1942 USMC Sniper rifle

50 BMG

50 BMG

Mosin Nagant Collector
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Ok I know its not all original but I had to buy one. I have looked for years for a receiver with the correct serial number range with no luck.

We use an original 1903 high number rifle
New Hi-Lux reproduction scope
New Criterion barrel
New America walnut "C" stock set

The company is James River Armory: Welcome to James River Armory

I had them restore a Garand for me. This is what they offer:

( James River Armory )
$389.00



What we will do:

Upon receipt of your weapon we will disassemble and inspect all parts. Worn or unsafe small components will be replaced. Major parts needing replacement will require your prior approval (barrel, gas tube etc.).
Metal parts will be bead blasted and parkerized in original correct finish. A new American Black Walnut Stock Set will be prepared and cartouched to correspond to the serial number of your weapon; just like when it was originally made.
Once all parts are reassembled and a new mainspring and new butt plate are installed in the new furniture your gun will be test fired to assure proper cycling and function.
You can order here online through our secure server then just send us your weapon via UPS, FedEx FedEx Ground or USPS (not recommended). Should there be any known issue with your weapon you can notate them in the comment section during checkout. We will then pay special attention to those problems.
You can send just the metal parts to save on your shipping cost and use of smaller packaging. If sending entire weapon we do not return the old stock unless directed to by you and there will be additional shipping charges applied.

Note: Your credit card will not be charged until the weapon is ready to ship back to you. Please avoid using packing peanuts when shipping to us.

They also have Egyptian AK with correct markings and finished as the originals were.

Here is a picture of the rifle I purchased:
 

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I will have to drag the Garand out and take pics. I had them refurbish it over a year and a half ago. They have been around for quite a few years and do really nice work. You ca send them just the metal parts and they will refinish them. Or install a new barrel if you have a worn out barrel. Really nice folks.

I cut and pasted the Garand work for folks to see what they offer.
 
James river does nice work.....trying to find and pay for them is crazy. I seen just the original uberti scopes go for big money.
Cmp auction had a 1903 reciever that was at 1200.00 before I stopped looking.
I have a rock ridge clone A4. Friend has a James river m1 carbine that's really nice.....
 
Im pretty sure the USMC 1903 snipers retained iron sights on the their rifles? the scope mounts to the reciever behind the 1903's rear sight.
50bmg's post in a tad unclear but i believe he ment...I purchased the 1903 marine sniper clone from james river and then posted one of their offerings about rebarreling ect ect.
Fred im curious when you get your rifle if the barrel is stand RR with current year production. If so this is a rock ridge machine barreled up action. theres alot of mystery to who is really making the clones?
As with most things all hersay until fact come out.
 
mac1911 said:
James river does nice work.....trying to find and pay for them is crazy. I seen just the original uberti scopes go for big money.
Cmp auction had a 1903 reciever that was at 1200.00 before I stopped looking.
I have a rock ridge clone A4. Friend has a James river m1 carbine that's really nice.....
Click to expand...

mac, was that your clonea4 that was posted in here some months ago? Beautiful rifle!

50BMG, That's a bucket-list rifle for sure. If I ever saw that at the range I'd applaud.
 
dhuze said:
Do they include a scope? it's not in the description.
They should have also taken the front sight off.
Click to expand...

The scope is included. The USMC 1943 model had the front site. The earlier models with the 4X and 6x scopes did not have the front sight.
 
mac1911 said:
Im pretty sure the USMC 1903 snipers retained iron sights on the their rifles? the scope mounts to the reciever behind the 1903's rear sight.
50bmg's post in a tad unclear but i believe he ment...I purchased the 1903 marine sniper clone from james river and then posted one of their offerings about rebarreling ect ect.
Fred im curious when you get your rifle if the barrel is stand RR with current year production. If so this is a rock ridge machine barreled up action. theres alot of mystery to who is really making the clones?
As with most things all hersay until fact come out.
Click to expand...

New Criterion barrel is what they advertised. These rifles are made by the armorer at James River and not purchased from another source.

The original post I stated they do restoration work and copied and pasted what they offer. This is what I posted :

"I had them restore a Garand for me. This is what they offer:"

I think folks just read to quickly. Either way I am very happy I finally purchased the rifle.
 
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Fred did you get thecrifle yet? I'm just curious to see what's stamped at thectip of the barrel.
When I was researching buying the A4 clone there was stuff all over the net. Seems gibe got the jump few years back.
What I did learn is in the beginning Gibbs tried and didn't do well. Then contracted rock ridge machine and went with hilux to straighten the scope issue out. As soon as Gibbs deal ended with rock ridge they franked them out for themselves and others.
What I can say is if its anything like my A4 you should be happy. Mine was 2" off to the left elevation dead on @ 100yd with hxp. Just plopped down on the ground on a sand bag I am getting 2moa with hxp. One thing is you have to like looking through old school scopes. The crosshairs dam near cover the black bull of a SR1 target. I hope to get this out to some distance some day. Looking forward.
 
I also have a Gibbs rifle, you can search earlier posts and may find it. I am terrible at doing that stuff.
I love my Gibbs rifle. Even though it came with the just simply awful cope the company made it good and sent me a High Lux free of charge.

If my rifle is anything like yours it is a tack driver. The workmanship was simply fantastic. Even using CMP greek ammo it does great out to 200 yards.

I was lucking to find a Weaver "Alaskan" scope for it at a gun show that was clear and in perfect condition on the box. The owner had no idea what it was so I got it for a song.

All in all for all the bad stuff you read about some of these rifles I can only state mine is a eeper and I love taking it to the range. Folks always want to try it out.

