How long is a springfield 1903

M rifles made before February utilized receivers and bolts which were single heat-treated by a method that rendered some of them brittle and liable to fracture when fired, exposing the shooter to a risk of serious injury. It proved impossible to determine, without destructive testing, which receivers and bolts were so affected and therefore potentially dangerous.

To solve this problem, the Ordnance Department commenced double heat treatment of receivers and bolts. This was commenced at Springfield Armory at approximately serial number , and at Rock Island Arsenal at exactly serial number , Krag rifle to a bolt and magazine system derived from the Mauser Model 93, to produce the new U.

Springfield Rifle, the Model Despite Springfield Armory's use of a two-piece firing pin and other slight design alterations, the was in fact a Mauser design, and after that company brought suit, the U.

By January over 80, of these rifles had been produced at the federally-owned Springfield Armory. However, President Theodore Roosevelt objected to the design of the sliding rod-type bayonet used as being too flimsy for combat. In a letter to the Secretary of War, he said:. I must say that I think that ramrod bayonet is about as poor an invention as I ever saw. As you observed, it broke short off as soon as hit with even moderate violence. It would have no moral effect and mighty little physical effect.

All the rifles to that point consequently had to be re-tooled for a blade-type bayonet , called the M The sights were also an area of concern, so the new improved Model 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 s and later other countries.

The round itself was based on the. The new American cartridge was designated "Cartridge, Ball, Caliber. 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 M cartridge was effective with a shorter, all-purpose barrel length of 24 inches 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.

By the time of U. Pre-war production utilized questionable metallurgy. Some receivers constructed of single-heat-treated case-hardened steel were improperly subjected to excessive temperatures during the forging process. The carbon could be "burnt" out of the steel producing a brittle receiver.

Although several cases of serious injury from receiver failure were documented, the U. Army never reported any fatalities. Many failures were attributed to use of incorrect cartridges, such as the 7. Pyrometers were installed in December to accurately measure temperatures during the forging process. The change was made at approximately serial number , for rifles made at Springfield Armory and at serial number , at Rock Island Arsenal. Lower serial numbers are known as "low-number" M rifles.

Higher serial numbers are said to be "double-heat-treated. Towards the end of the war, Springfield turned out the Model 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 modified sear and cutoff to operate the Pedersen device; a specialized insert that replaced the bolt and allowed the user to fire.

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 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 , after experiencing the effect of long-range German 7. Army adopted the heavy grain boat-tail bullet for its. 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. Marine Corps issued the Springfield with a sight hood to protect the front sight, along with a thicker front blade. Remington began production of the M in September , at serial number 3,,, using old tooling from the Rock Island Arsenal which had been in storage since The very early rifles are almost indistinguishable from 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 M were gradually replaced with stamped parts until, at about serial number 3,,, the Army and Remington recognized that a new model name was appropriate.

Other features of the M, 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". M production was discontinued in favor of the MA3.

The most noticeable visual difference in the MA3 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.

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. This later finish was also used on arsenal repaired weapons. Much, if not all, World War II. If not removed by frequent and proper barrel cleaning these residues could cause pitting and excessive wear. There have been countless thousands of published works devoted to all or of it.

WWII Quarterly, the hardcover journal of the Second World War that is not available in bookstores or on newsstands, and can only be obtained and collected through a personal subscription through the mail. Third Army Eighth Air Force. Grant Robert E. Lee J. Stuart William T. Carl Gnam. No comments. Categories: Military History. Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. Top Ad Space. Top Ad Space 2. Latest Issues. Military Heritage Subscribe.

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