Sporterized 1903

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • BigDaddy

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 7, 2014
    2,235
    It was already sporterized when I bought it off Gunbroker so I did not Bubba it originally.

    I took it to a gunsmith named Coleman in Alexandria. This is pre 2000 and and he was frequently mentioned as the builder of benchrest winning guns in Precision Shooter.

    He rebarreled it to 6.5x55 and put on a milled floor plate. I know you are supposed to press on the release with a bullet tip, but that isn't going to work, short of a hydraulic press. I've hunted deer with this rifle for 20 years.

    This year I decided to take the floor plate off and figure it out. Well I figured nothing out. The spring is in place and very hard to compress even if you take the floor plate out. If you take the spring out and use finger pressure, the latch works as one would expect. Then I put it back together and things got worse.

    Here is the BIG Problema. I can only load 2 rounds in the mag. Coleman riveted a rectangular piece of aluminum to the back of the magazine well. The follower gets stuck halfway down. There is no significant play in the spacer, or the floor plate, once it is attached.

    The spacer was beveled thinner and backward toward the butt pad, but the follower gets stuck well before the bevel. The follower fits fore and aft, until the floor plate is attached.

    I would have noticed had I only been able to load 2 rounds while deer hunting. Yet I see nothing that could have moved. We tried filling the spacer but didn't make much progress. Taking off a few thousands wasn't going to fix it.

    Any ideas what changed? Any ideas how to fix it?
     

    303_enfield

    Ultimate Member
    May 30, 2007
    4,650
    DelMarVa
    "Coleman riveted a rectangular piece of aluminum to the back of the magazine well." If you can do the work, drill the rivet out an remove the block. Then you can cut the block down or toss it. You'll need a new spring for the mag well.

    If you can't do it any Smith should be able to do it.

    Good luck!
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    Look at where the mag box fits up to the milled recess at the underside of mag well carefully first. (at the rear where the bolt stop goes) and make sure the square projection at the top rear of mag well is well fitted to the action.

    Couple questions to help,
    Is it an aftermarket or original mag box? (some of those Finn made aftermarket mag boxes are finicky in this area).

    When assembled and action screws tightened, absent the follower, floor-plate and spring, is there a very small gap at the rear of the mag well extending forward about a third of the length of the magazine?
    There should be about 1/16 gap if you can see past-around the spacer.

    When the follower is removed form the magazine and the mag spring is seated into the bottom of the follower and then the same into the floor-plate sitting on the bench top.
    Is the front of the follower lower at the front? Or at the rear?

    What type of follower is installed on the rifle? (could be a shortened Mauser floor-plate of any variety that only needs better fitted-adjusted.

    Pictures would help.
     

    BigDaddy

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 7, 2014
    2,235
    Sorry to leave you hanging, I had an acute flare up of my chronic rotator cuff tear.

    Look at where the mag box fits up to the milled recess at the underside of mag well carefully first. (at the rear where the bolt stop goes) and make sure the square projection at the top rear of mag well is well fitted to the action.
    Seems to be.

    Is it an aftermarket or original mag box? (some of those Finn made aftermarket mag boxes are finicky in this area).
    Don't know, there are no markings on the box or follower. I am thinking the gun came with a stamped mag box but I don't remember the details on acquiring the milled one.

    When assembled and action screws tightened, absent the follower, floor-plate and spring, is there a very small gap at the rear of the mag well extending forward about a third of the length of the magazine?
    There should be about 1/16 gap if you can see past-around the spacer.
    yes
    When the follower is removed form the magazine and the mag spring is seated into the bottom of the follower and then the same into the floor-plate sitting on the bench top.
    Is the front of the follower lower at the front? Or at the rear?
    Lower at the front,

    What type of follower is installed on the rifle? (could be a shortened Mauser floor-plate of any variety that only needs better fitted-adjusted.
    Don't know, see pics.

    cw1DmAt

    QdKgGwN

    rEPxvRI

    RoFunEv
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,922
    Messages
    7,259,142
    Members
    33,349
    Latest member
    christian04

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom