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M1903 Springfield
The Springfield M1903 was the first service rifle to be adopted by all branches of the United States Armed Forces. It is a Mauser-style turnbolt action with a 24" barrel, 5-round staggered-column box magazine contained within the stock, and straight-grip single-piece stock. It fired the new high-velocity .30-'06 caliber cartridge which would become the standard US rifle and machine-gun round for the next 50 years.
Background
Development
During the Spanish-American War, US Army troops in Cuba found their Krag-Jørgensen rifles severely outmatched by the Spanish Army's M1893 Mauser rifle. The high-velocity and flat trajectory of the 7x57mm cartridge compared to the .30-40 Krag made the Spanish rifle more accurate, and the Mauser design allowed for immediate reloading of the entire magazine via stripper clips, whereas the Krag could only be loaded singly. This gave the Spanish a decisive advantage in rate-of-fire. A more powerful .30-40 cartridge was developed in 1899, but generated too much chamber pressure for the rifle to withstand repeated firings. It was decided that an entirely new rifle was needed. Thousands of M1893 rifles - surrendered by Spanish troops in Cuba - were returned to the US and extensively studied at Springfield Armory, where it was decided that the Mauser was the superior design. A prototype rifle was produced in 1900; interestingly, it was very similar to Rifle No.5, the final M1892 Mauser prototype in the US Army rifle trials of 1892. This design was rejected, and a new design combining features of the 1898 Krag rifle and the 1893 Spanish Mauser was developed.
Design
The new M1901 prototype combined the cock-on-opening bolt, 30" barrel, magazine cutoff, stock and sights of the Krag-Jørgensen with the dual locking lugs, external claw extractor, and staggered-column magazine of the 1893 Mauser. Taking a cue from the Gewehr 98, a large safety lug was added to the side of the bolt behind the extractor, which would engage the receiver bridge and prevent the bolt moving rearwards. The bolt handle was also bent downwards, to make operation of the bolt faster. It fired an entirely new .30 caliber cartridge, which propelled a 220gr round-nosed bullet at 2,300ft/s. The design was unsuccessful, however, and returned to the drawing board for further improvements.
Following then-current trends in service rifles, the barrel was shortened to 24" after it was discovered that a longer barrel offered no appreciable ballistic 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 or cavalry. A spike-type bayonet with storage in the forend of the stock was added to the design, and the new design was officially adopted as the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903.
Almost immediately it underwent two important modifications. In 1905, with 80,000 rifles aready produced, then-US President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the spike bayonet redesigned; he believed it was too flimsy for combat. A conventional blade-type bayonet, the M1905, replaced it and all rifles already produced were retrofitted for the new bayonet. The .30-'03 cartridge was also troublesome; the bullet caused excessive wear on the rifling, and the round-nosed bullet was aerodynamically inefficient. A new cartridge, propelling a 150gr spitzer bullet at 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) with improved propellant and redesigned case was approved in 1906, becoming the ubiquitous .30-'06. All existing rifles were re-chambered and re-sighted for the new cartridge.
The M1903 Springfield and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Specifications
- Weight: 8.65 lb (3.9 kg) depending on wood density
- Length: 44.9 in (1,140 mm)
- Barrel length: 24 in (610 mm)
- Cartridge: .30-03 Springfield; .30-06 Springfield
- Action: Bolt-action
- Muzzle velocity: 2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)
- Feed system: 5-round, 25-round (Air Service variant) stripper clip, internal box magazine
- Sights: Leaf rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight, Aperture rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight (M1903A3)
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Steel (Bian di lang yan) | Peter Ho | Mu Liangfeng | 2011 | |
| Cold Steel (Bian di lang yan) | Tony Leung Ka Fai | Capt. Zhang Menzi | 2011 | |
| Cold Steel (Bian di lang yan) | Mickey He | Xiao Wu | 2011 | |
| Cold Steel (Bian di lang yan) | Chinese military snipers | 2011 | ||
| Shutter Island | Leonardo DiCaprio | US Marshal Teddy Daniels | 2009 | |
| Shutter Island | Prison Guards | 2009 | ||
| Spoils of War | US Marines | Archive footage | 2009 | |
| Public Enemies | US Army soldiers | 2009 | ||
| Public Enemies | Prison guards | 2009 | ||
| Public Enemies | Vigilante | 2009 | ||
| Fido | Tim Blake Nelson | Mr. Theopolis | 2006 | |
| Fido | US Army soldiers | 2006 | ||
| Fido | Zomcon guards | 2006 | ||
| The Lost City | Cuban rebels | 2005 | ||
