The Springfield M1903 rifle appeared in mass quantities but in few variations - such was the success of the base design. By Staff Writer
The Springfield M1903 rifle was based on the German Mauser production type made through an agreement between the US Ordnance Department and the overseas company. The bolt-action rifle fired from a 5-round internal box magazine and was chambered to fire the .30 caliber round. Manufactured under license from Mauser in the United States by 1903, the system went on to be fielded in quantity in various forms from World War One through the Korean War where, by then, it was seeing its last days in the form of a specialized sniper rifle.
The M1903 was used extensively throughout World War One as the standard US bolt-action rifle. The war served bolt-action rifles as the norm until better machine gun style weapons would be delivered by World War Two. Even then, the bolt-action system was available in large quantities and still be fielded by the US Army en masse with the outbreak of hostilities in that conflict. The M1903 would be used as the standard rifle until production of systems such as the M1 Garand and M1 Thompson submachine gun would be made available.
Probably the more well known of the M10903 Springfield’s is the World War Two sniper version. This variant had all of its conventional iron sights removed in order to mount a more effective Weaver telescopic sight. The weapon system performed admirably well under the conditions of battle and would continue to see combat duty in the Korean War under the same banner type.
A specialized competition version of the base M1903 appeared and was specially assembled as such. These "Special Target" M1903 models were later to be designated as the M1903A1 by 1928. Other minor modifications earned varying designations but most relied on the tried and true original design through and through.
In the end, the M1903 proved to be both resilient and reliable, finding its way into three major conflicts and many other more limited ones. Today, the system still deserves respect and finds its home in the hands of many a collector and sportsman.
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1903
Designation:Springfield M1903 (Model 1903) Classification Type:Bolt-Action Rifle Manufacturer:Springfield Armories - USA Country of Origin: United States
Operators: United States
Variants
M1903 - Fitted with a rod bayonet; chambered for M1903 220-grain round nose cartridge; refitted with rear-sight leaves in 1906; no pistol grip apparent in stock design.
M1903 Mark 1 - Ejection port introduced for spent shell casings; produced in 101,775 total from 1918 to 1920.
M1903 "Special Target" - Specialized competition rifles; redesignated as M1903A1 in 1928.
M1903A1 - Standardized United States Army infantryman rifle in 1929; semi-pistol style grip implemented; limited quantities.
M1903A2 - Artillery-modified training piece; not standard-issue personnel weaponry.
M1903A3 - Mass-production model based on the M1903A1; fitted with a rear sight adjustable aperture.
M1903A4 - Sniper Rifle variant; mounts for telescopic sights with iron sights removed; scope was standardized using the W.R. Weaver Company Model 330 (Telescope Sight M73B1).
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