You made mention of the Uberti scopes and their current prices. You are not kidding. Dave of D+S guns has a bunch of them and most start at $1800.00. I do have one on a Remington target 22 that I purchased at an auction back in 1993 that would look great on my new rifle but if i remove it from the Remington 22 the collector value will drop.

Have you read the reviews of High Lux scopes lately. They have come a very long way in quality. They make some outstanding period correct Sharp rifle scopes. The price will have you reaching for Nitro tablets but heck, quality stuff costs top dollar.

My rifle should arrive in a week or two, I cant wait!!!!!!
 
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Funny thing is there is a old timer at the club who has what appears to be a original USMC 03 sniper.
Someone had said to him one day that it was fake because it had iron sights....he snikered a bit and said, maybe the army guys removed the sights but Marines like to use their rifle if the scope breaks. Rifle with out a sights is a club. What i think people forget is the USMC snipers where not specific built to be snipers, as from what I have come to understand vs the 1903A4 was more purpose built hence the off set serial number markings on a true A4 sniper. Also the scope mountto the 03 with out the need to disrupt the rear sight.
 
mac1911 said:
Funny thing is there is a old timer at the club who has what appears to be a original USMC 03 sniper.
Someone had said to him one day that it was fake because it had iron sights....he snikered a bit and said, maybe the army guys removed the sights but Marines like to use their rifle if the scope breaks. Rifle with out a sights is a club. What i think people forget is the USMC snipers where not specific built to be snipers, as from what I have come to understand vs the 1903A4 was more purpose built hence the off set serial number markings on a true A4 sniper. Also the scope mountto the 03 with out the need to disrupt the rear sight.
Click to expand...

http://www.snipercentral.com/m1903a4.htm

According to this article located at the above web site they did not have iron sights:

Calibers: .30-06 Springfield (7.62x63mm)
Magazine: 5 round internal box magazine.
Barrel Length: 24" (610mm)
Barrel Profile: 2 Grooves, LH Twist, cut-rifled (early rifles) 4 Grooves, LH Twist, draw rifled (later rifles)
Weight: 9.38 lbs (4.34 kg)
Overall Length: 43.21" (1098mm)
Stock: Type "C" (early rifles)
"Scant" grip (later rifles)
Sights: M73B1 2.5x Telescopic site (Weaver 330C) - No Iron Sites


The M81, M82, and M84 were also used on the M1903-A4 (late WWII and Korea)
Unertl 8x (USMC M1903-A1/Unertl) - With Iron Sites


Features: Conversion to sniper rifles done by Remington Arms.
The M1903-A4 was a specifically designed sniper rifle that came as a result of early U.S. combat involvement in the Pacific. There was a high demand, that could not be filled, for telescopic (sniper) rifles. The Infantry Board and the Ordanance Department conducted an evaluation and recommended that the Weaver 2.5x 330C hunting telescope be adopted for use on M1903 and M1903-A1 rifles. The rifle was officially adopted on 14 Jan 1943 as the M1903-A4 (sniper).


M1903-A4 (sniper's) with M73B1 Telescope (Paul Oats Private Collection)

The M1903-A4 was an accurate rifle with an effective range of about 600 yards (550m), with the main limit on long range accuracy coming from its very low power scope (2.5x). From its adoption in 1943 until the end of the war, the M1903-A4 was used extensively in every theater of operation by both the US Army and the USMC. The rifle was again used in the korean conflict, and even in the early stages of the Vietnam conflict when sniper rifles were in severe shortage. The M1903A4 is a legendary classic sniper rifle. It served with distinction in WWII, Korea, and even Vietnam.
 
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So that old marine was right also. I was never able to get much out of that man before he moved south. Never mentioned where he got the rifle ect ect. Also every pic I come across the usmc 03 sniper has sights.
 
I give up..



additional information regarding USMC sniper rifles:

USMC M1903-A1/Unertl
Unlike the US Army, the USMC had a standard issue sniper rifle at the start of hostilities in WWII, it was a M1903/Lyman 5A (5x), which was adopted (with the Winchester A5 Telescope) during WWI. After there was a push to standardize sniper equipment, the Marine Corps Equipment Board did an extensive study of optics under field conditions and recommended a scope of about 8x, with an objective lens of about one and half inches, a medium fine crosshair reticle, and double micrometer quarter minute click mounts. They specifically cited a 8x target scope made by John Unertl as being the best they found. They also recommended the scope be mounted on a Winchester M70 target rifle, but the USMC decided on the M1903 based on favorable accuracy comparisons between specially selected M1903's and the M70. So the M1903-A1 mounted with the Unertl 8x became the "sniping standard" in the USMC.

The M1903-A1/Unertl was tested and at 600 yards and with M72 Match ammo would group 3.5 inches (.58 MOA, wow!!!) but match ammo was about impossible to come by during the war, so most snipers had to settle with M2 Ball ammo, which was till respectable with groups coming in at 7.5" at 600 yards (1.25 MOA). The M1903-A1/Unertl was used by the USMC through out WWII, along with the M1903-A4. The -A1/Unertl also saw use during the Korean war, with USMC snipers registering a number of kills out to 1000 yards. Like the M1903-A4 the M1903-A1/Unertl was a lethal system in the hands of a properly trained sniper during WWII and Korea.

____________________________________________________________

M1903-A4 (sniper's) with M73B1 Telescope (Paul Oats Private Collection)
 

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give up on what?
Are we still trying to figure out id the USMC 1903a1 sniper had its sights intact ? vs the 03a3/4 that did not ?
 

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