| King Kong | US Army soldiers | 2005 | ||
| Pearl Harbor | US military personnel | 2001 | ||
| Commander Hamilton | Libyan troops | 1998 | ||
| The Quest | Dobbs' men and Turk smugglers | 1996 | ||
| Last Man Standing | One of the men who massacres the truck convoy | 1996 | ||
| Silent Hunter | Seen in Eli's cabin | 1995 | ||
| Clear and Present Danger | US military honor guard | With metal parts chromed | 1994 | |
| Forrest Gump | Gary Sinise | Lt. Dan Taylor's ancestor | 1994 | |
| Chaplin | U.S. soldiers | on the set of Shoulder Arms | 1992 | |
| Child's Play 3 | Kent Military School students | 1991 | ||
| Born on the Fourth of July | 4th of July celebration cadets | 1989 | ||
| Sahara | Cliff Potts | String | 1983 | |
| Sahara | Perry Lang | Andy | 1983 | |
| Ragtime | police officers | 1981 | ||
| The Big Red One | Lee Marvin | Private Possum | 1980 | |
| The Police War (La Guerre des polices) | French police | Scoped | 1979 | |
| Go Tell the Spartans | South Vietnamese militia | 1978 | ||
| The Muthers | Pirates, Camp guards | 1976 | ||
| Midway | United States Marines | 1976 | ||
| Dillinger | Vigilantes | 1973 | ||
| The New Centurions | L.A.P.D. Honor Guard | 1972 | ||
| Big Jake | Texas Rangers | 1971 | ||
| Two Mules for Sister Sara | French soldier | 1970 | ||
| 100 Rifles | Mexican soldiers, Indians | 1969 | ||
| The Sand Pebbles | Steve McQueen | Jake Holman | 1966 | |
| The Sand Pebbles | Richard Attenborough | Frenchy Burgoyne | 1966 | |
| The Professionals | Mexican soldiers | 1966 | ||
| The Professionals | Rebels | 1966 | ||
| Tarzan and the Valley of Gold | Vinero's soldiers | 1966 | ||
| The Dictator's Guns (L'Arme à gauche) | Leo Gordon | Morrison | 1965 | |
| 55 Days at Peking | US Navy sailor | 1963 | ||
| The FBI Story | South American soldier | 1959 | ||
| China Gate | French Legionnaires | 1957 | ||
| A Bullet For Joey | US Navy sailor | 1955 | ||
| Battle Circus | North Korean soldier | 1953 | ||
| Blowing Wild | Ward Bond | Dutch Peterson | 1953 | |
| Local policemen | ||||
| Viva Zapata! | Mexican soldiers and rebels | 1952 | ||
| Tokyo Joe | US Army soldiers | 1949 | ||
| It's a Wonderful Life | Ward Bond | Bert the cop | 1946 | |
| Back to Bataan | Philippine guerrilla fighters | 1945 | ||
| The Story of G.I. Joe | US Army soldier | 1945 | ||
| They Were Expendable | John Wayne | Lt. JG 'Rusty' Ryan | 1945 | |
| They Were Expendable | US Navy sailor | 1945 | ||
| The Fighting Seabees | CB recruit | 1944 | ||
| Bataan | Robert Taylor | Sgt. Bill Dane | 1943 | |
| Bataan | Thomas Mitchell | Cpl. Jake Feingold | 1943 | |
| Bataan | Barry Nelson | F.X. Matowski | 1943 | |
| Sahara | Louis Mercier | Jean 'Frenchie' Leroux | 1943 | |
| Sahara | German soldiers | 1943 | ||
| Gung Ho! | 1943 | |||
| Guadalcanal Diary | Richard Jaeckel | Private Johnny "Chicken" Anderson | 1943 | |
| Air Force | various | U.S. military | 1943 | |
| Sergeant York | Gary Cooper | Sgt. Alvin C. York | 1941 | |
| Sergeant York | George Tobias | Pvt. Michael T. "Pusher" Ross | 1941 | |
| Sergeant York | David Bruce | Pvt. Bert Thomas | 1941 | |
| Sergeant York | Jack Pennick | Cpl. William Cutting | 1941 | |
| Sergeant York | Lane Chandler | Cpl. Murray Savage | 1941 | |
| The Fighting 69th | James Cagney | Pvt. Jerry Plunkett | 1940 | |
| The Fighting 69th | Jeffrey Lynn | Sgt. Joyce Kilmer | 1940 | |
| The Roaring Twenties | James Cagney | Eddie Bartlett | 1939 | |
| The Roaring Twenties | Humphrey Bogart | George Hally | 1939 | |
| The Roaring Twenties | Jeffrey Lynn | Lloyd | 1939 | |
| Each Dawn I Die | Army National Guard soldiers | 1939 | ||
| The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | rebels | 1935 | ||
| Heroes for Sale | U.S. Army | 1933 | ||
| Four Sons | James Hall | Joseph "Dutch" Bernle | 1928 | |
| Wings | U.S. Army | 1927 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | various characters | 1964-1968 | ||
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Robert Vaughn | Napoleon Solo | 1964-1968 | |
| The Sopranos | Tony Sirico | Paulie | "House Arrest" (2.11) | 1999-2007 |
| Doctor Who | Hugh Quarshie | Solomon | "Daleks iin Manhattan" | 2005 - ???? |
| Doctor Who | Hooverville citizens | "Daleks in Manhattan" | 2005 - ???? | |
| Bonnie and Clyde (2013) | police officer | scoped | 2013 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven | 2002 | |||
| Forgotten Hope | 2003 | |||
| Hidden & Dangerous 2 | 2003 | |||
| Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth | 2005 | |||
| 7554 | 2011 | |||
| Verdun | "Springfield M1903" | 2015 | ||
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | 2016 | |||
| Battlefield 1 | "M1903" | 2016 |
Animation
| Film/TV Show | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Iron Giant | US Army soldiers | 1999 |
M1903A1 Springfield Rifle
The M1903A1 Springfield was introduced in 1929, with the only alteration being the C-type pistol-grip stock. The US Marine Corps utilized the M1903A1 with a scope added as their standard sniper rifle during World War II.
