| U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Bolt-action rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service |
|
| Used by | SeeUsers |
| Wars |
|
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1903 (1903) |
| Manufacturer | |
| Unit cost | $41.35 (1938),[2] equal to $924 now |
| Produced | 1903 (1903)–1949 (1949) |
| No. built | 3,004,079[3] |
| Variants | SeeVariants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.7 lb (3.9 kg) |
| Length | 43.2 in (1,100 mm) |
| Barrel length | 24 in (610 mm) |
| Cartridge | |
| Action | Bolt action |
| Rate of fire | User dependent; usually 15 to 30 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 100–300 yd (91–274 m)[4] |
| Maximum firing range | 5,500 yd (5,000 m) with .30 M1 ball cartridge |
| Feed system | 5- or 25-round (air service variant) internalbox magazine fed with 5-roundstripper clips |
| Sights |
|
| Blade type | Bayonet |
TheM1903 Springfield, officially theU.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903, is an American five-roundmagazine-fed,bolt-actionservicerepeating rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century.
The M1903 was first used in combat during thePhilippine–American War,[5] and it was officially adopted by the United States as the standard infantry rifle on 19 June 1903, where it saw service inWorld War I, and was replaced by the faster-firingsemi-automatic eight-roundM1 Garand starting in 1936. However, the M1903 remained in service as a standard issue infantry rifle duringWorld War II, since the U.S. entered the war without sufficient M1 rifles to arm all troops. It also remained in service as asniper rifle during World War II, theKorean War, and theVietnam War. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, historical collector's piece, a competitive shooting rifle, and as a military drill rifle.
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During the 1898war with Spain, theMauser M1893 used by the Spanish Army gained a deadly reputation, particularly from theBattle of San Juan Hill, where 750 Spanish regulars significantly delayed the advance of 15,000 US troops armed with outclassedSpringfield Krag–Jørgensen bolt-action rifles and older single-shotSpringfield model 1873trapdoor rifles. The Spanish soldiers inflicted 1,400 casualties on the US in a matter of minutes. Likewise, earlier in the day, a Spanish force of 540 regulars armed with the same Mauser rifles, under Spanish general Vara Del Rey, held off GeneralHenry Ware Lawton's Second Division of 6,653 American soldiers and an independent brigade of 1,800 men for ten hours in the nearby town ofEl Caney, keeping that division from assisting in the attack on the San Juan Heights. A US Army board of investigation was commissioned as a direct result of both battles. They recommended replacement of the Krag.
The 1903 adoption of the M1903 was preceded by nearly 30 years of struggle and politics, using lessons learned from the recently adopted Krag–Jørgensen and contemporary German MauserGewehr 98 bolt-action rifles. The design itself is largely based on the Mauser M1893 and its successive models up to the Gewehr 98 rifle. The M1903's forward receiver ring diameter is 1.305 in (33.15 mm), slightly over the 33 mm (1.30 in) ring diameter of the older "small ring" Mauser models and less than the "large ring" 35.8 mm (1.41 in) Gewehr 98s. The US military licensed many of the Mauser Company's and other German patents, including the spitzer bullet, later modified into the .30-06 Springfield.[6] The M1903 not only replaced the various versions of the U.S. Army's Krag, but also theLee M1895 andM1885 Remington–Lee used by the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, as well as all remaining single-shot trapdoor rifles. While theKrag had been issued with barrel lengths of both 30-inch rifle and 22-inchcarbine models, the Springfield was issued only as a short 24-inch-barrel rifle in keeping with current trends in Switzerland and Great Britain to eliminate the need for both long rifles and carbines.[7]
The two main problems usually cited with the Krag were its slow-to-load magazine and its inability to handle higher chamber pressures for high-velocity rounds. The United States Army attempted to introduce a higher-velocity cartridge in 1899 for the existing Krags, but its single locking lug on the bolt could not withstand the extra chamber pressure. Though astripper-clip or charger loading modification to the Krag was designed, it was clear to Army authorities that a new rifle was required. After the U.S. military's experience with the Mauser rifle in the1898 Spanish–American War, authorities decided to adopt a stronger Mauser-derived bolt-action design equipped with a charger- or stripper clip-loaded box magazine.
