M1903 Springfield

United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903
M1903
Type Service rifle
Place of origin  United States
Service history
In service 1905–1949
Wars World War I, World War II, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, Vietnam War (limited)
Production history
Designer Springfield Armory
Designed 1902
Variants See Variants
Specifications
Weight 8.67 lb (3.9 kg) depending on wood density
Length 43.9 in (1,115 mm)
Barrel length 24 in (610 mm)
Cartridge .30-03 Springfield; .30-06 Springfield
Action Bolt-action
Rate of fire 15 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity 2,700 ft/s (823 m/s)
Feed system 5-round, 25-round(Air Service variant) stripper clip, internal box magazine
Sights Flip-up rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight
M1903A3: Aperture rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight

The M1903 Springfield, formally the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903, is an American magazine-fed, 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 June 21 1905, and saw service in World War I. It was officially replaced as the standard infantry rifle by the faster-firing, semi-automatic 8 round M1 Garand, starting in 1937. However, the M1903 Springfield remained in service as a standard issue infantry rifle during World War II, since the U.S. entered the war without sufficient M1 rifles to arm all troops. It also remained in service as a sniper rifle during World War II, 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.

Contents

History

Background

The 1903 adoption of the Springfield Bolt Action* was preceded by nearly 30 years of struggle and politics, using lessons learned from the recently adopted U.S. Models 1892-98 Krag and contemporary German Mauser bolt-action rifles. The M1903 not only replaced the various versions of the U.S. Army's Krag, but also the Lee Model 1895 and M1885 Remington-Lee used by the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps, as well as all remaining single shot trap-door Springfields (Model 1873). While the Krag had been issued in both a long rifle and carbine, the Springfield was issued only as a short (24 in. barrel) rifle in keeping with current trends in Germany and Great Britain to eliminate long rifle and carbines.

The two main problems usually cited with the Krag were its slow-to-load magazine and its inability to handle higher chamber pressures for high-velocity rounds. The U.S. 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 U.S. military's experience on the receiving end of Mauser rifle fire in the 1898 Spanish American War, authorities decided to adopt 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 6mm Lee rifle design of 1879, with its newly invented detachable box magazine, was purchased in limited numbers by the U.S. Navy. Several hundred 1882 Lee Navy Models (M1882 Remington-Lee) were also subjected to trials by the U.S. 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 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 U.S. military held a series of rifle trials, resulting in the adoption of the .30 Krag-Jørgensen rifle. The Krag officially entered U.S. service in 1894, only to be replaced nine years later by the Springfield M1903.

Adoption

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 century by Springfield, with a prototype produced in 1900, and going into production in 1903, thus gaining its nomenclature. 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 War Department had exhaustively studied and dissected several examples of the Mauser Model 93 rifle captured during the Spanish-American War, and applied some features of the U.S. Krag rifle to a bolt and magazine system derived from the Mauser Model 93, to produce the new U.S. Springfield Rifle, the Model 1903. Despite Springfield Armory's use of a two-piece firing pin and other slight design alterations, the 1903 was in fact a Mauser design, and after that company brought suit, the the U.S. government was forced to pay royalties to Mauser Werke.[1]

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 bayonet used (a rod-type) 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 experimentation 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 (14 g) round-tip bullet fired at 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s), it had a 150-grain (9.7 g) pointed bullet fired at 2,800 ft/s (810 m/s); the case neck was a fraction of an inch shorter as well. The new American cartridge was designated "Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30, Model of 1906"; 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 (610 mm) in length, the decision was made to issue the Springfield with a 24" barrel length to both cavalry and infantry forces, an idea already adopted by both the British and German armies.

World War I and Interwar Use

By the time of U.S. 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" out of the steel producing a brittle receiver.[2] 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.[3]

Towards the end of the war, Springfield turned out the Model 1903 Mark I. The Mark I has a cut on the left hand side of the receiver meant to act as an ejection port for 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 slightly cut down on the left side to clear the ejection port. In all other respects, the Mark I is identical to the 1903. 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 U.S. Army adopted the heavy 174-grain boat-tail bullet for its .30-06 cartridge, standardized as 'Cartridge, Ball, caliber 30, M1'.[4] M1 ammunition, intended primarily for long-range machinegun 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 infantrymen with the Springfield rifle as well as to machinegun teams.[5] However, during the late 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 U.S. army reverted to a .30-06 cartridge with a 152-grain flat-base bullet, now termed M2 Ball, for all rifles and machineguns.[4]

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 U.S. Marine Corps 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.[6]

World War II

World War II saw new production of the Springfield at 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 from 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 3,330,000, 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 noticeable 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 adopted 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.[6] 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.[6] All stock furniture was also redesigned in stamped metal.

