I recently purchased 1942 mfg. Springfield (Remington) 1903 "Sporter"(sn. 31745XX). It's a very well done job, nice bluing with a slightly swept back bolt handle, a contoured 22" 4 groove barrel, ramp front sight with Redfield gold insert, Griffin & Howe side mount with 1" rings, 60's or 70's Fajen "Superior" Monte Carlo pistol grip stock with cheek piece, 17 line per inch checking with a professionally installed red ventilated butt pad marked "Centre Firearms" New York, N.Y. "custom made by Pachmayer". This 1903 has a sweet trigger (very little creep and lets off at about 3 lbs). and has a Weaver V 4.5-A scope (no front bell) and is fitted with a Lyman 57 SME peep sight also. Maybe this was a commercial "Sporter" I don't know. The only markings other than the original military ones on the receiver are on the barrel: "CAL 30-06" and "Superior" inside the stock. Now that you are reasonably acquainted with the gun here is my question: When the Safety is "OFF"(ready or fire), it's in the "down" position at 4:00, and when the safety is "ON" it's in the up position at 2:00. There is no moving the safety to the left of the 2:00 position (It clears the scope by 1/8" in the "Safe" position). Also in either position there is no option for the bolt to be locked down. Other than the position changes from an original 1903 and no position allowing for the bolt to be "Locked Down" everything is functioning as designed. Under no circumstance can the safety latch be moved up and over the receiver bridge to the original "stock" "Bolt Locked" safety position. I'm guessing that perhaps to accommodate scope mounting this function was disabled or does anyone feel that there is a malfunction? Your thoughts on this topic are greatly appreciated, Thank you in advance, Bruce

I was just informed that the 1903 is fitted with an aftermarket safety by "Buehler" and that this safety enables the use of a scope but lacks the "Bolt Lock" feature of the original. Also informed that Timney produces a similar one now days. Thanks Dan for your info, Bruce

Yeah, I was wondering about that when I was reading the first post. There used to be a lot more aftermarket gear for the Springfield. Dayton Traister currently makes a Springfield version of their Mk II safety. You could probably call them and ask it allows the bolt lock to function or not? It's about $26.

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Nick

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"First contemplation of the problems of Interior Ballistics gives the impression that they should yield rather easily to relatively simple methods of analysis. Further study shows the subject to be of almost unbelievable complexity." Homer Powley

I own a 1903 Springfield, 03 model, with the two posisition safety. Buehler made the safety and I had a gunsmith install it. I swapped the trigger out for a Timney without a safety. I did this back in 1962. And you're right, it does not lock the bolt. You can now have a Winchester M70 type swing safety installed, with it's 3 positions. I'm refinishing my 03 Springfield for the third time in 48 years and will probably go this route too. This is my deer rifle but that's no reason for it to not look nice. When I got it it was still in 100% military configuration and I did most of the work myself. I used a gunsmith to install the Beuhler safety, blue the barreled action, and drill and tap the receiver. Matter of fact, it still wears the Williams Gunsight scope mount with a 4X Weaver, new in 1962.

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"It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen". Oliver Wendell Holmes

1903 Springfield (Remington) Sporter [img=http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/1160/img0006ff.th.jpg]

Ok.... I also own a Springfield 1903 and the switch that you are refering to is NOT I REPEAT NOT the Safety... that is a Magazine cutoff and also doubled as the locking mech for the variants of these rifles that accepted the Pederson Device...

if you place that switch in either the On or off Position you will notice that with an empty mag well 1 position will not allow you to push the bolt back in without pushing down the plate.

THE SAFETY ON THESE RIFLES (ALL VARIANTS of the M1903) IS ON THE BOLT MECHANISM ITSELF It locks the firing pin inside the bolt in the ready to fire position but can ONLY be activated AFTER the rifle has been cocked (Handle lifted)

to further assist you..... if you place the tab that says ON/OFF in the mid point(at about 10'o clock you should feel a slight resistance) the bolt assembly will pull out of the rifle and you can look at the tab on the bolt and it (If Original) will say Ready on 1 side and Safe on the other if not labeled..... Ready position is in the 9'o clock position and Safe is at 3'o clock.

I can assure you that this is the case I own a M1903 Mark I which is the Variant of the M1903 that Accepts the Pederson Device and is Cosmetically identical to a base 1903 save for a small slot milled into the left of the receiver that is an Ejector port for the .30cal Pistol round that the Pederson Device used.


Oh 1 other MINOR detail.... the ON/OFF Switch should (When looking at the butt end of the rifle) should sit at either the 2'o clock for on and about 7'o clock when Off. If it does not lay down to about 7'o clock the Stock is an aftermarket stock and was not properly fitted to the rifle.

EDIT

I just got to reading the rest of the posts and I guess you already figured out most of what I posted. As usual I am always a day late and in this case a FEW YEARS late LOL

I have had Buehler safties installed on several 1903 and 1903A3 sporters. When the safety is in the up position, the bolt is locked. My local gunsmith did the work. I have seen Buehler and other safety installations that did lock the bolts ion Springfields (and Mausers) and consider them to have been improperly fitted or installed. All the best...
Gil

Rangernut,

Welcome to the forum.

You may not have noticed, but the last post in that thread before yours is over two years old. If you click on the user names you get the drop down list to look at the their public profiles. There you'll find the OP hasn't logged into the board for a year, and has probably figured it or given up. As Gil says, how the aftermarket stuff works can be all over the map. The OP would still have needed to have the specific installation checked by someone who could tell what he had.

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Nick

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"First contemplation of the problems of Interior Ballistics gives the impression that they should yield rather easily to relatively simple methods of analysis. Further study shows the subject to be of almost unbelievable complexity." Homer Powley

thanks for the welcome... I actually noticed the date after I posted that LOL but thanks anyhow....