Strange modification on 03 springfield

M

martin zuck

Member
The other day a customer brought in a 1903 springfield he had purchased at a gun show. It would not work and he wanted me to "fix" it. I took the bolt apart an low and behold the tip of the firing pin had been ground off. Turns out had the firing pin tip not been ground off he may have gotten into some real trouble. When I took the stock off "full military" about an inch ahead of the chamber there was a very neatly centered 3/16 dia. hole completely thru the barrel vertically. Other than sabotage would there be another reason for this?

P.S.
Action is one of the later nickle steel recievers, It's not an 03-A3.
 
This purpose crossed my mind an then my next thought was with the hole being hidden what would be the result of replacing the firing pin and firing it. A face full of splinters? As I had no intentions of firing it I didn't check the chamber. I guess if I can't chamber a round in it then I have wasted my and everyone elses time with this thread!
 
martin zuck said:
This purpose crossed my mind an then my next thought was with the hole being hidden what would be the result of replacing the firing pin and firing it. A face full of splinters? As I had no intentions of firing it I didn't check the chamber. I guess if I can't chamber a round in it then I have wasted my and everyone elses time with this thread!
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If by some chance it's a fake and it DOES chamber a round you've got a bomb on your hands. What you do with it is up to you but I'd destroy it.

al
 
actually if that is all that is done to it and the reciever is a good reciever buy a bbl and put it back in service...if all else checks out fine.

some of the parade rifles were demil'd with welding that is easily( up to your skills) reworked. a lot of bbls supposedly welded to the recievers actually have no penetration in the weld and the recver is good if one can fix the safety......
mike in co
alinwa said:
If by some chance it's a fake and it DOES chamber a round you've got a bomb on your hands. What you do with it is up to you but I'd destroy it.

al
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Shooter Safety is Never a waist of time.

martin zuck said:
This purpose crossed my mind an then my next thought was with the hole being hidden what would be the result of replacing the firing pin and firing it. A face full of splinters? As I had no intentions of firing it I didn't check the chamber. I guess if I can't chamber a round in it then I have wasted my and everyone elses time with this thread!
Click to expand...
 
Could that be a pressure test barrel that some how got ouy of the arsenal. I have a picture of them doing a copper crush pressure test on a barrel. It is a heavy device that clamp's around the barrell, and hold's a copper disc. The barrel would need a hole in it for that test. This test was for the ammunition, not the barrel.
 
which would be fine on a parade rifle, they had no functioning firing pin...
it only has to look and cycle like a rifle, not shoot like one.

mike in co
B.Johnson said:
Could that be a pressure test barrel that some how got ouy of the arsenal. I have a picture of them doing a copper crush pressure test on a barrel. It is a heavy device that clamp's around the barrell, and hold's a copper disc. The barrel would need a hole in it for that test. This test was for the ammunition, not the barrel.
Click to expand...
 
Any legion rifle I ever seen was fully fuctional. After all, they fire blanks' at a funeral service.
 
A Legion &/or Color Guard rifle is functional for funeral/ceremony purposes.

A Parade rifle is de-milled/rendered INERT w/ ground firing pin tip(#1 idiot-proofing)a drilled chamber (#2 idiot-proofing)& tac welded barrel to receiver(#3 idiot-proofing).

Part the tac weld from Barrel/receiver,NDI the receiver/bolt,build up a firing pin & spin a barrel w/ headspaced chamber to receiver/bolt for a functional '03 rifle.
 
I checked the chamber today and with a good firing pin the rifle is completely operable accept for the hidden hole in the barrel. Barrel appears original with no sign of any welding. I apologize if I gave the impression safety was not a major concern, I guess I came across wrong. I would think if it was a pressure test barrel the hole would only be thru one side but I don't this for sure.
 
I can't believe the military would let a rifle out of there hand's with a blind hole drilled in the barrel.
 
military mistakes

they have done worse the sent some m14s to se asia that blew up in the hands of the soldiers oops
 
it is not considered a "rifle" with the mods done to it....that simple.
mike in co
B.Johnson said:
I can't believe the military would let a rifle out of there hand's with a blind hole drilled in the barrel.
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If you leave that barrel on it I would block the chamber so a round can not be chambered... Firing pins are easily replaced and then you have a 'bomb'. Unless someone wants to 'collect' this rifle I would think a new firing pin and barrel would make this good to go.
 
A few more things to consider.
Did you tell the client yet about these various problems with his rifle?
What was his response.
The PS about the nickle receiver should be an indication it was not meant for battlefield use.
While I agree with safety concerns and considerations I would think Martin is very very limited in what he can actually choose to do WITHOUT the customers permission. He could open himself to some legal problems by making unapproved modifications to someone else's property.
Though it would be a good idea if the client refuses to have and safety modifications made that he signs some sort or information notification form proving that he was informed of the dangerous condition of the rifle.
 
the rifle as is is not dangerous..it is exactly what it is suppose to be..a mechanically functional parade rifle...not a shooter.
the danger only rears it head if a partial refit is done to the rifle.....

just make sure he understands what he bought and what it takes to make it a shooter....and yes i suppose in writing.

mike in co
 
I thank you boys for your input even though we don't know much more than when we started. " Mike in co", why would it not have been just as good of a parade rifle with out the hole? That way if some unknowing person replaced the firing pin but did not find the hole,remember it's covered with wood, they would not be involved in a wreck!
 
On a parade rifle, why would they drill a hole out of site on a rifle that could be fired?
 
it cannot be fired. unless modified....
no one has mentioned safeties....the safety is welded in place/bolt not removable( so you cannot replace the firing pin).
so look closely at the saftey area..is it a reweld rework ?

no weld on bbl to reciever ???/look very closely for rework ???
no weld on safety ?? again look very closely for rework...some is very good........

if neither of the above...welll its a display gun ?/ a movie gun ?? did you check the serial number mfg to ensure a real gun ??/

mike in co

B.Johnson said:
On a parade rifle, why would they drill a hole out of site on a rifle that could be fired?
Click to expand...
 
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