A specialized target version emerged in the post-war years under the "US Rifle, Caliber 30, M1903, Special Target" designation. The rifle was differentiated by its high-end finish and attention to detail and remerged in 1929 under the new designation of "US Rifle, Caliber 30, M1903A1, Special Target".
The M1903A1 Special Target was then adopted by the US Army as the "US Rifle, Caliber 30, M1903A1" and formally introduced the pistol grip into the body's design. The trigger was milled for improved resistance while the elongated finger indentations found along the forend of previous Springfields were dropped. Overall dimensions were largely the same as the original M1903 though muzzle velocity was increased from 2,300 feet per second to 2,800 feet per second. Production of the M1903A1 was, however, quite limited overall when compared to other marks.
The M1903A2 designation marked a specialized form of the M1903 in which its action and barrel assembly were utilized in conjunction with training of artillery and anti-tank gun field pieces. The M1903A2 installation essentially allowed budget-minded artillery training.
The M1903A3 was the definitive World War 2 M1903. It proved a highly simplified production form of the M1903A1, its development handled by Remington Arms. A rear aperture sight device replaced the original leaf fitting and sheet-steel stampings were used where possible to speed up manufacture and lower procurement costs. The rear sight was relocated to the rear section of the receiver closer to the bolt-action (as opposed to the rear of the barrel) to help improve its usefulness in aiming. Interestingly, the M1903A3 appeared in both its straight-stock and pistol-grip-stock forms during its production life. It was the M1903A3 that would become the M1903 production-standard during World War 2, the standard instituted on May 21st, 1942.
The M1903A4 became the definitive standard sniper rifle form of the M1903 family during World War 2 and was based on an evolved M1903A3. Iron sights were completely removed and permanent scope mounting blocks were added. The standard scope was the Weaver Company "Telescope Sight M73B1" ("Weaver 330C"). Due to the placement of the optical sight, the bolt handle was slightly redesigned to avoid contact with the optics when actuated though the remainder of the rifle was left largely unchanged. However, it bears note that the installation of the scope negated use of the magazine well in the standard fashion (using charger clips) which forced the operator to load individual .30-06 cartridges into the weapon. Additionally, while the Weaver scope was the accepted optics standard, the mounting blocks could also accept other scopes from other manufactures - this countering the shortage of Weaver scopes during wartime.
In practice, the Springfield rifle proved highly effective for its given role of long-to-medium range service rifle. The action was smooth, proven and reliable in the worst of battlefield conditions, largely owing to the attention to detail in designs of firearms emerging from the early 1900s. Its outward design was well received and its accuracy made it a highly-valued system. A trained shooter could fire 15 rounds-per-minute when effectively managing the bolt-action coupled with efficient reloading. Ranges (unscoped) were out to 656 yards (effective) and targets could still be struck out to 2,500 yards in extreme cases. Beyond its rather hefty travel weight and overall length, the M1903 series was a pleasant service rifle and proved a very popular sporting rifle on the civilian market.
In World War 2, the M1903 was the initial front-line service rifle being handed out to American infantry when the nation went to war in December of 1941. The M1 Garand had become available though not in the numbers required which prompted US officials to order new production of the M1903 (these being the production-friendly M1903A3 models). Frontline personnel were equipped with M1903s well into 1944 including the D-Day landings of Northern France and elsewhere. However, in time, production of the semi-automatic M1 Garand rifles began to curtail the use of M1903 rifles (particularly in American hands) and this allowed them to be passed on to resistance units and desperate armies while also fulfilling the role of training new riflemen. Earlier in the war, the M1903 was issued on a small scale to British Home Guard elements desperate for any defensive weapon that could be had. Additionally, many-a-Pacific-island was defensed by personnel managing their trusty M1903 Springfield rifles - such was the global reach of the product during the war. Despite the dwindling need, M1903s remained in circulation throughout the war (unofficially ending in August of 1945), mainly with sniper elements and second-line personnel. During the Korean War, the primary M1903 model in use remained the M1903A4 sniper variant which continued to provide strong service. Its use was also noted with American USMC snipers acting in Vietnam jungles during the Vietnam War.
The last M1903s exited military service in 1974. During their active tenure (not necessarily all in American hands), the type saw combat actions in the US Occupation of Haiti (1915-1934), the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), World War 1 (1914-1918), World War 2 (1939-1945), the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931-1945), the Chinese Civil War (1927-1950), the Korean War (1950-1953), the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975).
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