Editing M1903 Springfield (section)

==Variants==
[[File:Rifle Springfield M1903.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|M1903]]
[[File:Rifle Springfield M1903A3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|M1903A3]]
[[File:Rifle Springfield M1903A1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|M1903 with 'scant' [[Stock (firearm)|stock]]]]
[[File:Rifle Springfield M1903A4 with M84 sight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|M1903A4 with Type C stock and M84 sight]]

There were four main variants given official nomenclature, though there are a number of important sub-variants:

*''M1903 (1903)'': developed for the [[.30-03]] (also known as the .30-45) cartridge. Used original Type S [[Stock (firearm)|stock]].
**''M1903 bullpup (1903)'': experimental [[bullpup]] conversion for the USMC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/bc/86/2a/bc862a8a8759f2c76af076277d428f22.jpg |title=Photo |publisher=s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com |access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2020}} 
**''M1903 (1905)'': changed from a rod type bayonet to the knife type Model 1905 bayonet and to the improved Model 1905 sight.
**''M1903 (1906)'': modified again to specifically fire the new M1906 [[.30-06 Springfield|.30-06]] cartridge ("ball cartridge, caliber 30, Model of 1906").
**''M1903 NRA (1915–1917)'': sold to [[National Rifle Association]] members and stamped "NRA" on the forward tang of the trigger guard.<ref>Canfield, Bruce N. ''[[American Rifleman]]'' (September 2008) pp. 72–75</ref>
**''M1903 air service (1918)'': issued to aircrew with permanent 25-round magazine and modified Type S stock forend designed as backup if a plane's machine gun jammed in combat.<ref>{{Citation|last=Forgotten Weapons|title=Fight! Othais vs Ian on the Air Service 1903 Springfield!|date=2017-11-28|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dugp6lVQ2BE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/dugp6lVQ2BE| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=2017-11-29}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
**''M1903 Mark I (1918–1920)'': modified with an ejection port on the left side of the receiver for specific use with the Pedersen device.
**''M1903 NM (1921–1940)'': selected rifles produced at Springfield Armory for National Match shooting competition. Production barrels were measured with star-gauges, and those meeting specified tolerances were stamped with an asterisk shaped star on the muzzle crown. These barrels were fitted to selected receivers with hand-fitted and polished parts. The bolt was left unblued while the receiver and barrel were finished with a black Parkerizing process. Some bolts have the safety direction reversed to prevent it from striking the nose of a right-handed shooter and those made from 1924 to 1929 have the knurled cocking piece removed to decrease lock time. Early rifles used the type S stock until the type C stock became standard in 1929. Rifles made for sale to NRA members (priced at $40.44) were drilled and tapped for a Lyman 48 receiver sight and had either a type B (or NB) stock with no grasping grooves and a noticeable drop at the heel for a long pistol grip, or a special National Match stock with a high comb and pistol grip. Total production was 28,907. Most were issued to service teams and 25,377 were reconditioned at Springfield Armory after one year of match use. Reconditioned rifles have a large gas-escape port drilled into the left side of the receiver.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Norell |first1=James O.E. |year=2003 |title=U.S. M1903A1 Rifles |journal=[[American Rifleman]] |volume=151 |issue=July |pages=38–41 }}</ref>
**''M1903 Bushmaster carbine (1940s)'': the [[Gun barrel|barrel]] and stock were cut down to {{convert|18|in|mm}} for easier use in Panama; 4,725 such rifles were made. It was a training rifle and saw no action. After World War II most were dumped into the ocean and surviving pieces are rare.
**''M1903 with "scant" stock (1942)'': in late 1941, before the M1903A3 was standardized, Army ordnance wanted to standardize on a pistol-grip stock for all M1903 rifles. There were thousands of stock blanks that had been sized for the old straight stock. They were not deep enough for the full pistol grip of the Type C stock, so they were modified to allow a "scant" grip that was the largest grip they could form. These "scant" stocks would only fit on a M1903, and would not fit an 03A3. Springfield only rebuilt existing M1903 rifles using this stock in 1942 and marked the cut-off seat with a small "s".
[[File:1930 Springfield 1903A1.JPG|thumb|Springfield M1903A1]]
*''M1903A1 (1929–1939)'': changed from a straight stock to a pistol grip type stock (Type C stock). The pistol grip stock was conducive to improved marksmanship and was fitted to National Match rifles until World War II. Pistol grip stocks became standard for later M1903 production and were subsequently fitted to older rifles. The Army considered any rifle with a pistol grip stock an M1903A1, but M1903 receiver markings were unchanged.<ref name=bnc>{{cite journal |last1=Canfield |first1=Bruce N. |year=2007 |title=U.S. M1903A1 Rifles |journal=[[American Rifleman]]|issue=January |page=38 }}</ref>
*''M1903A2 (1930s–1940s)'': basically a stripped A1 or A3 used as a subcaliber rifle with artillery pieces.
*''M1903A3 (1942–1944)'': sights were changed to an aperture (peep) system mounted on the receiver, and the rifle was modified for easier production with stamped metal parts and somewhat different grip and stock (late model Type S stock; no finger grooves).
**''M1903 (modified) (1941–1942)'': transition production of M1903 rifles by Remington Arms until the M1903A3 design was implemented involved modification of various parts creating a hybrid between the M1903 and M1903A3.<ref name=bnc2/>
*''M1903A4 (1942)'': an M1903A3 modified to be a sniper rifle using an M73 or M73B1 2.5× Weaver [[telescopic sight]] and different stock, and omitting the iron sights. USMC versions instead used the 8x Unertl scope.

There are two main other types, various training types, and competition versions such as the [[National 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 the [[M1917 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 launch [[rifle grenade]]s.

*''Bannerman Springfield'': After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Scottish-born [[military surplus]] magnate [[Pollepel Island#Bannerman's Castle|Francis Bannerman VI]] assembled 1,000 M1903 rifles from surplus parts which were rebored to accept [[.303 British]] ammunition. He presented these to the [[British Army]] together with bayonets, pouches and webbing as a patriotic gesture. However, the conversion was not a success and it was found that rimmed .303 cartridges would not feed properly from the magazine.<ref>Ian D. Skennerton, ''The Lee Enfield: A Century of Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield Rifles & Carbines'', Arms & Militaria Press 2007,  {{ISBN|978-0-949749-82-6}} (p. 162)</ref> The rifles were stamped "DP," i.e., fit for "drill purposes" only, and presented to the [[City of London]]'s [[Volunteer Training Corps]], who were otherwise without any weapons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/nationalguarding00fost|title=The National guard in the great war, 1914–1918|first=Alfred Edye Manning|last=Foster|date=2 June 1920|publisher=London : Cope & Fenwick|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

=== Automatic conversion ===
In 1904 the US Government authorized Springfield to sell the M1903 to inventors, this measure was taken to assist the private firearms industry which in return should improve the capabilties of the military.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2020-12-28 |title=Headspace-Operated Prototype Rifle - Yeah, it's as Weird as it Sounds… |url=https://archive.today/20201228210257/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfuwgVCh79M |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=archive.is}}</ref>

* Headspace-Operated Prototype Rifle<ref name=":0" />
* Experimental [[Blowback (firearms)#Primer actuated|primer-actuated]] conversion made in 1921.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://archive.today/20250412214300/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUzL6clu-90 |title=Experimental Primer-Actuated Semiauto Springfield 1903 |date=2016-09-03 |last=Forgotten Weapons |access-date=2025-04-12 |via=YouTube}}</ref>