In 1882, the bolt actionRemington Lee rifle design of 1879, with its newly invented detachable box magazine, was purchased in limited numbers by the U.S. Navy. Several hundred M1882 Lee Navy models (M1882 Remington-Lee) were also subjected to trials by the U.S. Army during the 1880s, though the rifle was not formally adopted. The Navy adopted the M1885, and later different style Lee M1895 (a 6 mm straight pull bolt), which saw service in theBoxer Rebellion. In Army service, both the M1885 and M1895 6 mm Lee were used in the Spanish–American War, along with the .30-40 Krag and the .45-70. The Lee rifle's detachable box magazine was invented byJames Paris Lee, and was very influential on later rifle designs.[citation needed] Other advancements had made it clear that the Army needed a replacement. In 1892, the U.S. military held a series of rifle trials, resulting in the adoption of the .30-40 Krag–Jørgensen rifle. The Krag officially entered U.S. service in 1894, only to be replaced nine years later by the M1903.
Thousands of Spanish Mauser M1893 rifles, surrendered by Spanish troops in Cuba, were returned to the US and extensively studied atSpringfield Armory, where it was decided that the Mauser was the superior design.
A prototype rifle was produced in 1900; it was very similar to rifle No. 5, the final Mauser M92 prototype in the U.S. Army rifle trials of 1892. This design was rejected, and a new design combining features of the M1898 Krag rifle and the Spanish Mauser M1893 was developed.
Springfield began work on creating a rifle that could handle higher loads around the turn of the 20th century. The Springfield Model 1901 prototype combined theKrag–Jørgensen's cock-on-opening bolt, 30-inch barrel, magazine cutoff, stock and sights with the Mauser M1893's dual locking lugs, external claw extractor, and staggered-column magazine. Taking a cue from the MauserGewehr 98, a large safety lug was added to the side of the bolt behind the extractor, which engaged the receiver bridge and prevented the bolt from moving rearwards. The bolt handle was also bent downwards, to make it faster to operate. The Model 1901 almost entered production. Springfield was sure enough that the Model 1901 prototype would be accepted that they began making some of the parts for it, but it was not accepted; further changes were asked for.
Following then-current trends in service rifles, the barrel was shortened to 24 inches after it was discovered that a longer barrel offered no appreciableballistic advantage, and the shorter barrel was lighter and easier to handle. This "short rifle" also eliminated the need of a shorter carbine for mounted troops orcavalry.[8] A spike-typebayonet with storage in the forend of the stock was added to the design. This new design was accepted, type classified and officially adopted as theUnited States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903 and entered production in 1903. The M1903 became commonly known among its users as the "aught-three" in reference to the year, 1903, of first production.
Despite Springfield Armory's use of a two-piece firing pin and other slight design alterations, the M1903 was, in fact, aMauser design, and after that company brought suit, the U.S. government was judged to pay $250,000 in royalties to Mauser Werke.[9]
By January 1905, over 80,000 of these rifles had been produced at the federally-owned Springfield Armory. However, PresidentTheodore Roosevelt objected to the design of the sliding rod-type bayonet used as being too flimsy for combat. In a letter to thesecretary of war, he said:
I must say that I think that ramrod bayonet is about as poor an invention as I ever saw. As you observed, it broke short off as soon as hit with even moderate violence. It would have no moral effect and mighty little physical effect.[10]
All the rifles to that point consequently had to be re-tooled for a blade-type bayonet, called the "M1905". The sights were also an area of concern, so the new improved Model 1904 sight was also added.[8][11]
The retooling was almost complete when it was decided another change would be made. It was to incorporate improvements discovered during experimentation in the interim, most notably the use of pointed ammunition, first adopted by the French in the 1890s and later other countries. The round itself was based on the .30-03, but rather than a 220-grain (14 g) round-tip bullet fired at 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s), it had a 150-grain (9.7 g) pointed bullet fired at 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s); the case neck was a fraction of an inch shorter as well. The new American cartridge was designatedCartridge, Ball, Caliber .30, Model of 1906. The M1906 cartridge is better known as the.30-06 Springfield round, used in many rifles and machine guns, and is still a popular civilian cartridge to the present day. The rifle's sights were again re-tooled to compensate for the speed and trajectory of the new cartridge.
