Shooting USA: History's Guns: The 1903 Springfield

Shooting USA airs every Wednesday on Outdoor Channel.
/ shootingusa
For more information, head to www.shootingusa.com
For full length current episodes: vimeo.com/ondemand/shootingusa
#ShootingUSA

[@ditzydoo4378]

In WWI the US Army's most produced and carried rifle in theater was not the M-1903 Springfield. it was instead the P-17 Enfield. the United States commercial arms manufacturers, Winchester, Remington and Eddystone (a subsidiary of Remington set up principally to manufacture the P14) to produce the P14 for the British in the years before the US entered the war in 1917. It was only when the US declared war in 1917 the short fall in rifle domestic production (843,000 Springfields) was acknowledged. The makers of the P-14 at the same time produced the P-17, a rechambered rifle, and was pressed into service to offset the Springfield shortage. A total of 2,193,429 Enfield P-17 were produced between 1917 and 1918. Even the legendary Medal of Honor exploits of Sgt Alvin York were carried out using an Eddystone P-17, and not the M1903 that Gary Cooper used in the film by the same name.

[@Naltddesha]

I was wondering anyone would mention this in the comments, well done

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@Naltddesha very welcome. I love accurate history. ^~^ much like an accurate rifle.

[@jimstanga6390]

It should also be noted that since the P-14 was chambered for the rimmed .303 cartridge, when they reworked the rifle design to make the US M1917, it used .30-06 ammo which was rimless, and took up less room in the magazine. This meant there was room for a 6th cartridge.

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@jimstanga6390 Exactly and if you place a 7th atop the ones in the magazine, press down and ease the bolt forward the extractor will pick up that cartridge rim and give 6 + 1 in the chamber for 7 total.

[@hanc37]

These were surplus dime a dozen back in the 80s. Wish I would have picked one up when I had the chance.

[@michaelbenjmitchell1]

LOL I picked one up the other day for $45 Speingfield Armory manufacture.

[@Avery-ts2sk]

RIP jim forever in our hearts, forever in our firearms history curriculum 😕

[@ralphhernandez3521]

I am 73 and passed my A3-03 Springfield down to my son-in-law, whom I hope he passes down to his oldest son.

[@hanc37]

I'm 51 years old and I never heard of the 30-03 in my life, until today. It was another video on the history of the 30-06... Coincidence?

[@houseofchinn6112]

Wasn't the 1917 American Enfield used more by the Americans in WW1 than the 03 Springfield?

[@KRN762]

Yup. Far more common in issue than the 03. The 1917 is superior in neary every way to the 03, except for one. ... The 03 sight is adjustable for windage, and the 1917 isnt.

[@paleoph6168]

​@@KRN762a bummer when target shooting or hunting, though do you still have to adjust for windage on an infantry rifle?

[@windogendoors7566]

​@@KRN762 The 1903 is also shorter and lighter. Really the only major advantage the 1917 has is it's sights.

[@herman66mi83]

I have both and while m1917 was produced more in # during WW 1, the “03” was still used during WW2 and used mostly by the Marines in Pacific and also as a Sniper rifle with 2 types scopes. The 03 design was changed before WWII with a different sight system 03A3, Windage and elevation. Plus the M1917 was “cock(the bolt)on close) vs Springfield “cock (bolt) on open” Trying to shoot a m1917 fast is a workout to say the least. Also my 03 is a Rock Island Aresenal 1919 manufactured and ‘42 rearseneled.

[@chubbethsthunder]

Awesome. Thank you very much. Have a blessed week.

[@Se7enBeatleofDoom]

1903 Springfield is the neglected eldest child overshadowed by the M14 middle child.

[@classicgunstoday1972]

RIP Jim Scoutten

[@dannypiercesr]

Awesome rifle , thanks for sharing

[@m1garand164]

I'm glad they included this rifle in the RE4 remake. I have been a long time lover of the '03 Springfield, and being able to pop plagas infected heads with this iconic rifle, which was amazingly detailed and rendered in 4k is just orgasmic. They also included the Springfield Armory bought, Croatian made pistol the XD9 in the game, named the "BlackTail" which is an awesomely high quality sidearm.

[@OutnBacker]

I would have liked the video to cover the issues of inadequate heat treatment of the recievers on early '03's, which are not considered safe to fire. Later serial numbers were made with nickel steel.

[@TheCosmicGuy0111]

Nice!

[@user-wu1ir5fm7g]

Great rifle!

[@podsmpsg1]

Icon.

[@swithinbarclay4797]

Didn't this rifle become Sergeant Alvin York's "magic wand"? I always recall Gary Cooper wetting down the front sight with his spit, claiming that this "reduced the haze"! Say, I did look over your channel's selections, and danged if I didn't find any dealing with another legendary World War One introduction, the Browning Automatic Rifle; might you be considering a Piece about that?

[@LongHairPat]

I liked the episode, but I was disappointed that you didn’t cover the 03-A3.

[@cbolanz1]

Does anyone know the answer to this "what was the highest number of 03's produced in a single day?" I heard that the M1 Garand peaked at 3936 per day in January 1944 during WW2, but what of the 03?

[@johnroper3077]

Could this actually be where the U.S Marine Corps got it's infantry trained rifleman MOS designation 0311 from even before the U.S. Army carried the rifle? Hmmm.....

[@eddymack8568]

RIP JIMMY

[@M1GarandMan3005]

This is actually an upload of an older video. Classic, BTW.

[@thomasmiller6892]

I have an 03 and a 03A3. The 03 was manufactured 10/08. I shoot the 03A3 not the 03.

[@KRN762]

The 03 suffers from an overly complicated rear sight. The 03A3 solved this.

[@paleoph6168]

The sights are great for target shooting, though not necessary for a mainline infantry rifle for the 20th century.

[@lanceroberthough1275]

Some expert. Calling them "bullets".

[@user-rk4zm3nb5f]

Porky re-enactor can't really handle that rifle all that well. A bit clumsy.

[@williamscroggins9627]

exactly my thoughts! He fumbles with loading the stripper clip and then fumbles with the bolt. Plus he is too fat to be a infantryman.

[@jamesrice6096]

You guys have GOT to tone down the volume of the rifle shots. It's distracting and annoying to be so loud in the middle of otherwise normal dialog. The loud shots add nothing to the presentation.

[@svenarlington3310]

This is were humanity ends. They chose to be animals. Let them be animals. It is just entertainment, nothing else. I love watching the US from Europe. Wanna lose a mother, daughter or a son? Send em to the US, let em fall victim to a gun XDDDD

[@houseofchinn6112]

Seek help

[@johnkertzman3223]

So says the European who's about ready to lose his continent to foreign Invaders!

[@svenarlington3310]

@@johnkertzman3223 you seem slightly mad sir. Want a hug or something?

[@User5_]

@@svenarlington3310 Europeans have been going at it for centuries. ~80 million from war in the 20th century alone..lol