The M1903A1 Springfield and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Christmas | U.S. Army soldiers | 1954 | ||
| I Am Cuba (Soy Cuba) | Cuban government soldiers and guerrillas | 1964 | ||
| Best Seller | Brian Dennehy | Dennis Meechum | with M82 scope | 1987 |
| Letters from Iwo Jima | MSgt. Tom Minder | US Marine sniper | with 7.8x Unertl scope | 2006 |
| Let the Bullets Fly | henchmen | no scope | 2010 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pacific | US Marine Sniper | with 7.8x Unertl scope | 2010 |
Video Game
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forgotten Hope 2 | with Model 330 Weaver scope | 2005 | |
| Call of Duty: World at War | 2008 | ||
| Heroes & Generals | Springfield M1903 | unscoped and with M84/Unertl scopes | 2016 |
| Mafia III | 2016 |
M1903A3 Rifle
Anticipation of American involvement in World War II lead to the US War Department contracting with Remington Arms and Smith-Corona Typewriter Company to produce M1903 rifles to supplement production of the M1 Garand. Remington began production at serial #3,000,000 in September 1941 using old tooling from Rock Island Arsenal put in storage in 1919. As the older tooling wore out, Remington replaced unnecessary milled parts with stamped replacements, which helped to simplify and speed up production, and also improved the design by replacing the original rear sight with a peep sight on the receiver bridge. By serial #3,330,000 the design had been modified so much that it was decided to give the model a new designation, United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903-A3. In October 1942 Smith-Corona began production of the M1903A3 in Syracuse, New York. Smith-Corona rifles were produced using a number of subcontractors, primarily barrels made by High-Standard Manufacturing and Savage Arms. Production of the M1903A3 ended February 12, 1944 when production of M1 Garand rifles was deemed sufficient for the war effort.
The M1903A3 was extensively used by Allied forces in World War II; it was the primary battle rifle of the 1st Brazilian Infantry Division in Italy, and was extensively used by Free French forces after August 1943. It would see action with postwar French forces in Indochina and Algeria. While the basic M1903 and the M1903A1 were distinguished by the use of either a straight-grip stock or a C-type pistol-grip stock, both stock types were used interchangeably in the M1903A3 without any change in designation.