By the time of the 1916Pancho Villa Expedition, the M1903 was the standard issue service rifle of US forces. Some rifles were fitted with both theWarner & Swasey Model 1913 and 1908 "musket sights" during the campaign, "musket sights" being the vernacular at the time for telescopic sights. The Warner & Swasey Model 1913 musket sight continued to see service after the Pancho Villa Expedition and during World War I but was eventually deemed inadequate and was removed from the US Army's inventory by the 1920s.[12]
The military tested several M1903 rifles withMaximsuppressors starting in 1909, and requisitioned 500 in 1910 to be used for recruit training.[13] Anecdotal evidence indicates that some of the M1903 rifles during the Pancho Villa Expedition were fitted with Maxim suppressors, possibly making them the first suppressed rifles used in the field by the US military; however, during World War I American M1903s were not fitted with suppressors due to opposition from officers and the fact that suppressors would preclude the use of bayonets.[14]
By the time of US entry intoWorld War I, 843,239 M1903 rifles had been produced at Springfield Armory andRock Island Arsenal. Pre-war production utilized questionable metallurgy. Some receivers constructed of single-heat-treated case-hardened steel were improperly subjected to excessive temperatures during the forging process. The carbon could be "burnt" out of the steel, producing a brittle receiver.[16] Despite documented evidence indicating some early rifles were improperly forged, actual cases of failure were very rare. Although several cases of serious injury from receiver failure were documented, the U.S. Army never reported any fatalities. Many failures were attributed to use of incorrect cartridges, such as the7.92×57mm Mauser.[17] Evidence also seems to suggest that improperly forged brass cartridge cases could have further exacerbated receiver failure.[18]
Pyrometers were installed in December 1917 to accurately measure temperatures during the forging process. The change was made at approximately serial number 800,000 for rifles made at Springfield Armory and at serial number 285,507 at Rock Island Arsenal. Lower serial numbers are known as "low-number" M1903 rifles. Higher serial numbers are said to be "double-heat-treated".[17]
Toward the end of the war, Springfield turned out the Model 1903 Mark I. The Mark I has a cut on the left hand side of the receiver meant to act as an ejection port for the Pedersen device, a modified sear and cutoff to operate the Pedersen device; a specialized insert that replaced the bolt and allowed the user to fire .30 caliber pistol cartridges semi-automatically from a 40-round detachable magazine. The stock was also slightly cut down on the left side to clear the ejection port. In all other respects, the Mark I is identical to the M1903. Temperature control during forging was improved prior to Mark I production. The receiver alloy was toughened by addition of nickel after Mark I production.
In 1926, after experiencing the effect of long-range German7.92×57mm rifle and machine gun fire during the war, the U.S. Army adopted the heavy, 174-grain, boat-tail bullet for its .30-06 cartridge, standardized asCartridge, Ball, caliber 30, M1.[19] M1 ammunition, intended primarily for long-range machine gun use, soon became known by Army rifle competition teams and expert riflemen for its considerably greater accuracy over that of the M1906-round; the new M1 ammunition was issued to infantrymen with the Springfield rifle as well as to machine gun teams.[20] However, during the late 1930s, it became apparent that, with the development of mortars, high-angle artillery, and the .50 caliberM2 Browning machine gun, the need for extreme long-range, rifle-caliber machine-gun fire was decreasing. In 1938, the US Army reverted to a .30-06 cartridge with a 152-grain flat-base bullet, now termed "M2 ball", for all rifles and machine guns.[19]
In the 1920s and the 1930s, M1903s were delivered to US allies in Central America, such as Cuba, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Costa Rica troops were equipped with Springfields during theCoto War and some rifles were captured by the opposing Panamanians.[21] The Cuban Springfields were used byBatista forces after WW2 and later by theRevolutionary Armed Forces, for instance during theBay of Pigs Invasion.[22]
TheFederal Bureau of Investigation acquired some M1903 rifles configured likeNational Rifle Association sporter models in response to the 1933Kansas City Massacre.[23]
In service, the Springfield was generally prized for its reliability and accuracy, though some problems remained. The precision rear aperture sight was located too far from the eye for efficient use, and the narrow, unprotected front sight was both difficult to see in poor light and easily damaged. The Marine Corps issued the Springfield with a sight hood to protect the front sight, along with a thicker front blade. The two-piece firing pin-striker also proved to be no improvement over the original one-piece Mauser design, and was a cause of numerous ordnance repairs, along with occasional reports of jammed magazine followers.[24]
World War II saw new production of the Springfield at private manufacturers such as theRemington Arms andSmith-Corona Typewriter companies. Remington began production of the M1903 in September 1941, at serial number 3,000,000, using old tooling from the Rock Island Arsenal which had been in storage since 1919. The very early Remington-made rifles are almost indistinguishable from 1919-made Rock Island rifles. As the already worn tooling began to wear beyond use Remington began seeking Army approval for a continuously increasing number of changes and simplifications to both speed up manufacture and improve performance. The milled parts on the Remington M1903 were gradually replaced with stamped parts until, at about serial number 3,330,000, the Army and Remington recognized that a new model name was appropriate. Other features of the M1903, such as high-grade walnut stocks with finger grooves, were replaced with less expensive but serviceable substitutes. Most milled parts made by Remington were marked with an "R".[25]
Production of the M1903 was discontinued in favor of the M1903A3. The most noticeable visual difference in the M1903A3 was the replacement of the barrel-mounted rear sight with a smaller, simpler aperture rear sight mounted on the rear of the receiver which was designed by Remington;[26] it was primarily adopted in order to speed familiarization by soldiers already trained on the M1 Garand, which had a similar sighting system. However, the leaf spring providing tension to the elevation adjustment on the new aperture sight tended to weaken with continued use over time, causing the rifle to lose its preset range elevation setting.[24] Other modifications included a new stamped cartridge follower; the rounded edges of the new design largely alleviated the "fourth-round jam" complaints of the earlier machined part.[24] All stock furniture was also redesigned in stamped metal.
