# A "Semi-Scout" Rifle



## Steve M1911A1

Here's my old "Semi-Scout" practical-shooting rifle, finally in its new stock after having waited 12 years in our basement in pieces. It's a M1903 action from the mid-1930s, with a 1943 barrel, Lyman and Burris sights, and a 10-round magazine.
(The AP rounds are collectors' items from WW2.)








It'll hold about a minute-of-angle from the bench, which is far better than I can do in the field. That bipod helps a lot, of course. It's an important feature of this new stock. (Previously, I used a Colt's "clothespin," hung on a separate boss built-onto the fore-end.)

Here's the bipod completely stowed away, becoming the stock's fore-end tip!
Neat, huh?









Here's a close-up of its nice old Lyman #48 receiver sight that I found at a Los Angeles County gun show...in parts, at two different tables!
Here, too, is the 10-round magazine box I designed. A gunsmith friend cobbled two Springfield '03A3 magazine boxes together, and added a floorplate hinge and a strong latch. I adapted a BAR-magazine spring to an existing '03A3 follower.
Using files and stones, I gave the rifle a three-pound, single-stage trigger. I couldn't get rid of about 1/8" of pre-letoff creep without compromising safety.









Pachmayr used to make and sell this neat removable butt-pad assembly. It attaches with an interrupted-dovetail sort of arrangement, and it is held in place by a very strong latch.
I added Fiberglas tubes, both as stock stiffeners and as a place to stow a cleaning rod, tools, and spare parts. One of the tools is a wrench for the scope mounts.









Having descended into my dotage in the intervening years, the new stock was assembled to the old rifle by a nice young man, James Reid, here on the island, who has just graduated from gunsmithing school. He did a lovely job!
One funny thing: The original wooden stock I made for it, almost 30 years ago, is a pound-and-a-half lighter than this new plastic one is!

Now I have to take the outfit to the mainland, where I can sight it in at 300 yards. I'll have to calculate sight corrections for greater distances. I miss our 1,050-yard, Southern California range! (We have a scant 100 yards, here on the island.)

(That neat stock was made by Brent Clifton, of Clifton Arms, Grand Prairie, Texas.)


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## Growler67

Sweet :mrgreen:


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## DJ Niner

A fine rifle, with a nice combination of features, some of which are darn clever.

I especially like the magazine; it appears well designed and executed!

The sloped front scope ring looks to be an extension of the angled line of the scout scope mount base. Bravo!

Hope it shoots well for you!


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## James NM

Nice rifle Steve - I saw one exactly like it at a gun show last week.


Just kidding. Truly a one of a kind custom rifle. Thanks for sharing.


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## jbultman

Very very nice Steve


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## Joe1903A3

What type of mount is that? I've been looking for a forward mount but have come up short.


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## SailDesign

Sweet.


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## Steve M1911A1

Joe1903A3 said:


> What type of mount is that? I've been looking for a forward mount but have come up short.


It's still available.
Interesting: It's made and sold by Brent Clifton, who made the stock many years ago. It's a Mauser mount for which the Springfield barrel was reduced slightly in diameter.
Maybe you can find it at: http://www.xssights.com/Products.aspx?CAT=8196


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## lefty60

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Here's my old "Semi-Scout" practical-shooting rifle, finally in its new stock after having waited 12 years in our basement in pieces. It's a M1903 action from the mid-1930s, with a 1943 barrel, Lyman and Burris sights, and a 10-round magazine.
> (The AP rounds are collectors' items from WW2.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It'll hold about a minute-of-angle from the bench, which is far better than I can do in the field. That bipod helps a lot, of course. It's an important feature of this new stock. (Previously, I used a Colt's "clothespin," hung on a separate boss built-onto the fore-end.)
> 
> Here's the bipod completely stowed away, becoming the stock's fore-end tip!
> Neat, huh?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's a close-up of its nice old Lyman #48 receiver sight that I found at a Los Angeles County gun show...in parts, at two different tables!
> Here, too, is the 10-round magazine box I designed. A gunsmith friend cobbled two Springfield '03A3 magazine boxes together, and added a floorplate hinge and a strong latch. I adapted a BAR-magazine spring to an existing '03A3 follower.
> Using files and stones, I gave the rifle a three-pound, single-stage trigger. I couldn't get rid of about 1/8" of pre-letoff creep without compromising safety.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pachmayr used to make and sell this neat removable butt-pad assembly. It attaches with an interrupted-dovetail sort of arrangement, and it is held in place by a very strong latch.
> I added Fiberglas tubes, both as stock stiffeners and as a place to stow a cleaning rod, tools, and spare parts. One of the tools is a wrench for the scope mounts.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Having descended into my dotage in the intervening years, the new stock was assembled to the old rifle by a nice young man, James Reid, here on the island, who has just graduated from gunsmithing school. He did a lovely job!
> One funny thing: The original wooden stock I made for it, almost 30 years ago, is a pound-and-a-half lighter than this new plastic one is!
> 
> Now I have to take the outfit to the mainland, where I can sight it in at 300 yards. I'll have to calculate sight corrections for greater distances. I miss our 1,050-yard, Southern California range! (We have a scant 100 yards, here on the island.)
> 
> (That neat stock was made by Brent Clifton, of Clifton Arms, Grand Prairie, Texas.)


I must say that, I love Springfield Rifles. And yours is near perfect, in my not so humble opinion.

:smt066


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## Steve M1911A1

lefty60 said:


> I must say that, I love Springfield Rifles. And yours is near perfect, in my not so humble opinion...


Thank you.
Back when it was still in its old wood stock (which I had finished from a very rough shape), it did really good work during more than 20 years of practical shooting.

I hate to admit this, but I still haven't fully zeroed it.
It's partly because doing that would require a two-day trip to the mainland, and party because I'm getting too old.


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## lefty60

I do feel (literally) what you're say'n. However we are no longer allowed to say that we are old. We are now "Seasoned".

Your tax dollars at work, I've been going to school. I am learning? how to appear to be PC and be able to practice DIVERSITY.

What has happened to our Country while I was asleep? :smt076:mrgreen::anim_lol:

Now I must declare thread drift. :smt077


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## Goldwing

That is one of very few examples of customizing an antique military weapon that is an improvement on the original. At one point I was the caretaker of my great uncles '03 Springfield that he had carried in WWI. It was original and complete right down to the oem cleaning kit that stowed away inside the buttstock. There was a headspace issue with the gun that I'm sure a decent gunsmith could have remedied in short order. At one point a couple of years ago my blacksheep brother wanted to show it to some friends, and without explanation it disappeared. I'm sure that the A hole pawned the gun for gas money. I sure wish he had just asked me for the money instead of losing a family heirloom forever.
GW


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## berettatoter

Nice rifle Steve! When you finally get it zeroed, you'll have to post some pics of your targets.


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## Steve M1911A1

goldwing said:


> That is one of very few examples of customizing an antique military weapon that is an improvement on the original...


_*Antique?*_
Don't let my rifle hear you say that!
Its action is only a couple of years older than I am, and its barrel is a whole lot younger.
And, for sure, I ain't no _antique_!

(Or, if I am, don't tell Jean. She still thinks that I'm young and sexy.)


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