I have purchased a receiver for a 1903A3. I bought most of the parts to put it together. I assembled it today and have a problem getting the bolt to close on an empty cartrage. And the bolt feels like it is getting caught on the follower in the magazine. The bolt worked fine until I added the magazine and trigger gaurd peice. I had to bore out the barrel to get the go gauge to fit when i closed the bolt. I don't know if I am supposed to bore out more or if something else could be the problem. If anyone has any suggestions I would love to try them. Thanks Lee
1903A3 new comer trying 1st build.
- Thread starter lfalk
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velocette
Member
My respectful suggestion would be to find a sympathetic gunsmith & ask his advice.
There are so many things that could be wrong or just slightly out of tolerance that suggestions from the internet will be of little help.
You are working with a critical part of a high powered rifle. Mistakes on your part now could affect your future. Remember, the 03 is a good strong action, BUT it does not handle gas from blown cases well at all.
Roger
There are so many things that could be wrong or just slightly out of tolerance that suggestions from the internet will be of little help.
You are working with a critical part of a high powered rifle. Mistakes on your part now could affect your future. Remember, the 03 is a good strong action, BUT it does not handle gas from blown cases well at all.
Roger
dirtyjim
Member
what type of barrel did you install?
after you reamed the chamber did you make sure the extractor slot had clearance?
how are you loading the cartridge in the rifle? most 03's will snap the extractor over the rim if your single loading but i've seen a couple that had aftermarket extractors that wouldn't.
if you your bolt is closing on a go-gauge i wouldn't ream it any deeper.
you did ream the chamber with a rougher or resize reamer instead of a finish reamer?
where did you get the reamer? was it a no throat or match reamer meant to have the neck & throat cut with a separate reamer?
without having the gun in hand its a little difficult to sort it out
after you reamed the chamber did you make sure the extractor slot had clearance?
how are you loading the cartridge in the rifle? most 03's will snap the extractor over the rim if your single loading but i've seen a couple that had aftermarket extractors that wouldn't.
if you your bolt is closing on a go-gauge i wouldn't ream it any deeper.
you did ream the chamber with a rougher or resize reamer instead of a finish reamer?
where did you get the reamer? was it a no throat or match reamer meant to have the neck & throat cut with a separate reamer?
without having the gun in hand its a little difficult to sort it out
bgr2014
Member
Sticking 03 bolt
You said the bolt closed before assembly, did you try closing it on the case before assy. or after? Is the case a new unfired case or one fired in another rifle? A case fired in another chamber could be the problem, or the back lip on the magazine box can drag on the bolt if it comes up too high in the stock. Don't ream any more from the chamber if the bolt closes on a go guage, you could have excessive headspace by doing that. Check it out of the stock and if it works ok, try it in the stock. The back of the follower is made to stop the bolt with an empty magazine, it needs to be ground to a taper so the bolt can push it down. Good Luck
You said the bolt closed before assembly, did you try closing it on the case before assy. or after? Is the case a new unfired case or one fired in another rifle? A case fired in another chamber could be the problem, or the back lip on the magazine box can drag on the bolt if it comes up too high in the stock. Don't ream any more from the chamber if the bolt closes on a go guage, you could have excessive headspace by doing that. Check it out of the stock and if it works ok, try it in the stock. The back of the follower is made to stop the bolt with an empty magazine, it needs to be ground to a taper so the bolt can push it down. Good Luck
Thanks for all the info. I took it to a gun guy I know and we put some Greek ammo in it that was new ( in the 60's) and it worked fine. I shot several rounds both from the magazine and single loading. I guess I wasn't closing it hard enough. It works great now. again thanks Lee
You installed the barrel on the receiver, then you installed the bolt and it would not close, that happens every time because the bolt must be indexed, the cut in the bolt face (extractor cut) must align with the bolt way (right side) when when the barrel is secured to the receiver.
I am the only person on this forum that is proficient with a feeler gage, here is what I do, screw the barrel in until it bottoms our, then back the barrel out until the bolt way on the right side aligns with the extractor cut, just for fun you can install the bolt (because I am not hung up on head space gage) I determine head space with the barrel backed out.
Back to alignment of the extractor cut and the alignment, once the barrel is bottom out and then backed out to align, a feeler gage can be used to check the gap between the front receiver ring and flange at the end of the threads on the shank. The gap, measured in thousands, will indicate the distance the shoulder at the of the threads must be moved forward to align, and there are index marks on the receiver and barrel, others refer to these lines as 'draw to lines'.
After you have tried this method and or technique let me know, do not attempt metal removal yet. There is a matter of crush and stopping short of perfect alignment, the nice thing about the Springfield, the threads are 10 per inch,
The bolt can not be installed unless the way RS and extractor cut align,
F. Guffey
I am the only person on this forum that is proficient with a feeler gage, here is what I do, screw the barrel in until it bottoms our, then back the barrel out until the bolt way on the right side aligns with the extractor cut, just for fun you can install the bolt (because I am not hung up on head space gage) I determine head space with the barrel backed out.
Back to alignment of the extractor cut and the alignment, once the barrel is bottom out and then backed out to align, a feeler gage can be used to check the gap between the front receiver ring and flange at the end of the threads on the shank. The gap, measured in thousands, will indicate the distance the shoulder at the of the threads must be moved forward to align, and there are index marks on the receiver and barrel, others refer to these lines as 'draw to lines'.
After you have tried this method and or technique let me know, do not attempt metal removal yet. There is a matter of crush and stopping short of perfect alignment, the nice thing about the Springfield, the threads are 10 per inch,
The bolt can not be installed unless the way RS and extractor cut align,
F. Guffey
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Then there is the other way, if you have a case that is minimum length or a new unfired minimum length case you can, before installing the barrel, place the minimum length case in the chamber then with what ever you use to measure depth or height measure from the head of the case down to the shoulder at the end of the threads on the barrel shank, this measurement can be used compare with the distance from the front receiver ring down to the bolt face, when done correctly the difference in the two measurements will indicate head space. I prefer the measurement of .000 difference, this allows me to finish the chamber, and OH! by the way check case head protrusion when the barrel is off the receiver, in the (near) perfect world the case protrudes from the barrel .090 thousands when measured from the bottom of the extractor cut.
I have heard from those that claim to have Hatcher some chambers have .170 case head protrusion, I measure case head thickness, military case head 30/06 case head thickness for LC is .200, think about it, with .170 case head protrusion and the radius at the mouth of the chamber the chamber would have .190 unsupported case head+. Anyhow, I measure case head protrusion.
and that is the reason I say R-P 30/06 brass is safer, the case head thickness is .260+.
F. Guffey
I have heard from those that claim to have Hatcher some chambers have .170 case head protrusion, I measure case head thickness, military case head 30/06 case head thickness for LC is .200, think about it, with .170 case head protrusion and the radius at the mouth of the chamber the chamber would have .190 unsupported case head+. Anyhow, I measure case head protrusion.
and that is the reason I say R-P 30/06 brass is safer, the case head thickness is .260+.
F. Guffey
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