In late 1942, Smith-Corona Typewriter Company began production of the M1903A3 at its plant in Syracuse, New York.[27] Smith-Corona parts are mostly identified by the absence of markings, except for occasions when time permitting during manufacture, on early to mid-production rifles, and also only on certain parts.
To speed up production output, two-groove rifled barrels were adopted, and steel alloy specifications were relaxed under "war emergency steel" criteria for both rifle actions and barrels.[28] All M1903A3 rifles with two-groove "war emergency" barrels were shipped with a printed notation stating that the reduction in rifling grooves did not affect accuracy.[29] As the war progressed, various machining and finishing operations were eliminated on the M1903A3 in order to increase production levels.[29]
Original production rifles at Remington and Smith-Corona had a dark gray-black finish similar to the bluing of late World War I. Beginning in late 1943 a lighter gray-green parkerizing finish was used. This later finish was also used on arsenal repaired weapons.
It is somewhat unusual to find a World War I or early World War II M1903 with its original dated barrel. Most, if not all, World War II .30-06 ammunition used a corrosive primer which left corrosive salts in the barrel. If not removed by frequent and proper barrel cleaning, these residues could cause pitting and excessive wear. Cleaning was sometimes lax when fighting in the jungle on various Pacific islands, and the higher moisture levels compounded the corrosive action of the residue.[30]
The M1903 and the M1903A3 rifles were used in combat alongside the M1 Garand by the US military during World War II and saw extensive use and action in the hands of US troops in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. TheUS Marines were initially armed with M1903 rifles in early battles in the Pacific, such as theBattle of Guadalcanal, but the jungle battle environment generally favored self-loading rifles;[31] later Army units arriving to the island were armed with M1 Garands.[32] TheU.S. Army Rangers were also a major user of the M1903 and the M1903A3 during World War II with the Springfield being preferred over the M1 Garand for certain commando missions.[citation needed]
According to Bruce Canfield'sU.S. Infantry Weapons of WW II, final variants of the M1903 (the A3 and A4) were delivered in February 1944.[25] By then, most American combat troops had been re-equipped with the M1 Garand. However, some front-line infantry units in both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps retained M1903s as infantry rifles beyond that date and continued to use them alongside the M1 Garand until the end of the war in 1945. The Springfield remained in service forsnipers (using theM1903A4),grenadiers (using a spigot type rifle22 mm with the M1grenade launcher until the M7 grenade launcher was available for the M1 rifle in late 1943), and Marinescout sniper units.
The M1903A4 was the U.S. Army's sniper rifle of choice during the Second World War. The M1903A4 was a variation of the M1903A3. The only difference between receivers was that the model and serial number on the receiver were split on M1903A4 to make room for the Redfieldscope mount. The Redfield scope mount removed the rear peep sight that was standard on the M1903A3. The scope used on the M1903A4 was a Weaver Model 330 or 330C, which was a 2.75x telescopic sight. The receivers were tested by Remington Arms and those that were deemed best, meaning those closest to design specifications were selected to become M1903A4s. The barrels were also selected specifically to be added to the M1903A4 rifle only if they were within almost exact specifications for the design. The front sight on the barrel was never installed on the A4 barrels, however, the notch for it was still in place.[24] Barrel specifications were, in general, unchanged between the M1903A3 and M1903A4, however, the War Department did start installing barrels with 2 groove rifling instead of 4 groove, despite the lack of clear changes from the 4 groove rifling that was the standard up until 1942.[33]
By some accounts, the M1903A4 was inadequate as a sniper rifle. The M1903A4 was a relatively accurate rifle with an effective range of about 600 yards (550 m). These limitations on long-range targeting were due to the limited field of view present in both the Weaver scopes. From its adoption in 1943 until the end of the war it was used extensively in every theater of operation by both the US Army and the USMC.[34] The Weaver scopes (later standardized as the M73 and M73B1) were not only low-powered in magnification, they were not waterproofed, and frequently fogged over or became waterlogged during humidity changes. In addition, the M81/82 optional scopes also had significant flaws. They most notably had less power (2.2x vs. 2.75x) and, like the other scopes on the M1903A4, had serious issues with the field of view.[24][34][35] The USMC and the US Army would eventually switch to a large 8x scope that spanned the length of the rifle designed by John Unertl.