In late 1942, Smith-Corona Typewriter Company also began production of the M1903A3 at its plant in Rochester, 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.[7] 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.[8] As the war progressed, various machining and finishing operations were eliminated on the M1903A3 in order to increase production levels.[8]

Original production rifles at Remington and Smith-Corona had a dark gray/black finish similar to the Parkerizing of late World War I. 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, World War II .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 compounded the corrosive action of the residue.[9]

The M1903 and the M1903A3 rifle were used in combat alongside the M1 Garand by the U.S. military during World War II and saw extensive use and action in the hands of U.S. 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[10]; later Army units arriving to the island were armed with the M1 Garand.[11] The US Army Rangers were also a major user of the M1903 and the M1903A3 during World War II with the Springfield being preferred over the M1 Garand for certain commando missions.

According to Bruce Canfield's encyclopedic U.S. Infantry Weapons of WW II, 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 U.S. Army and Marine Corps retained M1903s beyond that date. The Springfield remained in service for snipers (using the M1903A4), grenadiers (using a spigot type rifle 22 mm grenade launcher) and Marine Scout Sniper units.

The M1903A4 was the U.S. 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.[6] Barrel specifications were unchanged, and many M1903A4s were equipped with the two-groove 'war emergency' barrel.[12] By all accounts, the M1903A4 was inadequate as a sniper rifle.[13] The M1903A4 could only be singly loaded, one cartridge at a time, due to the mounting of the telescopic sight directly over the action (preventing charging the magazine with 5-round stripper clips). More important, 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.[6][13] When this occurred, the M1904A4'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[14]; some Army snipers who came across Japanese or German sniper rifles quickly adopted the enemy weapons in place of the Springfield.[15] The Marine Corps declined to issue the M1903A4, favoring instead a modified M1903A1 rifle fitted with a Unertl 8x target-type telescopic sight.

The U.S. Army Military Police (MP) and the U.S. Navy Shore Patrol also used M1903s and M1903A3s throughout the war. Various U.S. allies and friendly irregular forces 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 rifles used by French forces until the end of the war, and was afterwards used by local militia and security forces in Indochina and French Algeria.

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 U.S. Navy also continued to carry some stocks of M1903A3s on board 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 U.S. Army Drill Team. M1903 rifles (along with the M1 Garand 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.

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 in the ON position.

In 1977, the Army located a rather large cache of un-issued 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 eligible CMP customers. The CMP announced over Halloween weekend 2008, that they had a handful of M1903 and M1903A3's 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 11-17-08 update from the CMP.

Specifications

Diagram of the .30 Springfield Rifle

The US rifle, Model of 1903 was 44⅞ inches (1.098 m) long and weighed 8 lb 11 oz (3.95 kg). A bayonet could be attached; the M1905 bayonet blade was 16 in (406 mm) long and weighed 1 lb (0.45 kg). 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:

The rifle was sighted for 2,500 yd (2,300 m) and had a point-blank range of 500 yd (457 m). The maximum range of the ball cartridge, when elevated at an angle of 45°, was 4,890 yd (4.47 km), or 2.77 miles.

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. When full the bandolier weighed about 3 lb 14 oz (1.76 kg). Bandoliers were packed 20 in a box, for a total of 1,200 rounds. The full box weighed 100 lb (45 kg).

Penetration of a rifle bullet in various materials
Material 200 yards 180 meters 600 yards 550 meters
Commercial steel 0.30 in 0.76 cm 0.10 in 0.25 cm
One-inch broken stone, gravel 4.80 in 12.2 cm 4.29 in 10.9 cm
Hard coal
between 1-inch (25 mm) boards		 9 in 23 cm 7 in 18 cm
Brick masonry, cement 2.20 in 5.6 cm 1.2 in 3.0 cm
Brick masonry, lime 2.4 in 6.1 cm 1.2 in 3.0 cm
Sand, dry 9 in 23 cm 12.2 in 31 cm
Concrete, 1-3-5 3.0 in 7.6 cm 2.0 in 5.1 cm
Oak 27.2 in 69 cm 11.8 in 30 cm
Sand, wet 15.0 in 38 cm 13.0 in 33 cm
Pine 26 in 66 cm 11.8 in 30 cm
Earth, loam 20.1 in 51 cm 16.1 in 41 cm
Grease clay 59.8 in 152 cm 31.9 in 81 cm

150 rounds concentrated at one spot will break a 9 inch (23 cm) wall of brick masonry at 200 yd (180 m).

