The M1903 Springfield, formally the United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903 is an American clip-loaded, 5-shot, bolt-action service rifle used primarily during the first half of the 20th century.
It was officially adopted as a United States military bolt-action rifle on 19 June, 1903, and saw service in WWI. It was officially replaced as the standard infantry rifle by the faster firing, semi-automatic 8-round M1 Garand, starting in 1937. However, the Springfield remained in service as a standard issue infantry rifle during WWII, since the US entered the war without sufficient M1 rifles to arm all troops. It also remained in service as a sniper rifle during WWII, the Korean War, and even in the early stages of the Vietnam War. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, historical collector's piece, and as a military drill rifle.
The 1903 adoption of the Springfield Bolt Action was preceded by nearly 30 years of struggle and politics, using lessons learned fron the recently adopted US versions of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle and contemporary German Mauser G98 bolt-action rifles. The M1903 not only replaced the various versions of the US Army's Krag, but also the Lee Model 1895 and M1885 Remington-Lee used by the US Navy and Marine Corps, as well as all remaining single-shot trap door Springfield Model 1873's. While the Krag had been issued in both a long rifle and a carbine, the Springfield was issued only as a short 24 in. barrel rifle in keeping with current trends in Switzerland and Great Britain to eliminate the need for both long-rifles and carbines.
The two main problems with the Krag were its slow-to-load magazine and its inability to handle higher chamber pressures for high-velocity rounds. The US Army attempted to introduce a higher-velocity cartridge in 1899 for the existing Krags, but its single locking lug on the bolt could not withstand the extra chamber pressure. Though a stripper-clip or charger loading modification to the Krag was designed, it was clear to Army authorities that a new rifle was required. After the US military's experience with the Mauser rifle in the 1898 Spanish American War, authorities decided to accept a stronger Mauser-derived design equipped with a charger or stripper clip-loaded box magazine.
Late 19th century: lead up to adoption[]
In 1882 the bolt action .45 Remington Lee rifle design of 1879, with its newly invented detachable box magazine, was purchased in limited numbers by the US Navy. Several hundred 1882 Lee Navy Models were also subject to trials by the US Army during the 1880s, though the rifle was not formally adopted. The Navy adopted the Model 1885, and later different style Lee Model 1895 (a 6mm straight pull bolt), which saw service in the Boxer Rebellion. In Army service, both the 1885 and 1895 6mm Lee were used in the Spanish American War, along with the .30 Krag and the .45-70 Model 1873 Springfield. The Lee rifle's detachable box magazine was invented by James Paris Lee, and would be very influential on later rifle designs. Other advancements had made it clear that the Army needed a replacement. In 1892, the US military held a series of rifle trials, resulting in the adoption of the .30 Krag-Jorgensen rifle. The Krag officially entered US service in 1894, only to be replaced nine years later by the Springfield M1903.
Adoption[]
M1903 Springfield with loading clips
The basic time line is that work began on creating a rifle that could handle higher loads and adopted some of Mauser's features, began around the turn of the 20th century by Springfield, with a prototype introduced in 1900, and going into 1903, thus gaining its nomeclature. There was actually an interim rifle that almost entered production, the Model 1901. Springfield was sure enough that the Model 1901 would be accepted that they began making some parts, but it was not accepted and further changes were asked for. The design was further modified and accepted, type classified and entering production in 1903. The M1903 becaem commonly known among its users as the "ought-three" in reference to the year '03 of first production.
The War Department had exhaustively studied and dissected several examples of the Spanish Mauser Model 93 rifle captured during the Spanish-American War, and applied some features of the US Krag rifle to a bolt and magazine system derived fron the Mauser Model 93, to produce the new US Springfield rifle, the Model 1903. Despite Springfield Armory's use of a two-piece firing pin and other slight alterations, the 1903 was in fact a Mauser design, and after that company brought suit, the US government was forced to pay royalties to Mauser Werke.
By January 1905 over 80,000 of these rifles had been produced at the federally-owned Springfield Armory. However, President Theodore Roosevelt objected to the design of the rod-type bayonet used as being too flimsy for combat. All the rifles to that point consequently had to be re-tooled for a blade-type bayonet, called the M1905. A new improved Model 1904 sight was also added.
