Make: Springfield Armory

Model: 1903, 1905 Pattern

Serial Number: 172311

Year of Manufacture: 1906, 3-06 Barrel Date

Caliber: .30-03 Springfield

Action Type: Bolt Action with Internal Magazine

Barrel Length: 24"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a Model 1905 with a blade pinned to a block dovetailed to a banded base pinned to the barrel. The rear sight is a Model 1905 folding ladder-style sight presenting a U-notch when folded down. When folded up, the slider has a small aperture at the bottom, a U-notch at the bottom of a triangular aperture, a U-notch at the top of the slider, and a U-notch at the top of the ladder. The base is adjustable for windage.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece hardwood with handguard, nosecap with bayonet lug and stacking loop, barrel band with sling swivel, finger-grooved forend, straight grip, straight comb, inlaid sling plate in belly, and steel buttplate with trapdoor over a storage compartment, nothing in the compartment. There is a JFC cartouche on the left above the trigger. The stock has some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. The wood is shy to the buttplate at the toe and the cartouche is shallow, indicating refinishing. The LOP measures 12 5/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has mostly worn to white with scattered minor surface erosion. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition as refinished.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is light gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered light erosion and infrequent minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 20% of its metal finish. Exposed surfaces show scattered wear with strongest finish in the exposed portion of the barrel and interior portions of the receiver. Worn areas are going to a light-moderate patina, darker on the sight mounts than other areas. There is some scattered minor surface erosion. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Good-plus 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: The rifle comes with one clip of mix-headstamp dummy shells and one clip of Remington UMC headstamp .30-03 cartridges.

Our Assessment: When the US Army was looking for a rifle design to replace the 1898 Krag rifle, 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 than that of the 1898 Krag during the Spanish-American War. A U.S. Patent Court eventually found that the U.S. Army had violated Mauser’s patents and required the U.S. 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.

This rare 1905 Pattern Springfield 1903 was made in early 1906 and is chambered for the original .30-03 cartridge. Soon after this rifle was made, the cartridge would be replaced by the newly designed .30-06. The great majority of existing rifles were converted to use the new cartridge, resulting in few of these rifles being available in their unaltered condition today. This is going to make a wonderful addition to any US or military rifle collection, especially one focused on the Springfield 1903. Please see our photos and good luck!