The bore of the rifle is 0.30 inches (7.62 mm) in diameter. It was then rifled 0.004 in (0.1 mm) deep, making the diameter from the bottom of one groove to the bottom of the opposite groove 0.30787 in (7.82 mm) of the barrel.

The 1903 rifle included a rear sight leaf that could be used to adjust for elevation. When the leaf was flat, the battle sight appeared on top. This sight was set for 546 yd (499 m)., and was not adjustable. When the leaf was raised it could be adjusted to a maximum extreme range of 2,875 yd (2,629 m). The rear sight could also be adjusted for windage. The 1903A3 rear sight was an aperture sight adjustable both for elevation and windage.

Variants

There were four main variants given official nomenclature, though there are a number of important sub-variants:

M1903
M1903A3
M1903 with 'scant' stock
M1903A4 with M84 sight

There are two main other types, various training types, and competition versions such as the National Match types. Aside from these there are some other 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 World War I it was actually outnumbered by the M1917 Enfield for much of the war. Also, during WW2 many remained in use early on, especially in the Pacific (generally replaced as M1 Garands became available), in addition to service (along with other weapons) 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 and train with it, and fire it at Japanese aircraft on December 7, 1941. Sam Damon, the hero of Anton Myrer's war novel Once an Eagle (1968) used one in the beginning of his military career in World War I and later on in the Pacific theater in World War II as well. 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, and carry them until ordered to turn them in to be replaced by the infamous M50 Reising submachine gun. An M1903 fitted with a scope was used by Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper) in the movie Saving Private Ryan.

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Battlefield+tack+driver:+the+model+1903+Springfield+in+WWI.-a0150451303
  2. ↑ Canfield, February 2008, p. 13
  3. ↑ Lyon, Joseph: Some Observations On The Failure Of U.S. Model 1903 Rifle Receivers (http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Barnes, Frank C., Cartridges of the World, 6th ed., DBI Books Inc. (1989), p. 59
  5. ↑ Dunlap, Roy, Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), p. 303
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Dunlap, Roy, Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), p. 302
  7. ↑ Dunlap, Roy, Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), p. 362
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Dunlap, Roy, Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), p. 301
  9. ↑ Bishop, Chris (1998), The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, New York: Orbis Publiishing Ltd, ISBN 0-7607-1022-8 .
  10. ↑ George, John (Lt Col), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 391: "Nearly every one [Marine] I talked to [on Guadalcanal] who used the Springfield in combat-without a scope-would have much rather been using a Garand."
  11. ↑ George, John (Lt Col), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 391
  12. ↑ George, John (Lt. Col.), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 392
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 George, John (Lt. Col.), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 392-393
  14. ↑ Dunlap, Roy, Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), p. 303
  15. ↑ George, John (Lt. Col.), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 296-299
  16. ↑ http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1115/scan0001xtb.jpg

See also

US infantry weapons of World War I
Side arms
M1911 pistol · M1917 revolver · M1909 revolver
Rifles
M1903 Springfield (Pedersen Device) · M1917 Enfield
Automatic rifles
Chauchat  · M1918 BAR
Grenades
F1 • Mills bomb • Mk 1 • Mk 2
Shotguns
Winchester Model 1897 · Winchester Model 1912 · Browning Auto-5
Machine guns and larger
M1895 Colt-Browning · M1909 Benet-Mercie · Lewis Gun · M1914 Hotchkiss · M1917 Browning
Cartridges
U.S. infantry weapons of World War II and Korea
Side arms

M1911/M1911A1 pistol · Colt Model 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless · High Standard HDM · M1917 revolver · Smith & Wesson "Victory" revolver · Colt New Service · Colt Official Police

and
Rifles and carbines
M1903 Springfield · M1917 Enfield · M1 Garand · M1 carbine · M1941 Johnson Rifle · M1918 BAR
Submachine guns
M1928/M1928A1/M1/M1A1 Thompson · M3/M3A1 'Grease gun' · Reising M50/M55 · United Defense M42 · M2 Hyde
Grenades
Mk 2 · M7 grenade launcher
Shotguns
Winchester Model 1897 · Ithaca M37 · Winchester Model 1912 · Browning Auto-5  · Remington Model 31
Machine guns and larger
M1917 Browning · M1919 Browning · M1941 Johnson LMG · M2 Browning · Lewis Gun · Bazooka · M2 flamethrower · M1A1 flamethrower
Cartridges
.45 ACP · .38 Special · .30-06 Springfield · .30 Carbine · .50 BMG

References

External links