The M1903’s magazine was loaded with five-round stripper-clip chargers.

Shooting The M1903
I own an M1903 Springfield rifle that was assembled in 1944 with a barrel made by High Standard. It is in excellent condition with a Parkerized finish. My brother Vincent and I fired the M1903 with Remington and Winchester .30-06 ammunition for this report.

Folding up the M1905 rear sight and setting the aperture for 100 yards, we sent 20 rounds of each brand of ammo downrange. Not surprisingly, the rifle produced some very presentable groups. To be perfectly honest about it, I have tested this rifle on numerous occasions, and it has shown itself to be one of the most accurate iron-sighted rifles--sporting or military--that I have ever had the pleasure of firing. It’s easy to understand why the M1903 was so popular with American soldiers and target shooters for more than half a century.

The M1903 remains one of the most popular surplus rifles in the U.S., and in spite of Springfield Armory having manufactured everything from flintlock muskets to selective-fire assault rifles, many American shooters will always consider the M1903 to be the Springfield.