The retooling was almost complete when it was decided another change would be made. It was to incorporate improvements discovered during experiementation in the interim, most notably the use of pointed ammunition, first adopted by the French in the 1890s and later other countries. The round itself was based on the .30-03, but rather than a 220-grain round-tip bullet fired at 2,300 ft/s, it had a 150-grain pointed bullet fired at 2,800 ft/s; this M1906 cartridge is the famous .30-06 ammunition used in countless rifles and machine guns, and still among the world's most popular civilian cartridges to the present day. The rifle's sights were again re-tooled to compensate for the speed and trajectory of the new cartridge. As further testing revealed that the M1906 cartridge was effective with a shorter, all-purpose barrel length of 24 inches in length, the decision was made to issue the Springfield with a 24" barrel length to both cavalry and infantry forces, an idea adopted by both the British and German armies.
WWI and interwar use[]
By the time of US entry into World War I, 843,239 of these rifles had been produced at Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal. Pre-war production utilized questionable metallurgy. Some receivers were improperly subjected to excessive temperatures during the forging process. The carbon could be "burnt" from the steel producing a brittle receiver. Despite documented evidence indicating some early rifles were improperly forged, actual cases of failure were very rare. Although several cases of serious injury from receiver failure were documented, the US Army never reported any fatalities. Evidence also seems to suggest that improperly forged brass shell casings could have exacerbated receiver failure.
A Springfield Mark I with the Pedersen device. Note the hole in the receiver for ejecting the casings.
Towards the end of the war, Springfield turned out the Model 1903 Mark I. The Mark I had a cut on the left hand side of the receiver meant to act as an ejection port for the Pedesen device, a modified sear and cutoff to operate the Pedersen device; a specialized insert that replaced the bolt and allowed the user to fire .30 caliber pistol cartridges semi-automatically from a detachable magazine. The stock was also cut down slightly on the left side to clear the ejection port. In all other respects, the Mark I is identical to the M1903. Temperature control during forging was improved prior to Mark I production. The receiver alloy was toughened by addition of nickel after Mark I production.
In 1926, after experiencing the effect of long-range German 7.92x57mm Mauser and machine gun fire during the war, the US Army adopted the heavy 174-grain boat-tail bullet for its .30-06 cartridge, standardized as 'Cartridge, Ball, Caliber 30, M1'. M1 ammunition, intended primarily for long-range machine gun use, soon became known by Army rifle competition teams and expert riflemen for its considerably greater accuracy over that of the M1906 round; the new M1 ammunition was issued to riflemen with the Springfield rifle as well as to machine gun teams. However, during the 1930s, it became apparent that, with the development of mortars, high-angle artillery, and the .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun, the need for extreme long-range rifle caliber machine gun fire was decreasing. In 1938, the Army reverted to a .30-06 cartridge with a 152-grain flat-base bullet, now termed M2 Ball, for all rifles and machine guns.
In service, the Springfield was generally prized for its reliability and accuracy, though some problems remained. The precision rear aperture sight was located too far from the eye for efficient use, and the narrow, unprotected front sight was both difficult to see in poor light and easily damaged. The USMC issued the Springfield with a sight hood to protect the front sight, along with a thicker front blade. The two-piece firing pin/striker also proved to be no improvement over the original one-piece Mauser design, and was a cause of numerous Ordnance repairs, along with occasional reports of jammed magazine followers.
World War II[]
World War II saw new production of the Springfieldat private manufacturers Remington Arms and Smith-Corona Typewriter. Remington began production of the M1903 in September 1941, at serial number 3,000,000, using old tooling from the Rock Island Arsenal which had been in storage since 1919. The very early rifles are almost indistinguishable fron 1919-made Rock Island rifles. As the already worn tooling began to wear beyond use Remington began seeking Army approval for a continuously increasing number of changes and simplifications to both speed up manufacture and improve performance. The milled parts on the Remington M1903 were gradually replaced with stamped parts until at about serial number 3,300,000, the Army and Remington recognized that a new model name was appropriate. Other features of the M1903, such as high-grade walnut stocks with finger grooves, were replaced with less expensive but serviceable substitutes. Most milled parts made by Remington were marked with an "R".
