I have always liked the looks of a good, sporterized ex-military rifle. Especially those conversion that were done in the 50's and 60's.

I want a 30-06 sporterized from a 1903 springfield and have been looking at them on gunbroker and auctionarms.

What do I want to look for if I want to buy one of these rifles?

I don't want a G&H or a Sedgley, I just want an honest shooter for under $500.

I to enjoy the look of a old sringfield sporter My grand dad used one his whole life and killed a train load of deer and elk.I still have it if it could only talk.It has a marble peep sight the stock has some custom work that is very tastful I think the gun was done in the 30s.

Among the inexpensively sporterized military rifles, I think the Springfield is about as nice as they get, although I had a G&H Krag which was beautiful and a very nice looking G&H-style (and quality) SMLE which was also gorgeous...unfortunately the U.S. government wouldn't let me import them in 1982 when I moved from Canada to Phoenix...ex-military you know, a no-no at the time. So I had to get rid of them both. I got a brand new Sako Safari-Grade .375 H&H in trade for the Krag...don't even recall who I sold the .303 to.


Anyway, decent Springfield sporters from the era you mention, the '50s & '60s, sell around here for about $300-$350. Sometimes guys locallly ask more, but virtually never get it. If the guns are a bit worn and/or dirty (and many of them appear to have been stuck in a dusty closet for years) they often go for around $200-$250 in this neck of the woods.

Too bad I can't buy them all. I really like them, and they often come with a cheaper scope (but good mounts), and often even a nice Redfield or Lyman receiver sight, which alone must be worth at least $75 these days. I have one now which is up at Duane Weibe's for magazine/feeding repair, but it wasn't that cheap and has a fairly decently figured inexpensive "custom" (sort-of) stock on it.

Can't say as how I have ever had one that shot any worse than today's new factory guns.... which is to say that circa MOA, sometimes less, seems to be the norm. That's plenty good enough for hunting anything for which the '06 is appropriate.

As to the various on-line auctions, I really can't tell you anything much about them. I don't buy there because of the hassle in returnng something if you are not satisfied with it once you receive it. One thing I'd be cautious about is making sure I got one with '03 bottom metal, rather than the '03-A3 "stamped" stuff.

I'd recommend instead becoming familiar with the local places that handle used guns, and making a regular circuit of them. In the meantime, you can always be increasing the size of your "mad money" stash...maybe even to the point you might be able to surprise yourself with a more expensive gun from some estate sale or something like that.

Good luck anyhow. I think you're on a meritorius quest.....

I bought one not long ago around here for $125.00... a 1921 built Rock Island...

the barrel was so/so...

the stock was crappy...

but a $125.00 for a good Springfield Action.. I was happy...

still can't decide to make it into a 220 Swift, a 257 Roberts or a 7 x 57...

I would look for a high number Springfield with 1903 bottom metal as has been mentioned. Preferably one that has not been overly polished and had a stock style I liked. Not much more to look for than that unless you are looking at one from a known maker.

Why? With so many good Mausers available!

One thing you want to check for sure is the serial number. I am not sure of the exact numbers but I belive it is apx the 1st 800,000, of the 03s built a springfield armory and 200,000 from I think it's Rock island have suspect heat treating issues.
There have literaly been books writen on the subject.
In my opinion the danger is exagerated.
But it is clearly better to get one with a serial number that is out of the dager zone.
I will try and post a link to a great web sight , that explains it all very well.

here is the link.http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/

Thom:

My Rock Island is in the good number range...

quote:

Originally posted by Don Slater:
Why? With so many good Mausers available!

Personally, I don't turn down nicely home-sporterized Mausers either, if the price is right. But as a matter of personal preference, I like the looks of a well home-done Springfield better than the typical home-done Mauser, even though I know some of the Springfield action features are of debatable merit to many and positively hated by some.

It is probably just the guns I have personally experienced (and I know this is VERY subjective), but I believe overall the early Springfields I've had were generally smoother to operate than the either the average home-done Mausers I've owned, or some of the professionally-done ones...and I've owned some very, very good quality Mauser-based guns by the English "London" makers. Those "London" guns were nice rigs, and mostly quite smooth to operate, but not all of them. (And, they are often selling these days, used, in the $4,500 to $7,000 range...hardly the same ballpark.)

Probably the smoothest operating overall of the Great Britain mausers I've had were not really English, but Scots...Dan'l Frasers.

And anyway, one doesn't find a lot of nicely home-converted '98 Mausers floating around in the $200-$350 range in this area. Not, I suspect, because they are found to be inherently more desirable and thence not sold as often. More likely it is because there were never nearly as many of them in the U.S. for whatever reasons.

The well done home-converted Springfield is very useable, nice to look at in its way, chambers a good hunting cartridge, and is pretty commonly available for a decent price. So why not buy and enjoy them for what they are, whilst we may?

Alberta,

I'm with you on the Springfield sporters done by guys at home. My Step Dad came home from Germany when WW II ended with a bunch of Mauser 98 and Springfield actions in his foot locker. Those got made into nice Pennsylvania Deer rifles. I think a lot about those rifles as they made the scene in my life during my formative years. Larry who posts here has some awesome Springfield sports that tug at my heart stings.

the NRA sporters are pretty good, but have gone up alot. everything you can do to a mauser you can do to a springfield, and it will be smoother! the first rifle i built for myself was an 1903a3 in 358 win ..

mauser bottommetal, including markX and the one from numrich, work just fine.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:

quote:

Originally posted by Don Slater:
Why? With so many good Mausers available!

Personally, I don't turn down nicely home-sporterized Mausers either, if the price is right. But as a matter of personal preference, I like the looks of a well home-done Springfield better than the typical home-done Mauser, even though I know some of the Springfield action features are of debatable merit to many and positively hated by some.

It is probably just the guns I have personally experienced (and I know this is VERY subjective), but I believe overall the early Springfields I've had were generally smoother to operate than the either the average home-done Mausers I've owned, or some of the professionally-done ones...and I've owned some very, very good quality Mauser-based guns by the English "London" makers. Those "London" guns were nice rigs, and mostly quite smooth to operate, but not all of them. (And, they are often selling these days, used, in the $4,500 to $7,000 range...hardly the same ballpark.)

Probably the smoothest operating overall of the Great Britain mausers I've had were not really English, but Scots...Dan'l Frasers.

And anyway, one doesn't find a lot of nicely home-converted '98 Mausers floating around in the $200-$350 range in this area. Not, I suspect, because they are found to be inherently more desirable and thence not sold as often. More likely it is because there were never nearly as many of them in the U.S. for whatever reasons.

The well done home-converted Springfield is very useable, nice to look at in its way, chambers a good hunting cartridge, and is pretty commonly available for a decent price. So why not buy and enjoy them for what they are, whilst we may?

I must admit, AC, I'm not a Winchester model 70 fan either. I just cannot get past the gas protection of the Mauser and that large 3d safety lug! No Remington model 700s for me either! I'll trade a little smoothness and a little accuracy any time for the peace of mind I have shooting the safer Mauser.

Those who like other guns are welcome to them.
They have served the public well over the years to be sure.

For me, the greatest mistake I am aware of is when Pete Grisel stopped making his great little short actioned Mauser in favor of the Dakota Winchester clone! But again, we are not talking $350.00 either!