The US Army Military Police (MP) and the US Navy Shore Patrol also used M1903s and M1903A3s throughout the war. Various US allies and friendly irregular forces were also equipped with the weapon. TheBrazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB), operating in the 5th Army in Italy, was equipped with M1903 rifles. In August 1943, theFree French Forces of GeneralCharles de Gaulle were re-equipped by the United States, primarily with M1903 Springfield andM1917 Enfield rifles. The M1903 became one of the primary rifles used by French forces until the end of the war, and was afterwards used inIndochina[36] and by local militia and security forces in French Algeria.[37] Large numbers of M1903 rifles were sent to China.[38]
During the Korean War, South Korean Marines used the M1903A3.[39]
The M1903 rifles captured by the Germans were designatedGewehr 249(a).[40]
The M1903A4 was slowly phased out during the Korean war by the Army, but saw extensive use in the Marine Corps in the form of the M1941 Sniper rifle.[citation needed] This new rifle was simply equipped with a very long and powerful Unertl 7.8x (as compared to the M73B1 2.5X telescopic sights issued with the army's M1903A4) variant type scope. It was used in situations when the range to the target simply exceeded that of the Marines' M1C and M1D sniper rifles, which were effective to about 500 yards (460 m). In some rare cases, kills from up to 1,000 yards (910 m) were reported by Marines using the M1941 sniper rifles. Marine Corps armorers continued to rebuild some M1903 sniper rifles as late as the early stages of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.[citation needed]
After the Korean War, active service (as opposed to drill) use of the M1903 was rare. Still, some M1903A4s remained in sniper use as late as the Vietnam War; and technical manuals for them were printed as late as 1970.[8] The U.S. Navy also continued to carry some stocks of M1903A3s on board ships for use as anti-mine rifles.
Due to its balance, the M1903 is still popular with various military drill teams and color guards, most notably theU.S. Army Drill Team.[citation needed] M1903 rifles (along with the M1 Garand, M1917 Enfield and M14 rifles) are also common athigh schoolJunior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) units to teach weapons handling and military drill procedures to the cadets. JROTC units use M1903s for regular and inter-school competition drills, including elaborate exhibition spinning routines. Exhibition teams often use fiberglass stocks in place of wooden stocks, which are heavier and more prone to breakage when dropped. JROTC Color Guards still favor wooden stocks over fiberglass because of their weight characteristics and appearance. The M1903 is the standard parade rifle of theVirginia Tech Corps of Cadets, which has over six hundred M1903s, a very small percentage of which are still fireable.The Summerall Guards ofThe Citadel also use the M1903 Springfield for their silent drill performances.
U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps color guard rifles bear many similarities to the Springfield.[clarification needed]
In 1977, the U.S. Army located a rather large cache of unissued M1903A3 rifles which were demilitarized and then issued to JROTC units as a replacement for their previously issuedM1 Garand andM14 rifles, which were then returned to Army custody due to concerns about potential break-ins at high school JROTC armories.
For safety reasons, the JROTC M1903s are made permanently unable to fire by plugging the barrel with a steel rod, or having it filled with lead, soldering the bolt and welding the magazine cutoff switch in the "on" position. To plug the barrel, a very cold steel rod was inserted; after it warmed up it was too tight to remove.
The US rifle, Model of 1903 is44+7⁄8 inches (1.14 m) long and weighs 8 lb 11 oz (3.9 kg). A bayonet can be attached; theM1905 bayonet blade is 16 in (410 mm) long and weighs 1 pound (0.45 kg). From 1906, the rifle was chambered to fire the .30caliber M1906cartridge (.30-06 cartridge), later the M1 (1926) and M2 ball (1938) rounds. There were four standard types of cartridge:
The rifle is a magazine-fed clip-loader and can fire at a rate of 20 shots per minute. Eachstripper clip contains five cartridges, and standard issue consisted of 12 clips carried in a cloth bandoleer. When full thebandoleer weighs about 3 lb 14 oz (1.8 kg). Bandoleers were packed 20 in a box, for a total of 1,200 rounds. The full box weighs 100 lb (45 kg).
