NIGHTLORD40K
Member
I had un-sporterized my high-number 1903 a couple years ago with a new forend and a NOS low-hump handguard. It turned out OK, and shoots like a laser, but I wasn't really happy with the looks or handling. Tried as I might, I could never get the wood stain to match and the slick-side Remington stock didn't promote a stable grip or bolt manipulation.
I really prefer grasping grooves and the hi-hump upper wood, so when a supply of these finished, early-style Minelli repro stocks showed up on Ebay for a reasonable sum, I jumped on one.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result, but a drop-in operation it was not. It's obvious Minelli used an 03A3 as a mule when they set up the tooling for this stock and there are a few differences. The lower band retainer hole was round and had to be squared off for a milled '03 retainer and the upper band crossbolt hole had to be redrilled for a milled part as well.
Additionally, the wood was far too thick under both bands, requiring several hours of careful shaving to correct.
The grasping grooves are a bit shallow compared to the real article and the "high-hump" handguard profile isn't quite right either, but overall it looks a lot closer to how a 1918 production gun left the factory. On the plus side, the recoil bolts and trigger guard fit snug and square. I topped it off with a NOS Remington checkered buttplate replacing the slip-prone smooth part that came with the gun.
These stocks aren't outrageous, but they ain't cheap either. The finish is a rather dull and dark oil, the lines aren't perfect and some of the dimensional issues are significant, but I guess Id give Minelli a B+ for effort. If you have an '03 in need of new wood- and you aren't afraid of some sweat and elbow grease- you may want to grab one while you can.
I really prefer grasping grooves and the hi-hump upper wood, so when a supply of these finished, early-style Minelli repro stocks showed up on Ebay for a reasonable sum, I jumped on one.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result, but a drop-in operation it was not. It's obvious Minelli used an 03A3 as a mule when they set up the tooling for this stock and there are a few differences. The lower band retainer hole was round and had to be squared off for a milled '03 retainer and the upper band crossbolt hole had to be redrilled for a milled part as well.
Additionally, the wood was far too thick under both bands, requiring several hours of careful shaving to correct.
The grasping grooves are a bit shallow compared to the real article and the "high-hump" handguard profile isn't quite right either, but overall it looks a lot closer to how a 1918 production gun left the factory. On the plus side, the recoil bolts and trigger guard fit snug and square. I topped it off with a NOS Remington checkered buttplate replacing the slip-prone smooth part that came with the gun.
These stocks aren't outrageous, but they ain't cheap either. The finish is a rather dull and dark oil, the lines aren't perfect and some of the dimensional issues are significant, but I guess Id give Minelli a B+ for effort. If you have an '03 in need of new wood- and you aren't afraid of some sweat and elbow grease- you may want to grab one while you can.
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