M1903 production was discontinued in favor of the M1903A3. The most notable visual difference in the M1903A3 was the replacement of the barrel-mounted rear sight with a smaller, simpler aperture rear sight mounted on the rear of the receiver; it was primarily adipted in order to speed familiarization by soldiers already trained on the M1 Garand, which had a similar sighting system. However, the leaf spring providing tension to the elevation adjustment on the new aperture sight tended to weaken with continued use over time, causing the rifle to lose its preset range elevation setting. Other modifications included a new stamped cartridge follower; ironically, the rounded edges of the new design largely alleviated the 'fourth-round jam' complaints of the earlier machined part. All stock furniture was also redesigned in stamped metal.
In late 1942, Smith-Corona Typewriter Company also began production of the M1903A3 at tis plant in Syracuse, NY. Smith/Corona parts are usually identified by the absence of markings (Smith/Corona bolts are sometimes marked with an "X" on top of the bolt handle root). To speed production output, two-groove rifled barrels were adopted, and steel alloy specifications were relaxed under 'War Emergency Steel' criteria for both rifle actions and barrels. M1903A3 rifles with two-groove 'war emergency' barrels were shipped with a printed notation stating that the reduction in rifling grooves did not affect accuracy. As the war progressed, various machining and finishing operations were eliminated on the M1903A3 in order to increase production levels.
Original production rifles at Remington and Smith-Corona had a dark gray/black finish somewhat similar to the Parkerizing of late WWI. Beginning in late 1943 a lighter gray/green Parkerizing finish was used. This later finish was also used on arsenal repaired weapons. It is somewhat unusual to find a World War I or early World War II M1903 with its original dated barrel. Much, if not all WWII .30-06 ammunition used a corrosive primer which left corrosive salts in the barrel. If not removed by frequent and proper barrel cleaning these residues could cause pitting and excessive wear. In the jungle fighting on various Pacific islands cleaning was sometimes lax and the excessive moisture compunded the corrosive action of the residue.
The M1903 and the M1903A3 rifle were used in combat alongside the M1 Garand by the US military during WWII and saw extensive use and action in the hands of US troops in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. The US Marines were initially armed with M1903 rifles in early battles in the Pacific, such as the Battle of Guadalcanal, but the jungle battle environment generally favored self-loading rifles; later Army units arriving to the island were armed with the M1 Garand. The US Army Rangers were also a major user of the M1903 and the M1903A3 during WWII with the Springfield being preferred over the M1 Garand for certain commando missions.
According to Bruce Canfield's recyclopedic US Infantry Weapons of WWII, final variants of the M1903 (the A3 and A4) were delivered in February 1944. By then, most American combat troops had been re-equipped with the M1 Garand. However, some front-line infantry units in both the US Army and Marine Corps retained M1903s as infantry rifles beyond that date and continued to use them alongside the M1 Garand until the end of WWII in 1945. The Springfield remained in service for snipers (using the M1903A4), grenadiers (using a spigot type rifle 22mm grenade launcher) and Marine Scout Sniper units.
The M1903A4 was the US Army's first attempt at a standardized sniper weapon. M1903A3 actions were fitted with a different stock and a Weaver Model 330 or 330C 2.2x telescopic sight in Redfield Jr. mounts; the front and rear iron sights were removed. Barrel specifications were unchanged, and many M1903A4s were equipped with the two-groove 'war emergency' barrel. By all accounts, the M1903A4 was inadequate as a sniper rifle. The Weaver scopes (later standardized as the M73 and M73B1) were not only low-powered in magnification, they were not waterproofed, and frequently fogged over or became waterlogged during humidity changes. When this occurred, the M1903A4's lack of open front or rear sights rendered the weapon useless. Normally used with ordinary M2 ammunition with a 152-grain flat-base bullet, accuracy of the M1903A4 was generally disappointing; some Army snipers who came across Japanese or German sniper rifles quickly adopted the enemy weapons in place of the Springfield. The Marine Corps declined to issue the M1903A4, favoring instead a modified M1903A1 rifle fitted with a Unertl 8x target-type telescopic sight.
