dead, who will be around to tell the truth? To even an expert, those rifles will be as-made, as-issued, original. Right now, such a rebuild would be a fraud if it was offered as an original. A hundred years from now, given a careful restoration, nobody will know, nor will they care. I doubt I'm the first person to think of things so, and I've no doubt that there are items in many museums that are not at all originals, perhaps even very good fakes. That doesn't absolve me from telling the truth about items that I might sell, quite the contarary. I doubt my successors will either know, nor care once they see what they have is worth. |
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I know exactly what you mean, raf. I've done the same thing - in my case, a meticulous restoration of an early Remington M1903, with a lot of help from Mr. John Beard over at the Jouster forums. I also struggle a bit with the moral issues involved.
I've toyed with the idea of marking it somehow to indicate that it was restored, but could never bring myself to do it. None of the parts used in the restoration are repros - they are all original Remington parts - and it would be a shame to deface them. Assuming I ever sold that rifle - and it would be one of the last to go, I've grown very attached to it - I would be quite clear to the buyer that it was a restoration. That, at least, is enough for me to have a clear conscience about it. -Mark |
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Quoted:
I know exactly what you mean, raf. I've done the same thing - in my case, a meticulous restoration of an early Remington M1903, with a lot of help from Mr. John Beard over at the Jouster forums. I also struggle a bit with the moral issues involved. I've toyed with the idea of marking it somehow to indicate that it was restored, but could never bring myself to do it. None of the parts used in the restoration are repros - they are all original Remington parts - and it would be a shame to deface them. Assuming I ever sold that rifle - and it would be one of the last to go, I've grown very attached to it - I would be quite clear to the buyer that it was a restoration. That, at least, is enough for me to have a clear conscience about it. -Mark You seem like an honest man, which is a rarity nowadays. My compliments, sir. All you can do is record on the bills of sale that the rifle is a restoration, which also protects you in the future. You can also put a signed, dated statement to that effect on a slip of paper coated with oil/waterproof tape under the buttplate. At some point in the future, somebody will represent it as an original. Sad, but inevitable. |
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Quoted:
I know exactly what you mean, raf. I've done the same thing - in my case, a meticulous restoration of an early Remington M1903, with a lot of help from Mr. John Beard over at the Jouster forums. I also struggle a bit with the moral issues involved. I've toyed with the idea of marking it somehow to indicate that it was restored, but could never bring myself to do it. None of the parts used in the restoration are repros - they are all original Remington parts - and it would be a shame to deface them. Assuming I ever sold that rifle - and it would be one of the last to go, I've grown very attached to it - I would be quite clear to the buyer that it was a restoration. That, at least, is enough for me to have a clear conscience about it. -Mark You seem like an honest man, which is a rarity nowadays. My compliments, sir. All you can do is record on the bills of sale that the rifle is a restoration, which also protects you in the future. You can also put a signed, dated statement to that effect on a slip of paper coated with oil/waterproof tape under the buttplate. At some point in the future, somebody will represent it as an original. Sad, but inevitable. |
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