Survival Directory
History of the M1903A1 Sniper Rifle
by Dieter Stenger, Curator of Ordnance, United States Marine
Corps Museum
During the 1920s and 1930s, the .30-caliber M1903 Springfield rifle served
as the principle military service match rifle. In 1908, the M1903 became the
official National Match (NM) rifle. By 1910, select rifles were test-fired and
their barrels stargauged for accuracy. In 1929, the NM rifle was modified with
a Type-C stock in place of the non-pistol grip Type-S or "straight
stock." In this new form, the NM rifle was designated as the M1903A1
National Match.
In 1942, the Marine Corps opted the military version 8X Unertl telescopic
target sight for use on the Springfield M1903A1 rifle. The M1903A1/Unertl
combination was issued to Marine Snipers during World War II.
Marine Corps selection of sniper rifles was made after test-firing the
rifles. Most had star-gauged barrels, but not all. Ordinary barrels were used
if they performed well. After Unertl scope blocks were installed, trigger pulls
were adjusted and the latest pattern components installed. These included parts
received from the Springfield armories that were reworked by Marine armor
personnel. There was no correlation between serial numbers and barrel dates.
Bolts were carefully fitted and electro-pen engraved with the rifle serial
number and then blued. There is no conclusive evidence that suggests that all
bolts were blued.
Bright NM bolts have been observed on M1903A1 sniper rifles. The hand guards
were modified to fit the small front scope block. Once a M1903A1/Unertl rifle
had undergone the prescribed modifications by a Marine armorer, the rifle was
referred to as a "Model 1941 Sniper Rifle."
Many, but not all, Marine Corps armorers adopted signature methods that
included chalking or pencil-marking initials and rifle serial numbers inside
the hand guards and stamping their initials on the stock.
Marine Sniper Rifle Characteristics
by Larry Reynolds
- Serial numbers ranging from
900,000 to 1,532,000.
- Rifles predating 1936
exhibit the second gas port as recommended by General Hatcher (believed
USMC modification).
- Rails on almost all rifles
were polished (NM).
- Centered rear Unertl scope
block and butted against the rear sight.
- Top of receiver was ground
to bare metal where sight bloc holes are drilled. Bare metal usually
visible with bloc installed.
- Barrel punch mark at 6 o§clock,
directly under the front bloc. Re-barreled rifles may not have mark.
- Serial numbers found on
stock exhibiting NM features.
- NM heavy checkered butt
plates.
- Pre-1936 rifles stamped with
D.A.L. cartouche. Post-1936 stamped with SA over SPG.
- Milled trigger guards and
housings. Staked screws on trigger guard.
- Standard front sights
without covers.
- Standard 1905 rear sight
with pre-World War I notch.
- World War II replacement
hand guards with single straight cut for windage knob.
- Bolts polished, numbered and
blued.
- Bolts marked on top of root
where it joins body for type of steel. Most NS for nickel steel, last
production marked D1.
- Early Hatcher Hole modified
bolts have a single gas hole modified to larger hole.
- Later bolts, for factory
receivers with Hatcher Hole, have two gas holes in bottom.
- Later bolt extractors marked
CV (chrome vanadium).
- Scope blocks lettered on
bottom, 0 - rear and E - front.
- 7.8 x 1-1/4" objective,
24", Unertl Target scope with 1/4 or 1/2 minute clicks and anodized
Duraluminum mount.
- Scope marked USMC SNIPER and
serialized from low 1,000 to high 2,775.
- Scopes finished with
commercial blue.
- 1047 Team Rifles were
available at Philadelphia for conversion to sniper. Sale of surplus USMC
03 rifles (Marine Corps only) began Fall 1954, mostly to Marine officers.