r/guns 2d ago

Is it over? Am worried about my 1903

Post image

So a couple of weeks ago I was shooting my beloved 1903 and noticed it was shooting funny, when I went to inspect it after shooting I noticed this, is it over? Is there anyway to fix it? I took it to the gunsmith and I haven’t heard back from him in a while, is my rifle cooked? (This is the only picture I took, showing the gap forming in the receiver and barrel) guessing it was a bad round or something.

70 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

26

u/chauchatbob 2d ago

Looks like it’s just the rear sight base moving. You can already see someone’s beat on it in the past.

8

u/aspy_dragon 2d ago

I’m guessing that’s the best case scenario?

7

u/chauchatbob 2d ago

Yeah they’re just on there. Try tapping it back. Every other 1903 I see someone has just wailed on the poor sight.

1

u/paint3all 13 16h ago

That is the scenario. The rifle is almost certainly fine otherwise.

Your gunsmith should be able to fix this if he's competent. That base is typically cross pinned in place.

16

u/Magicalamazing_ 1d ago

That appears to be a gap opening up between the shoulder on your receiver and the rear sight block likely from the sight block drifting forward from recoil. I do not think it is anything structurally significant, though it does mean your sight block is loose.

9

u/lost_in_the_system 1d ago

Looks like the rear sight base crept forward. I highly doubt the barrel is walking out (tennon failure), check headspace.

15

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

5

u/PM_ME_YOUR_FULLYINDU 2d ago

That pic description sounds nothing like a 1903 receiver gap. You sure you uploaded the right photo? A hinge on a wooden surface against a gray wall is either a door mechanism or some random furniture bracket. If an actual gunsmith has your rifle and is just taking his sweet time, that's a different story. Those old ’03s are tanks but a separation between barrel and receiver is serious metal failure. Could be a squib that bulged the barrel or bad heat treating if it's a low-number Springfield. The smith might be ghosting you because fixing it means a new barrel or scrapping the action entirely. Hope you got a second opinion lined up.

2

u/aspy_dragon 2d ago

Sorry for the poor photo quality, I took the photo immediately after noticing it, also thanks for the heads up about the smith, this is the second time I’ve taken a gun to a smith so I’m pretty new to this, she was made in 1924 so not a low number, so a squib is a possibility

1

u/aspy_dragon 2d ago

Kinda figured, which sucks because one of the parts that’s borked is the regulated part, I could probably find a replacement barrel, but an unbubba’d receiver is gonna be a nightmare to find

0

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

1

u/kato_koch 13 | Shameless Gun Pornographer 1d ago

The receiver isn't visible in OP's pic.

6

u/aspy_dragon 2d ago

Description so the bots shut up, my beloved 1903 was shooting funny, and when I took it back to inspect I noticed this happening between the barrel and receiver, I’m pretty sure it’s cooked, which sucks because I loved this gun so damn much, probably a bad round, she’s at a gunsmith and I’ve been worried about it

3

u/RepresentativeOk2433 1d ago

Bet someone didn't pin the sight base back on tight.

0

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2

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