Finishing up a 1903 Springfield Varminter...what do you think?

Dultimatpredator

Well-known member
I have been working on this project on and off. I originally traded an old Knight BK-92 for this rifle a few years back in an attempt to start another project. This rifle already a sporter type barrel that still is currently on it along with a cracked sporterized stock for or I would have loved to put it back to its original form. The stock went by the wayside and I ordered a Boyds VIP target varminter stock for $87 that I just completed. I installed a Timney Featherweight trigger I found on clearance for $29! Along with a Red field one piece base for $10. I sent it out to have drilled and tapped and then had to go back and forth schimming the rear base for proper alignment. I was going to pillar bed it but chose to just accraglass it for bedding. I bought a bent bolt for it from Numerics, paying around $44, and ended up filing it down for a modern look. The bolt throw is still high enough that I had to go with super high Leupold rings for clearance. I took it out and sighted it in the other day and I can tell you its one heck of a fun plinker! I will eventually get a 50mm belled optic on it so the scope doesn't look so high up. I have to install sling swivel studs on it yet so I can install an extra Harris Bi pod I have laying around.

I am getting close and still need to work out one bug. The bolt closes hard on contact some times more than others. I was going to cut down the Timney speed lock spring I installed but I figured that would defeat the purpose of trying to take care of any hang time. Would polishing the bolt help? If it wouldnt be that great of a change I would prefer the black look. Any suggestions on a smoother action?



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Thats a good looking rifle and makes me want to do a project that I have tossed around forever!

Check the lugs and extractor for burs, and inspect the brass to see if you can find signs of them as well. You might want to dissasemble the bolt and check for signs of wear in that something maybe slipping enough out of alignment enough to cause a bind.

Im no gunsmith but thats where I would begin looking if it were mine.
 
I can see now where the bolt has been rubbing and also there are machining marks where the claw extractor trips/catches on when the action is cycled. Is there a way I can smooth this down and then reblue it for the same smooth affect of the black and silver contrast or am I better off leaving the silver appearance when finished sanding the bolt smooth? They sell do it at home jeweling tools dont they? Are are they hard to use?



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You can get a cold bluing kit from just about anywhere, Birchwood casey makes it.

If you have access to small fine stones, that may be a better way than sanding. At the very least, use automotive wet/dry paper (silicon carbide) and use oil as a lubricant instead of water. Wrap the paper around a hard surface so you can better control the cutting action and angles, if your using it on a something flat, try putting a piece on a pain of glass, thats about the flattest surface you can easily find.
 
I just came back from the range. I sighted it in with 180g core-locts to get on paper at 100 yards and ran out of shells. I had some left over 150g Sierra Game Kings I loaded up around 3000fps for my 7600 that I have been getting .5" groups with. I had just enough for a 3 shot group and one left to dial it in. I shot a .6" group that I can completely cover with a quarter. I guess this will save me from having to do any load testing! The wind was terrible today or I think I could have did a little better. I shot 1.2" high and an inch to the right. I adjusted my turret over a couple of clicks to the left and hit dead center of the bulls and 1.2" high. Its ready for hunting accept for the bolt polishing.
 
Dultimatpredator, The OutDoor channel just had a segment put on by Midway arms about jeweling a bolt and they sell the bolt holder, polishing heads and abrasives...

It looks like all you would need is a drill press, or access to one for a short while. The bolt holder has graduation marks to help insure the correct spacing and alignment.

I have an old Mauser, that someone tried to sporterize, sitting in the corner that I'm looking to turn into a project one day.

I soaked the barrel in copper remover and got a river of blue out of it... It may be too clean to hold a bullet.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
I thought I saw that episode while I was at work but didn't remember it completely(customer interrupted me). I think I'm going to go through and sand it like they did till its glass smooth and give it a try before I try and jewel it. I think by the time I invest in the tooling for a "one rifle" project it would be cheaper to send it out to have done.
 
Quote:
The bolt closes hard on contact some times more than others. I was going to cut down the Timney speed lock spring I installed but I figured that would defeat the purpose of trying to take care of any hang time. Would polishing the bolt help? If it wouldnt be that great of a change I would prefer the black look. Any suggestions on a smoother action?



Nice looking rifle! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Is the bolt hard to close on downward stroke of handle or is it hard to push forward?

Your speed lock spring will definately make bolt operation harder and is also a bit harder on the cocking mechanism, as to wear.

I built a practice target rifle on an A3 action. Used a Mod. 70 target rifle barrel that had begun to lose it's accuracy edge, shortened barrel to 24" by cutting off breech end to remove worn throat. Shoots great and should be good for several thousand more rounds and at the same time take a lot of wear off my match rifles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I tried the speed lock spring and noticed much more resistance on the upstroke of bolt than closing due to the fact that most of the cocking takes place on upward motion of bolt. Bolt lift was stiff enough to cause (time)problems w/my rapid strings. I polished the cocking surfaces in bolt w/stones and used a good moly grease. Also grease up the threads in the bolt.

Lock time is important, especially in unsupported positions, but much less so when shooting from a good rest.
Offhand, I found my shots to be 1 MOA outside my call with the Springfield as compared to the Mod. 70 due to the slower lock time on the A3.