The US Army Military Police (MP) and the US Navy Shore Patrol also used M1903s and M1903A3s throughout the war. Various US allies and friendly irregular foreces were also equipped with the weapon. The 1st Brazilian Infantry Division, operating in the 5th Army in Italy was equipped with Springfield M1903 rifles. In August 1943, the Free French Forces of General Charles de Gaulle were re-equipped by the United States primarily with Springfield M1903 and M1917 Enfield rifles. The M1903 became one of the primary rilfes used by French forces until the end of the war, and Springfield M1903 rifles captured by the Germans were designated Gewehr 249 (a).
Post Korean War Service[]
After the Korean War, active service (as opposed to drill) use of the M1903 was rare. Still, some numbers of them remained in USMC sniper use as late as the Vietnam War. The US Navy also continued to carry some stocks of M1903A3s aboard ships, for use as anti-mine rifles.
Today[]
Due to its balance, it is still popular with various military drill teams and color guards, most notably the US Army Drill Team. M1903 rifles (along with the M1 Garand, M1917 Enfield, and M14 Rifles) are also common at high school Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) units to teach weapons handling and military drill procedures to the cadets. JROTC units use M1903s for regular and inter-school competition drills, including elaborate exhibition spinning routines. Exhibition teams often use fiberglass stocks in place of wooden stocks, which are heavier and more prone to breakage when dropped. The M1903 is also the standard parade rifle of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, which has over six hundred M1903s, a very small percentage of which are still fireable. An excerpt from an AFJROTC drill team manual, "This is a United States Rifle Caliber Springfield Model 1903. It is a bolt action five cartridge clip loading shoulder weapon. It is 44.87 inches long and weighs approximately 8.69 pounds. A 16 inch bayonet weighs an additional pound. The M1903 saw notable use in World War One and Two, and Korea and Vietnam as a sniper's weapon. It is capable of delivering 20 shots per minute of accurate fire upon any designated point within its 2,500 yard range.
Sports hunters and shooting enthusiasts prize the rifle for its beauty, dependability, and adaptability for almost all US game animals. A feature not found on the Mauser 98 is the conspicuous knob at the rear of the bolt, allowing the rifle's trigger tension to be released without dry firing and damaging the firing pin. With proper gunsmiting, they make wonderful sporters, comparing favorably with anything on the modern market.
US Naval Sea Cadet Corps color guard rifles bear many similarities to the Springfield.
For safety reasons, JROTC M1903s are made permanently unable to fire by having a metal rod welded into the barrel, or having it filled with lead, soldering the bolt and welding the magazine cutoff switch to the ON position.
In 1977, the Army located a rather large cache of unissued M1903A3 rifles which were then issued to JROTC units as a replacement for their previously issued M1 Garand and M14 rifles, which were then returned to Army custody due to concerns about potential break-ins at high school JROTC armories. After the creation of the privatized Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) in 1996, the Army has located additional M1903 and M1903A3 rifles which have been made available for sale to eligable CMP customers. The CMP announced over Halloween weekend 2008, that they had a handful of M1903 and M1903A3s available for sale. The following Monday, the CMP received over 700 pieces of mail, and most of the rifles have since sold out, per the 11-17-2008 update from the CMP.
Specifications[]
Diagram of the .30 Springfield rifle.
The US rifle, Model of 1903 was 44 7/8 inches long and weighed 8 lb 11 oz. A bayonet could be attached; the M1905 bayonet blade was 16 in long and weighed 1 lb. From 1906, the rifle was chambered to fire the .30-caliber M1906 cartridge (.30-06 cartridge), later the M1 (1926) and M2 Ball (1938) rounds. There were four standard types of cartridge.
Ball-consisted of a brass case or shell, primer, a charge of smokeless powder, and the bullet. The bullet had a sharp point called a spitzer bullet, and was comprised of a lead core and a jacket of cupro-nickel (later gilding metal) and in the M1906 design, weighed 150 grains. The bullet of the M1906 cartridge, when fired from a rifle, had an initial velocity of 2,800 ft/s.
Blank-contained a paper cup instead of a bullet. It is dangerous up to 33 yds.
Guard-had a similar charge of powder than the ball cartridge, and five cannelures encircle the body of the shell at about the middle to distinguish it from ball cartridges. It was intedd for use on guard or in riot duty, and it gave good results up to 200 yds. The range of 100 yds required a sight elevation of 450 yds, and the range of 200 yds required a range elevation of 645 yds.
Dummy- this was tin-plated and the shell was provided with six longitudinal corrugations and three circular holes. It was intended for drill purpose to accustom the soldier to the operation of loading the rifle.
The rifle was sighted for 2,500 yds and had a point-blank range of 500 yds. The maximum range of the ball cartridge, when elevated at an angle of 45 degrees, was 4,890 yds.
The rifle was a magazine-fed clip-loader and could fire at a rate of 20 shots per minute. Each stripper clip contained 5 cartridges, and standard issue consisted of 12 clips carried in a cloth bandolier. Whe full, the bandolier weighed about 3 lb 14 oz. Bandoliers were packed 20 in a box, for a total of 1,200 rounds. The full box weighed 100 lbs.
Variants[]
M1903
There were four main variants given official nomenclature, though there are a number an important sub-variants.
M1903-developed for the .30-03 cartridge. Used original Type-S stock.
M1903 Bullpup-experimental bullpup version for the USMC.
M1903 (1905)-changed from a rod type bayonet to the knife type Model 1905 bayonet and the improved Model 1905 sight.
M1903 (1906)-modified again to specifically fire the new M1906 .30-06 cartridge.
M1903 NRA-sold to National Rifle Association members and stamped NRA on the forward tang of the trigger.
M1903A3
M1903 Air Service-issued to aircrew with permanent 25 round magazine and modified Type S stock forend.
M1903 Mark I-modified for specific use with the Pedersen device
M1903 Bushmaster carbine-the barrel and stock were cut down 18 inches for easier use in Panama; 4,725 such rifles were made. It was a training rifle and saw no action. After WWII most were dumped into the ocean and surviving pieces are rare.
M1903 with 'scant' stock
M1903 with 'scant' stock (1942)-in late 1941, before the M1903A3 was standardized, Army Ordnance wanted to standardize on a pistol-grip stock for all M1903 rifles. There were thousands of stock blanks that had been sized for the old straight stock. The weren't deep enough for the full pistol grip of the Type C stock, so they were modified to allow a "scant" grip that was the largest grip they could form. These "scant" stocks would only fit on a 1903, and would not fit an 03A3. Springfield only rebuilt existing M1903 rifles using this stock in 1942 and marked the cut-off seat with a small "s".
M1903A4 with M84 sight.
M1903A1-changed from a straight stock to a pistol grip type stock. Nearly all M1903A1s were sold as National Match rifles until WWII.
M1903A2-basically a stripped A1 or A3 used as a subcaliber rifle with artillery pieces.
M1903A3-modified for easier production with stamped metal parts and somewhat different grip and stock (late model Type S stock; no finger grooves).
M1903A4-an M1903A3 modified to be a sniper rifle using an M73 or M73B1 2.75x Weaver telescopic sight and different stock.
There are two main other types, various training types, and competition versions such as the National Match types. Aside from these, there are some civilian versions, experimental versions, and other miscellaneous types. Due to the duration of its service, there is also a range of smaller differences among ones from different periods and manufacturers.
In regard to its military use, it is important to note that during WWI it was acutally outnumbered by the M1917 Enfield for much of the war. Also, during WWII many remained in use early on, especially in the Pacific, in addition to service as a sniper rifle and to launch rifle grenades.
Literary allusions[]
The Springfield is the rifle that Francis Macomber uses in Ernest Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber". It is also used by the young Rudy Waltz in Kurt Vonnegut's Deadeye Dick. It figures prominently in From Here to Eternity by James Jones as soldiers drill with and train with it, and fire it at Japanese aircraft on 7 Dec. 1941. The Springfield is prominently featured in the first half of Leon Uris's novel, Battle Cry. His characters are issued M1903s at United States Marine Corps boot camp, train and qualify with them, anf carry then until ordered to turn them in to be replaced by the infamous M50 Reising submachine gun.
