Springfield M1903 Sniper scoped magazine bolt-action rifle .30-06
| 01. Original name | U.S. Magazine Rifle Model of 1903 (Sniper scoped) | |
| 02. Other official names | M1903 Springfield | |
| 03. Popular names | Springfield 1903, 03 Springfield, the “oh-three rifle” | |
| 04. Chamberings | .30-06 Springfield (7.62×63mm) and .30-03 | |
| 05. Designed by | Springfield Armory | |
| 06. Design date | 1903 | |
| 07. In service date(s) | 1903-1960s (although some examples are still in use with US JROTC units today). The technical manual for the M1903 was still being printed as late as 1970 | |
| 08. Adopted by | United States and many of their allies, rifles were also sent to China and many African / South American countries | |
| 09. Production quantities | 3,000,000 + | |
| 10. Mechanism | Bolt action, internal magazine (5 rounds) | |
| 11. Weight | 8.7 lb (3.9 kg) | |
| 12. Mountings | Tangent rear sight, fixed blade front sight with removable cover. Front, rear and mid sling points. Rod bayonet (later switched to bladed bayonet on recommendation of President Roosevelt). Clearing rod. Pull through and oiler in stock | |
| 13. Practicality in action | The M1903 was an excellent medium calibre rifle, fed via stripper clips and fitted with an internal 5 round magazine that can be closed off to enable the loading of single cartridges. The rifle was popular with troops due to the .30-06 cartridge’s stopping power and was the standard US infantry rifle for many decades | |
| 14. Comments / Other information | The M1902 is known as one of the most famous rifles in US history, the rifle was used for over 70 years in every conflict the American military were involved in from World War 1 to Vietnam. The rifle development was not without issue however; the US government had to settle several patent infringement cases with the Mauser company due to similarities of the M1903’s stripper clip and rifle design. During World War 1 the US secretly created a special device which would covert the rifle to fire a 30 calibre (7.62 mm) pistol cartridge in semi-automatic mode, known as the Pedersen device this was to be used in close quarters although it wasn’t used due to the end of the war. The M1903 was produced by numerous manufacturers including Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal, the Remington Arms company and the Smith Corona Typewriter company. The sniper variant M1903A4 was made famous in the film Saving Private Ryan where the difficulties of operating the rifle left handed can be seen at the end of the movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgHRj2-vvs8 |