1903 Action

[CopperBasin]

I inherited a .35 Whelen built on a Springfield 1903 action. I'm considering having it rebarelled to a smaller, speedier cartridge, but I really don't know what I've got. I have fired it and there are some problems that need addressed. About every 10 shots the firing pin does not strike hard enough to fire, it sometimes does not pick up a round from the right side of the magazine, and I have had fired cases not eject.
I'm sure a good gunsmith could fix these issues, and if these issues could be corrected, what are your thoughts on the 1903?
Thank you

 

[shortgrass]

I inherited a .35 Whelen built on a Springfield 1903 action. I'm considering having it rebarelled to a smaller, speedier cartridge, but I really don't know what I've got. I have fired it and there are some problems that need addressed. About every 10 shots the firing pin does not strike hard enough to fire, it sometimes does not pick up a round from the right side of the magazine, and I have had fired cases not eject.
I'm sure a good gunsmith could fix these issues, and if these issues could be corrected, what are your thoughts on the 1903?
Thank you

Time for a 10 minute break! Yes, all the issues you listed are fixable. Is the serial number above 800,000? Those below that might have some heat treat issues and are generally considered "unsafe to fire". Many 03s and 03/A3s have been used to build custom hunting rifles over the years. After the heat treat issues were resolved they were probably #2 for building on a mil surp action (the Mauser '98 being #1). They have a longer mag box than the Mauser and the 03/A3s were made of alloy steel instead of being case hardened. Good parts are still available for these actions. The first rifle I stocked from a blank was a Rock Island 03. A Mauser would have been easier..... If you're thinking about re-barreling, any cartridge based on the .30/06 will work easily.lightbulb As would any of the 57mm long cartridges (6mm Rem, .257 Roberts, 6.5 or 7mm x 57 Mauser,,, or any of these in their 'improved' form). It can be converted to any of the standard length magnums, too (7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, etc)

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

I wouldn't touch a thing until I had a good smith look at the action,, a new firing pin or spring costs far less than a rebarrel, chamber job and truing of that old action. You can buy and off the shelf bolt these days for well under the cost of all that work. All of them are more than capable of harvesting game these days and besides you might mess up the value of that old Springfield, someone's always looking for them.

 

[rcerro]

Are you shooting factory ammo or reloads? The Whelen has a very slight shoulder and if you push the shoulder too far back when full length sizing it can create a headspace issue. It might not be a firing pin or spring issue at all.

I'm sure a gunsmith can adress the feeding issue. Though not a true long range cartridge the 35 Whelen can be pretty versatile when hand loaded. I load Barnes 200gr TTSX over 2900fps with IMR 8208 XBR and it shoots pretty flat and hits pretty hard. It really is a fantastic cartridge and kills right now. Good luck with your rifle build whatever you decide.

 

[Bravo 4]

I wouldn't touch a thing until I had a good smith look at the action,,

Time for a 10 minute break! Yes, all the issues you listed are fixable. Is the serial number above 800,000? Those below that might have some heat treat issues and are generally considered "unsafe to fire".

If it was made at the Springfield Armory the 800,000 is correct but if it were made in the Rock Island Arsenal the number is 285,506.

Regardless of the number, all of them are decades old and should be examined by a smith.

 

[CopperBasin]

Well I'm glad I asked about this because I've learned a lot already. I fired the rifle when I first got it about three years ago then kind of gave up on it. Now I have renewed interest.
The serial a 902,xxx so that's good. I will be taking to a local gunsmith to iron some of this out. The head space does appear to be an issue. I compared the fired cases with the reloaded unfixed cases and the is a visible difference in the shoulder, didn't measure but it's a lot. In fact on more inspection, the barrel is stamped .35 Whelen but the dies that came with it are .35 Whelen Improved. The fire formed cases look more like a 40 degree.
The cases were resized military -06

 

[RT2506]

If your chamber is a 35 Whelen and your dies are for the 35 Whelen Improved THERE IS YOUR PROBLEM. Any competent gunsmith will be able to do a chamber cast for you to see what you actually have.