The bore of the rifle is 0.30 inches (7.62 mm) in diameter. It was then rifled 0.004 in (0.1 mm) deep, making the diameter from the bottom of one groove to the bottom of the opposite groove 0.30787 in (7.82 mm) of the barrel.
The M1903 rifle included a rear sight leaf that can be used to adjust for elevation and windage. This type of rear sight was previously designed byAdelbert R. Buffington of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department. The M1905 rear sight was calibrated to match the trajectory ofM1906 service ammunition and offers several sighting options. When the leaf and slider are down, the battle sight notch appears on top. This was set for 547 yd (500 m) for the down position of the slide, and is not adjustable. When the leaf is raised its range slider can be adjusted to a maximum range of 2,850 yd (2,606 m). The .30-06 Springfield M1906 service ammunition long-range performance was originally overstated. When the M1906 cartridge was developed, the range tests had been done to only 1,800 yd (1,646 m); distances beyond that were estimated, but the estimate for extreme range was wrong by almost 40 percent.[41] The external ballistic discrepancy at long-ranges became evident during World War I. The M1905 rear sight can also be adjusted for windage.
The M1903A3 introduced a ramp-type rearaperture sight adjustable both for elevation and windage. It can be adjusted from 100 to 800 yd (91 to 732 m). This new sightline also lengthened the sight radius.[42]
A feature inherent to the M1903 and not found on theMauser M98 is the cocking piece, a conspicuous knob at the rear of the bolt, allowing the rifle's striker to be released without dry firing, or to cock the rifle if necessary, for example to attempt a second strike on a round that failed to fire. This was implemented from the U.S. model of the Krag–Jørgensen rifle.
There were four main variants given official nomenclature, though there are a number of important sub-variants:
There are two main other types, various training types, and competition versions such as theNational Match types. Aside from these there are some other civilian versions, experimental versions, and other miscellaneous types. Due to the duration of its service, there is also a range of smaller differences among ones from different periods and manufacturers.
In military use it was outnumbered by theM1917 Enfield for much of the war. Also, during World War II many remained in use early on, especially in the Pacific (generally replaced as M1s became available), in addition to service (along with other weapons) as a sniper rifle and to launchrifle grenades.
Ernest Hemingway used an M1903 to shoot big game, includinglions, on his first Africansafari in 1933. His experiences during the safari is the subject ofGreen Hills of Africa, published in 1935.[50]
An M1903A4 is used by Private Daniel Jackson in the filmSaving Private Ryan.[51]
Austria: Equipped with 470 M1903A4s used as a marksman rifle. Called "Zielfernrohrgewehr 03" in Austrian service.[52][53]
Brazil[54]
Cambodia[55]
Canada[55]
China[55]
Costa Rica[21]
Cuba[55]
Ethiopia: Received after World War II.[56]
France[55][57]
Nazi Germany: Captured rifles from American soldiers designated the Gewehr 249(a). Captured rifles from Commonwealth soldiers designated the Gewehr 249(e).
Greece[55]
Haiti: Issued toGendarmerie[58]
Honduras: Equipped with 2,083 M1903s in 1950.[59]
Italian Partisans: Supplied to partisans operating in the vicinity of American troops.[60]
Japan: Captured during World War II. Used byNational Police Reserve after the war.[citation needed]
Laos[61]
Netherlands: Used by theNetherlands Marine Corps during theIndonesian National Revolution.[62]
New Zealand[63]
Nicaragua[21]
North Vietnam[64]
Peru[65]
Philippines[55]
Republic of China[64][38] Republic of China (Taiwan)[66]
South Korea : Equipped with 216 M1903A3s before theKorean War. The number in service peaked at 3,611 in 1951, and was reduced to 393 by the end of the war. The military also received 100 and 109 M1903A4s in 1952 and 1953, respectively.[67]
South Vietnam[57]
Thailand[55]
United Kingdom[63]
United States: Still in use withJunior ROTC units for ceremonial purposes.[55]| Preceded by | United States Army rifle 1903-1936 | Succeeded by |
and in 1903»the f short rifle " was actually approved and issued generally.