The M1903A3 Springfield and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fighting Seabees | US Marine and CB members | 1944 | ||
| The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | National Guard soldiers | 1953 | ||
| Never So Few | Burmese and american soldiers | 1959 | ||
| Battle of the Bulge | U.S. Army Soldiers | 1965 | ||
| The Wild Bunch | Ben Johnson | Tector | 1969 | |
| The Wild Bunch | Strother Martin | Coffer | 1969 | |
| The Wild Bunch | U.S. Army soldiers | 1969 | ||
| The Wild Bunch | Mexican Army soldiers | 1969 | ||
| Badlands | Police officer | 1973 | ||
| Dillinger | U.S. Army soldiers | 1973 | ||
| Ironweed | Jared Swartout | U.S. Army officer | 1987 | |
| Return from the River Kwai | Japanese soldiers, Miao tribesmen, former Allied POWs | 1989 | ||
| Courage Under Fire | U.S. Army soldiers | With metal parts chromed | 1996 | |
| The Scoundrel's Wife | U.S. Coast Guard sailors | 2002 | ||
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Gürkan Uygun | Mushin | 2013 | |
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Umut Kurt | Hasan | 2013 | |
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Mehmetcan Diper | Eyüp | 2013 | |
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Inanç Koçak | Kostas | 2013 | |
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Emir Çiçek | Sgt. Enver Çavuş | 2013 | |
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Fikret Yildirim Urag | Capt. Ibrahim Adil | 2013 | |
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Turkish soldiers | 2013 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pacific | Keith Nobbs | PFC Wilbur 'Runner' Conley | 2010 | |
| The Pacific | Joshua Bitton | Sgt. J.P. Morgan | 2010 | |
| The Pacific | Josh Helman | Lew 'Chuckler' Juergens | 2010 | |
| The Pacific | Tom Budge | PFC Ronnie Gibson | 2010 | |
| The Pacific | Sam Parsonson | Pvt. William LaPointe | 2010 | |
| The Pacific | US Marines | 2010 |
Video Game
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor: Allied Assault | With scope | 2002 | ||
| Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault | With & without scope | 2004 | ||
| Call of Duty 2 | 2005 | |||
| Death to Spies: Moment of Truth | 2009 | |||
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | Released with 1.34 update | 2011 | ||
| Day of Infamy | 2017 |
M1903A4 Springfield Sniper Rifle
The M1903A4 is an adaptation of the M1903A3 for sniper use, with the iron sights removed and a low-mounted scope in their place. The M1903A4 was used only by the US Army during World War II, as the Marines preferred their own modified M1903A1 design.
The M1903A4 Springfield Sniper Rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saving Private Ryan | Barry Pepper | Pvt. Daniel Jackson | 1998 | |
| Tae Guk Gi | South Korean soldier | With scope removed | 2004 | |
| Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed | US paratrooper | 2012 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commandos 2: Men of Courage | "M1903 .30-06" | 2001 | ||
| Commandos 3: Destination Berlin | "Allied Sniper Rifle" | 2003 | ||
| Call of Duty | 2003 | |||
| Forgotten Hope | 2003 | |||
| Call of Duty: United Offensive | 2004 | |||
| Day of Defeat | With M82 scope | 2004 | ||
| Call of Duty 3 | 2006 | |||
| Far Cry 2 | Incorrectly shown loaded with a stripper clip inserted into the bottom of the weapon | 2008 | ||
| Forgotten Hope 2 | 2005 | |||
| Medal of Honor | 1999 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Frontline | 2002 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Rising Sun | 2003 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Airborne | 2007 | |||
| Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 | 2005 | |||
| Resident Evil 4 | With upgradable scope | Inaccurately chambered in .223 Remington | 2005 | |
| Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 | With M84 scope | 2006 | ||
| Death to Spies: Moment of Truth | 2009 | |||
| Day of Defeat: Source | 2010 | |||
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | released with 1.34 update | 2011 | ||
| Sniper Elite V2 | 2012 | |||
| Sniper Elite III | "Patriot Weapons Pack" DLC | 2014 | ||
| Sniper Elite 4 | 2017 |
Anime
| Character | Film Title | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayoi Neko Overrun! | 2010 | ||
| Lemure sniper | Baccano! | 2007 | |
| Hanasaku Iroha | 2011 |
Sporterized M1903 Springfield
The M1903 and its descendants have long been popular as the basis for custom hunting/target rifles. Famous gunsmith Reginald F. Sedgely and the sporting house of Griffin & Howe (in business since 1923) are two of the most well known makers not to mention the thousands of self-taught hobbyists working in their basements and garages over the past one hundred years.
The Sporterized Springfield Rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Book of Eli | Town guard | Same sporterized rifle as used in A Boy and His Dog (1975) | 2010 | |
| Blue Desert | Philip Baker Hall | Joe | Scoped | 1991 |
| The Howling | Colony Resident | Griffin & Howe | 1981 | |
| Black Sunday | Robert Shaw | Maj. David Kabakov | Scoped | 1977 |
| Breaker! Breaker! | Dan Vandegrift | Wilfred | Griffin & Howe? | 1977 |
| A Boy and His Dog | Don Johnson | Vic | Customized with Mannlicher Schönauer Carbine (Stutzen) stock | 1975 |
| The Dictator's Guns (L'Arme à gauche) | Leo Gordon | Morrison | 1965 | |
| His Kind of Woman | Vincent Price | Mark Cardigan | Griffin & Howe | 1951 |
| His Kind of Woman | Alberto Morin | Lt. Rodriguez | Griffin & Howe | 1951 |
| His Kind of Woman | Mexican policemen | Griffin & Howe | 1951 | |
| High Sierra | Frank Cordell | Slim | scoped sporter | 1941 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Walking Dead - Season 3 | Lauren Cohan | Maggie | "I Ain't a Judas" (S3E11) | 2012-2013 |