Spotlight on the Springfield 1903A3

A while back in our Weekly Unload on YouTube channel we focused on a Springfield 1903A4 that was once a drill rifle but has since been converted. This post will dive into some of the details.

When the United States entered the Second World War at the end of 1941, we did not have a designated sniper rifle. By January 1943, that changed, when the government gave out a contract to Remington to make sniper rifles.

Between 1943 and 1944, somewhere between 28,000 and 29,000 (or a bit more) sniper rifles were built with three blocks of numbers from Remington.

Remington made some changes in production to the sniper rifles they were manufacturing; Remington was stamped on one side of the receiver, and the seal number was on the other. That way, none of that information would be compromised with a scope mount.

They also had to make some modifications to the 1903 itself; they had to drill and trap the receiver for a Redfield scope mount and rings. The bolt handle also had to be reshaped in order to clear the optics. They also had to make a cutout in the stock to accommodate the newly modified scope handle.

Remington also outfitted these guns with front sights since there were no rear sights that could be used. The first of the production M1903A4 sniper rifles were outfitted with full pistol grips, whereas later models were outfitted with semi-pistol grips, more akin to straight grips, somewhat like the one on the stock of the gun in the video below.

These rifles weighed just a bit over 9 pounds and the scopes with which they were originally outfitted were Weaver 330C (named M73B1 by the government), a basic scope that might have been used by other sportsmen of the era, shooting .270 or .30-06 rifles. It was a ¾” tube scope, a standard size in the 1940s, and it only offered a 2.5x magnification - scant by today’s standards, but not so bad in 1943.

One of the big issues with these guns is that the scopes with which they were issued were not waterproof. This could, as you might imagine, create significant headaches in the field. One of the main issues that arose here was that moisture intrusion allowed fungal growth on the inside of the scope. Unfortunately, the first truly fogproof scope didn’t hit the market until 1947.

These Springfield sniper rifles were still being used in Vietnam, but by that time, they were outfitted with a newer, better scope - the M84.

Another potential issue with these rifles is that, though there was some back-and-forth from the higher ups during testing and design about what scope mounting configuration and iron sights should be used, the low, over-bore mounting configuration basically precluded the use of any sights that would have been there in the first place. Interestingly (and unfortunately) if the scope were fogged up, occluded by mold growth, or otherwise damaged, the rifle would become effectively impossible to use.

The Springfield we focus on in our video was actually not an original sniper. It was professionally reactivated; the old barrel, which was a 1943 barrel, was cut off and the gun was headspaced and test fired.

The stock bears an Ogden Utah Repair Center stamp, which does indicate that it was produced around the same time as the barrel. Otherwise, the gun bears a mix of original and reproduction Springfield parts,

As a gun that offers an incredible deal of both historical and functional value, originals typically sell for between $5,000 and $6,000, but as they are getting rarer, they are likely to increase in value.

In fact, here’s an interesting bit of historical information for you. These guns were so well-respected, and performed so admirably, that in situations in which the 1903A4 was captured by German forces, it was recycled back into service on the other side next to other German models, with the new designation “Gewehr 249.”

Though it was far from a perfect sniper rifle, it was a serviceable one, and one that has earned an indelible place in history.

For More Information

If you’re interested in more information on this gun itself, or of the specific 1903A4 we investigate on our YouTube channel, please see the previous link.

Here for Springfield Parts?

SARCO is not just your source for obscure historical firearm information. We also carry a wide range of Springfield parts. If you’re not here for the rifle itself but would like to find a rare or hard to find part, take a look through our collection above. You can also shop through our website by firearm platform, and if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to get in touch with us at 610-250-3960 and our experts will help you find exactly what you need to make a replacement or repair.