I got a new stock for it, cleaned it up, gave it several coats of linseed oil, and reassembled it. To be honest, I'm fair well pleased with it.
I took it out to the range a couple weeks ago, and it shot dead-on, hitting the 8" steel plate at 100 yards every single time. Not only was I hitting more consistently than the guys with the AR rifles to either side of me, but that .30M2 round rings the gong with a lot more authority. I was very happy with it. And as usual, I was shooting prone from a mat and the only one at the range doing that. Everyone else sits at those benches that will, I'm sure, be all over the place for shooters to use during the next revolution which will almost certainly follow Hillary Clinton's next defeat in 2020...or her unlikely victory.
And now it's home with it's kin, shown center left here, with two 1903's to it's right and three 1903A3's to it's left.
I confess to having an affinity for these rifles, even over the M1 Garand, but that puts me in good company, Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller thought the 1903 was more accurate and an all-around better infantry rifle, at least as far as his Marines were concerned.
Puller got a lot of his men killed doing things the hard way on Peleliu when the 81st ID was nearby as Corps reserve, and with large artillery on Ngesbus island. There are times when more is better, whether it is rounds on target, or troops or air power.
ReplyDeleteReal men kneel and shoot like heroes.
ReplyDeleteReal-er men do it offhand at a hunnerd yards.
Real-er-er men shoot over the hood (or tailgate) of their pickup.
I, however, like you, prefer a shooting mat and prone when possible for shooting. But the 1903 is just a rifle to me.
Off-hand at 200 yards is the trick. That's usually where I lose my medal every year in the CMP's Garand and Springfield matches.
DeleteVery nice, but is that an empty spot in the rack?!?!
ReplyDeleteAlways an empty spot for another deserving candidate in the collection...
DeleteHey Murphy;
ReplyDeleteVery nice job, My favorite Rifle in my collection is my 03A3 made by remington in 1943. There is something elegant and graceful about that rifle. And is that a blank spot on your O3 rack? You gonna fill it?
Better than the M1? Lt. Col. John George might have a thing to say about that. Target shooting on a rifle range ain't the same as when Japs are firing back.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! And yes, those old guns SHOOT!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty pics.
ReplyDeleteI misread the title of this thread and thought it said 1903 Springfield Got to Go.
It's a lot better seeing it go into battery than out the door.