Were some 03A3's shipped from the DCM with Lyman sights & C stocks?

[cplnorton]

Picked this second rifle up at the auction where I got the suspected Marine 03 today. I normally don't bid on this stuff as I always think it's been bubba'd. But this one was going really cheap, and it has a beautiful NOS looking Keyston stock, and the condition of the rifle looks new as well. So I went for it.

It's a Remington 03a3 serial 3,550,825. It has a 2/43 barrel that guages new. The stock is marked with an upside down K, no other stampings that I see. It has a milled trigger assembly, and a Smith Corona bolt. It has a lyman 48S site that is also stamped 03a3. The front sight is a taller front sight post stamped redfield on the left hand side. I think the trigger has been worked as well, as it has a much nicer trigger than my other 03a3's.

My quesiton did 03a3's ever come from maybe the old DCM with that lyman 48S sight installed already? Or was that add on that Bubba added? Same with the stock, was that Bubba added as well?

Thanks guys!

http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt293/cplnorton2/marine03007.jpg

http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt293/cplnorton2/marine03009.jpg

http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt293/cplnorton2/marine03013.jpg

http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt293/cplnorton2/marine03016.jpg

[Art]

There was an M1903A3 National Match Rifle but the rear sight was a Redfield Olympic and very few (about 140) were made. They were I believe disposed of through the DCM but they are extremely rare and collectable. Ther rifle above appears to be one of the multitude of service rifles converted for match or target use by civilian owners or gunsmiths. "Bubbaed" is to strong a word, it's probably a really nice rifle but it also is what it is.

[cplnorton]

The auctioneer stated the rifle was purchased from the old DCM just like this, with the sight. I thought it was a load of crap. But I bought the rifle, not the story. I got it for $350. So I won't complain much. The parts are worth more than that I would think.

I will just have to take it shooting and see how it shoots! lol

[Art]

For $350.00 I think you got a heck of a deal and I bet its a great shooter.

[Rick the Librarian]

There is a chance that the stock could have come with the rifle, but the rear and front sights were definitely add-ons. In my opinion, the previous owner also added the stock. Type C stocks were extremely cheap commercially in the 1960s.

[Griff Murphey]

One thing you may find on that C stock, if you take the rear sight off, is that either they may have inletted the stock for the elevation slide or the slide may have marked it up a bit.

[Tom in N.J.]

The postwar (WWII) 48S rear sight requires no inletting to the stock, as the earlier 48C series did. Photo shows 48S on left, and 48C on right. Note how 48S base is shaped to go over the stock, no cut required.

[Allen Humphrey]

cplnorton- looks like a really nice rifle and I bet it shoots great too. A well placed 350 in my book.

Tom- Did (does) the 48S fit the older 03 too?

[Herschel]

I agree with Art that "Bubba" is too harsh a word to describe the former owner who made a cheap and readily available military surplus rifle into a hunting rifle. The Lyman 48S is the hunter version. That can be told by the W & E adjustment knobs being rounded and requiring a coin or screwdriver to turn. The target version had knurled knobs for turning by hand. There is no way this rifle came from the DCM with the Lyman 48S and almost certainly did not come with the C stock. You made a good purchase. The C stock itself is probably worth $350.

Tom, Thanks for photos showing the difference in the bases of the Lyman 48 sights. However, the one one the right is not a 48C. The 48C had a stepup in the horizontal part of the w/e slide as shown in the later 48S on the left.

[Jeff L]

Dayum! For 350, you did great! That's a sweet looking shooter. I have an 03A3 with a C stock added during an Ogden Arsenal rebuild. Enjoy it.

-Jeff L

[Tom in N.J.]

Herschel,.. The sight on the right in the photo is marked "48C" on the base. The base is numbered "33E", but the horizontal arm is numbered 'Y86", it came from a M2 .22, so the parts may have been switched in service. The base is not cut for .30 cal. clip clearance.

Allen,..I believe the base mounting holes for the 48S and the 48C are the same. The 48S fits what might be a home built M1903 NM type rifle, the '03A1 stock is not cut. Star gaged barreled receivers were available through the DCM in the 1930s..... and could be purchased arsenal drilled for the 48 sight.

[Herschel]

Tom, I would say you have a correct Lyman 48 base. Who could argue with the stamped model number? But the w/e slide has been replaced. I doubt that it was done by a govt arsenal or military user. Lots of parts swapping has been done on the Lyman 48 sights. I have bought at least one NRA Sporter with the w/e slide missing and have bought another slide to replace it.

[Cosine26]

The standard Lyman 48 base for the 03 will not fit the 03A3 without modification to the base. I believe that if you examine the sight base carefully just below the elevation lock screw you may find the inscription "03A3". The 03A3 mounting for the issue rear sight requires that the rear receiver ring of the 03A3 be wider than the rear receiver ring of the 03, thus the modified base requirement. This is a late model Lyman 48 with hunter knobs (a post war development) and I believe that the "dog leg" in the gallows arm had been eliminated by this time. All of my prewar M1903/M1922 48"s have the dogleg. However there is a picture of Crossman's Bob Owen built sporter in "Book of the Springfield" (circa 1929) and it has a 48 with no dogleg. The original Lyman 48 on my prewar Remington 30 Express (with all matching numbers ) is straight with no dogleg . The 30S gallows arm will fit the M1903 Lyman 48 base but the numbers will be mismatched.
For what its worth

[PhillipM]

The front sight is a taller front sight post stamped redfield on the left hand side.

http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt293/cplnorton2/marine03013.jpg



The R shown here is "Remington". If the other side says Redfield, I'd appreciate a pic, it is a different profile.

Thanks for the Lyman discussion, gentlemen, I learned some things.

[Allen Humphrey]

Cosine26, for what it is worth, my Rem 30S Express also has an origional Lyman 48 with a straight arm.

[cplnorton]

If the other side says Redfield, I'd appreciate a pic, it is a different profile.

I'm lazy tonight. But I will get a pic tomorrow.

[cplnorton]

Here you go.

http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt293/cplnorton2/redfield2001.jpg

[Lancebear]

cpl,

Man you find some nice rifles, and got a great deal on that one. Agree with the other men, not Bub, but a good gunsmith or very good home gunsmith. Once ya' learn to use that Lyman sight, if you don't know how already, you will be amazed how good they are.

Just got a Ron Brown match sling for my C stocked '03. Bet you could really ring out the accuracy of your rifle slingin' up offhand with one of these slings. Shootin' slung up is a hoot, and not hard to learn if you haven't done so before. Improves your accuracy tremendously. Your rifle looks brand new, should be a killer at the range.

You did great, shoot it and give us a range report.

Lancebear