Some like to cut off the knob on end of bolt and then pin the cocking piece to the firing pin to lighten the assy. but that seems to me to be a lot of work for very little gain.

Regards,
hm
 
I just finished polishing the bolt and nothing has changed. I am having the resistance when lifting the bolt to engauge it to fire. The speed spring has to be extremely stiff. Do I dare cut the speed spring down? I have an extra one.
 
If your stiffness is on the bolt lift, it is the spring. Look at bottom of bolt and you will see a "V" cut. The cocking piece drops into this vee when rifle is fired and it is this camming action that cocks the firing pin as bolt lifts. You can polish the mating surfaces on the cocking piece and the bolt using a fine stone and apply a good moly grease. Also put some moly grease on the acme threads inside the bolt. This will help some.

You can probably trim a bit of the spring off and strike a compromise between the standard spring and the speed lock spring and still get reliable ignition, but if you plan to shoot from a good support and practice good followthrough, you will probably not notice too much accuracy improvement w/speedlock spring over standard. I experienced very close to 1 moa in offhand shooting. Couldn't see a measureable difference in sitting and prone. JMO & YMMV.

Regards,
hm
 
Where can I find Moly grease? After polishing the bolt I took your advise on polishing the "v". There was a notch after the "v" I removed that it was catching on as well. Much smoother. I noticed that I didn't have any grease what so ever on the threads so I applied some household oil on it helping considerably. The other thing I noticed that helped it not have so hard of a bolt lift was leaving the gun in the fire position so the spring stays compressed for a while. If it hasn't been engaged and has been sitting for a couple of days the spring is a lot more resistant.
 
May be a dumb question but is this product produced by Arron Tipton, the County Western Singer? The reason I ask is I know he is big into hunting. I met him on a "game farm" in Iowa last year. He sponsored an Elk hunt for some disabled hunters and shot one himself while there.
 
I don't know. Tipton makes all sorts of cleaning supplies such as rods, patches, bore brushes, jags, grease, etc.

Glad the polishing and oil on your bolt threads helped. I think you'll find a bit of moly grease on the threads will help a bit more. There is quite a bit of thrust against the threads as the firing pin is cocked. Years ago we used Lubriplate, but quality of today's lubricants is much better. I wipe clean & add a touch of grease to the cocking surfaces each time I clean my rifle.

I am surprised that the speed lock spring is taking a set when left cocked such a short period of time.

If you want to really feel a slick bolt now that you have polished and lubricated the bolt threads & cocking piece mating surfaces, just put the original spring back in the bolt & give it a whirl. Guess you can tell that I'm not too big a fan of speed lock springs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Again, JMO.

Have to admit, after shooting a Mod. 70 or other modern bolt gun, the Springfield, as issued, has what seems to be an extremely slow lock time. I just didn't find that it affected POI enough from supported positions (sitting, prone, or off bench or shooting sticks) enough to lose any sleep over and the stiffer bolt lift does slow down the second and all subsequent shots.

Regards,
hm
 
I haven't shot it with the factory spring but there is no difference in lock time compared to any of my modern firearms. I couldn't find a "moly" grease but found Shooters Choice synthetic grease for $9.99. I picked up some and will give it a whirl. Any suggestions on places to look for a magazine stop so my bolt will not stay open when the magazine is empty. I saw one offered on Ebay a long time ago but cant seem to run into any lately.
 
Quote:
I haven't shot it with the factory spring but there is no difference in lock time compared to any of my modern firearms. I couldn't find a "moly" grease but found Shooters Choice synthetic grease for $9.99. I picked up some and will give it a whirl. Any suggestions on places to look for a magazine stop so my bolt will not stay open when the magazine is empty. I saw one offered on Ebay a long time ago but cant seem to run into any lately.



With the speedlock spring, there will be very little difference in lock time between the 03 & a Mod. 70, etc; with the factory spring you will see a difference.

The Shooter's Choice is good lube, the moly may be a bit better as it impregnates the pores in the metal so lasts better, but SC will work fine.

If you look at a follower on a mod. 70, 700, etc, you will see a 45* bevel on the back of the ridge running fore and aft on the follower. This 45* cut allows bolt to push the follower down when mag. is empty. You can alter the 03 follower accordingly and do the same thing with your 03.

The bolt stop doubles as the magazine cutoff. When down it stops the bolt a bit short so that the follower cannot jump up and hold bolt back. When horizontal, it allows bolt to be removed and when up allows normal feeding from magazine and will hold bolt open when mag. is empty. Try Numrich Arms:

web pageNumrich Arms

Scroll down and click Springfield 1903A3 . Item #15 is your bolt stop:


web pageBolt Stop

Regards,
hm
 
Thanks for all the good advise. I just finished grinding and polishing the back of the magazine follower at a 45 degree angle and it works slick. Between polishing the bolt, the "V" groove, and applying grease onto the treads, my action is smoother than ever. I'm sure it could get a little better with fine polishing but its close enough for me.
 
Isn't it great when a plan comes together? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Glad it worked out well for you.

Regards,
hm
 
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