Picked up a Springfield 1903 with an Unertl style scope, set up for vintage sniper matches. Its all brand new, stock, barrel, finish etc. For whatever reason, the bolt was missing. Bummer...

Lots of 1903 bolts on the market, but I am looking for one already bent or milled for scope clearance.

Anybody have one or can make a suggestion?

Keep checking E-Bay and the parts houses.

One is bound to turn up.

Years ago, every serious gunsmith had a set of bending blocks to forge the handles for scope clearance...Mayhaps someone still has a set laying around and can help you out

Original USMC Snipers with Unertl scope did not need, nor use, an altered bolt.
I have one.
As for forged bolts; that is definitely a crude 19th century method; with the advent of TIG welding, no one forges bolts any more.

I believe some of the original NS sniper bolts were ground, but not all. I have looked at many of them over the years. Too expensive for me to own.

I have another one put together for vintage sniper, and it has a reworked bolt handle for lots of clearance.

I can say however, that no standard bolt I have ever seen clears by much, many even rub the scope tube. And I also know there were iterations of variability in 1903 bolts, is there a specific version that works better than others? This latest put together 1903 with the Malcolm scope, nothing clears it, I've tried several...

All 1903 bolts made by SA and RIA seem to be the same. It is the WW2 spares that vary.
True, original bolts did not clear by much, but I have never seen one altered on an original USMC Sniper 03.
I just tried the following bolts in an original USMC sniper with 8x Unertl.
SA NS: cleared/original bolt.
Rem 03A3; cleared
Rem 03A3 spare part: slight touch
B&S spare part; cleared
B F spare part: cleared
CC spare part; cleared
SA spare part; too high to even enter the action.
However, even the tallest handle of these bolts would only require minor grinding to clear; none would need the massive alteration used on the Remington 03A4, for example.
If you seek a bolt like that, you will have to inlet the stock, which will be not good for a collectable 03.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Original USMC Snipers with Unertl scope did not need, nor use, an altered bolt.
I have one.
As for forged bolts; that is definitely a crude 19th century method; with the advent of TIG welding, no one forges bolts any more.

Or the advent of oxy-acetylene welding, for that matter. I would think an unaltered bolt would clear the Unertl OK. Regards, Bill

Exactly what I said; and tried, and most will. Yes they also will rub the scope if you move them up and down.
Oxy acetylene welding is well over 100 years old and has no place in modern bolt alterations. That is an essential part of the handle forging process that I always hated. Even done right it leaves the handles too short.
TIG.

Well I stand corrected, I am very much embarrased by my ignorance.
Hard to argue with facts and I had to go back and learn what I was dealing with.

Checking my first reproduction with a Lyman 8X Jr. Targetspot
NS "7" slight bump at rear
NS "7" [different bolt] slight bump at rear
R "42" [longer dog leg] bumps hard wont work
NS "F" ? slight bump at rear
BF 14 Clears
R R from an 03A3 with long dog leg, bumps hard wont work
NS "O" slight bump at rear

I then check all those bolts in the second reproduction with Malcom 8X
All bolts are the same condition but a harder bump
The one that cleared now has a bump
Obviously this new Malcolm reproduction is lower than the Lyman.

I then went back to the first repro, and put on a 14X Unertl.
Those slight bump NS bolts all have like 1.8" or better clearance.
Obviously the Unertl has much taller mounts.

Ive seen at least (2) $10k "originals" [maybe] that had grinds in the bolt.
My assumption is that they must have been the later long dog leg spare part bolts.

Both of my reproductions have the new inletted bolt handle C stocks.

Those are 03A4 stocks. USMCs were built on 03 C stocks, usually.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dpcd:
Exactly what I said; and tried, and most will. Yes they also will rub the scope if you move them up and down.
Oxy acetylene welding is well over 100 years old and has no place in modern bolt alterations. That is an essential part of the handle forging process that I always hated. Even done right it leaves the handles too short.
I was joking; sort of. I can't guess at how many bolt handles I've welded on with oxy-acetylene. In the first few years of my career, I probably did a couple a week. TIG is certainly a better way to do it but the torch still works. Of my own rifles, at least six have torch-welded handles. I never have cared for forging the handles because, as you said, they end up too short. Regards, Bill.

quote:

Anybody have one or can make a suggestion?

Two old friends started to make copies of the 03A4 sniper rifle, they had it down to a science. They cut the stock for the bolt handle and modified the bolt handle. They also gave credit to A Russian gunsmith that furnished the original stock.

I will contact Don W. to determine if he has anything left; none of the drawings were archived; emptying my old friend's shop was about making money.

F. Guffey

Here is a bolt body with a handle that has a little upturn. Might give more clearance.

https://www.sarcoinc.com/sprin...-bolt-late-stripped/

And here is a pic of an original sniper bolt:

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1201870

Looks like it was a standard bolt bent up and scalloped. Not forged.

That is a 1903A4 bolt; original USMC snipers were made on NM 1903s with 8x Unertl scopes and did not use an altered bolt; no need to.

Old western scrounger OWS or OWC I can't Rem the price , it was about $20-$25 for a stripped bolt . He had a box full from I believe his fathers company , Navy Arms .

I'd just google gunsmiths in your nearest city. See which ones mention Mausers or better yet Springfields in their list of metal work. They might just hook you up or point you in the right direction.