US WWII Remington 03-A3 1903 .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle, 1943 C&R RA Rare
SOLD FOR: $955
WOA#: WY240228CH003
Make: Remington
Model: 1903A3 (03-A3)
Serial Number: 3719099
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Caliber: .30-06
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / REMINGTON / MODEL 03-A3 / 3719099”. The top of the barrel is marked “R A / flaming bomb / 4 – 43” and the bottom is marked “P”. The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The right rear of the bolt body, safety lever, nosecap, front sight, and sling loop are marked “R” for Remington. The left side of the stock, above the trigger, is marked “RA” (Remington Arms), with a “crossed cannons” cartouche and an inspector cartouche, “FJA in a box”. The bottom of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof. The belly of the stock is marked with inspection stamps.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop a raised base with a protective hood. The rear sight is a fully adjustable aperture sight marked from “2-8” on the top and “0” with hash marks on the rear.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a straight grip, metal nose cap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, 2 barrel bands, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The wood shows scrapes, scratches and compression marks. Some of the marks have damaged small portions of the surface wood. The stock has been oiled. The LOP measures 13″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good Plus overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized, Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is faint erosion scattered about the midlength. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10 for C&R.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish. The metal shows scattered scuffs, scrapes, and scratches. The most prominent marks are on the front sight band and bottom metal. The screw heads are intact. The markings on the metal are deep. Some of the markings on the wood are faded. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with its attached Canvas Sling in Very Good condition.
Our Assessment: When the US Army was looking for a rifle design to replace the Krag, they looked directly at the Spanish Model 1893 Mauser. This was due to the fact that the performance of the Model 1893 Mauser was far superior to that of the Krag during the Spanish-American War. The Model 1903 is basically a redesigned Mauser clone. A US Patent Court eventually found that the US Army had violated Mauser’s patents and required the US Army to pay the German Mauser manufacturers patent royalties. Payments were stopped once WWI started. The 1903 has a strong reliable action that served the Army for over thirty years in two world wars. The 1903A3 is an improved version of the 1903 rifle that was introduced in 1942. The most significant change was the switch to a receiver bridge-mounted rear aperture sight.
This Remington Model 1903-A3 was made back in 1943. The rifle looks great for being 80 years old. It has nice Remington markings on the receiver and barrel as well as small “R” stamps on many of the metal parts. There are also markings on the stock which add to the rifle’s history. This Remington Model 1903-A3 has a strong bright bore so it should do well at the range. It will add to your WWII or Military collection. Please see our photos and good luck! -L.S.
