Harder to come by in Australia but they are around. They command a premium over the Enfield because of this but are worth the spend for sure. And 30-06 is probably the best all around calibre ever made. Great review 🇦🇺👍🏻
@ Australian Made - "And 30-06 is probably the best all around calibre ever made. Great review" Firearms trainer and author Kenneth Royce, better known in the firearms community as "Boston" of "Boston's Gun Bible" fame, put it best, saying of the 30-06 that it was a "home-run" and the most influential cartridge of the 20th century. He'd probably get some argument there, since there are other contenders - British 303, 7.92x57/8mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, etc. - but it is hard to argue with its popularity, versatility or longevity. It remains the most-popular center-fire cartridge in the world, and for good reason. It can handle an astonishingly wide range of bullet types and weights, ranging from 80 to 220 grains, and can do everything from varmint-hunting to the taking of giant bears, as well as its storied military and competition histories. And handloaders using modern propellants and high-BC bullets can squeeze 300 near-Win-Mag performance out of it when it comes to LR shooting. There are specific cartridges and loads that surpass the venerable '06 in certain ways, but it is difficult to think of a single cartridge which does so many things as well. King and still champion after more than a century.
Was it the low serial numbers that were made to shoot the 30-03 round -vs- the 30-06 round? Is that the difference for the single heat treat of the lower numbers as well?
Got my 03A3 as a barreled action some 55 years ago, before the Dodd Anti-gun Act of 1968. The magazine well is from an 03 (milled, not stamped). I put a Fajan stock on it. Its favorite MILSURP ammo is M2AP. The range I used had a hillside 1/4 mile thick, so penetration was not an issue. If I do my part, you could cover a 3 shot group with a dime at 100 yards. I like aperture rear sights. I learned that in the Army on an M1 Garand. That was why I fell in love with the .30-06 cartridge.
Good video, easy to understand. I agree that the original 1903 was a cooler looking rifle but the '03-A3 was easier to use because of the increased sight radius. Both of these old beauties could be purchased for rock bottom prices back in the 80's and 90's but the prices have edged up because many folks are hanging on to them more than they used to. Also, the CMP no longer has any of the 1903's to sell as surplus so it's now your best luck at gun shows, Gunbroker, or local gun shops. One last note, if you have an original, PLEASE don't hack it up to make another deer rifle! Go buy a factory rifle and leave these ol' pieces of US military history alone!!! Thanks!
A guy needs one of each. Yeah, the heat treating (SCARE) thing is mostly baloney, these things held up just fine and many still dropping deer, elk and such today. They last forever.
11:24 It has officially been OVER 100 years, I believe if the reciver was going to blow it would have during WW2. I have my great grandpas 1903 cerial No 287,XXX. Ended WW1, fought WW2 and opened camp Pendleton with him. I've shot this rifle myself many times. Given there are always exceptions and I'm sure one of these days another will blow and it will make th news, but is the low cerial gets to you, leave it for me Edit: typo
I inherited a Springfield 1903. I have read that these rifle's with serial #'s under 800,000 are unsafe to shoot due to improper heat treating. and got rid of it
@Kasey Turchin that’s my opinion I have a Springfield in the 377,000 range and I shoot it I only use 30-06 Springfield in 150 grain the same ammo I send though my Garand.
The 1903 issue was horribly tested and poorly done as gun were tested with very hot loads and other means that would blow up any rifle even modern guns. I have a sub 100,000 Rock Island that was deemed safe enough to be reissued for the second World War and has still held together to this day. Even when the problem was 'fixed' even 03-A3s had a habit of blowing up as well.
I've got a Remington 1903a3 I picked up a year or two ago and it's one of my favorites. I had an older 1903 about 20 years ago that I had sold when I was in a financial pinch and had been wanting another for a while. Finally found one I liked for a price I was willing to pay and picked up an A3 this time. I have to say that I like the aperture rear sight much better than the blade style that my older model had. For me it was easier to put on target. Probably because I also spent a lot of time shooting my Garand and M1 Carbines. To me it is the best of the Mauser style bolt action war rifles. I have an early WWII K98k and I prefer my 1903a3.
@@KIMO365 There are plenty on Gunbroker. They aren't going to get any cheaper so best time to get one is now. Unless you moved to a place that prohibits firearms ownership.
@@davegeisler7802 The great thing about the mauser style action is that there are MANY to pick from used by most of Europe, and central and south America as well. I've since picked up a Brazilian 08/35 in .30-06 and it is amazing.
This is the second of your videos I've watched I like that you keep it moving quickly. A note on the mag cut off switch, it was also used when a soldier might want to load a armor-piercing, tracer or Incendiary round to mark a target at night time. One of the reasons I favor the 30.06 is the multitude of various ammunition available, one can shoot prairie dogs with 110 grains in the afternoon and kill deer at dusk with a 220 grain soft point. Also the 30.06 round is pretty much flat out to 150 yards that's why the low end of those sights you mentioned were at 200 yards. Believe it or not during early Vietnam some 1903A3s were used as sniper rifles. Keep it up, you do a good job here.
Same year I bought my Remington 1903A3. I was a senior in high school, and I bought it at a local shopping mall in Los Angeles county. They put a long, skinny plastic bag over it and I walked right through the mall and out into the parking lot with nary a sideways glance from the public (try THAT today in LA, lol!) I never had a bit of trouble until trying to smuggle it in the house past my mom... that didn't go quite as well, since Mom knew a BB gun from a battle rifle.
@@KIMO365 kim... They make different heights of front sight blades... Look around at the next gun show. There's usually a vendor or two that specializes in U.S. military parts. Should put you back on target in no time.
Just picked up a 03a3 Remington drill receiver last summer, got a NOS 2 grove Remington barrel that was only a month newer than the receiver, I have all the mechanical parts assembled and checked out, now i need the stock and hardware to finish it.
Thanks for the info on the stripper clips from Creedmore. I have been using old 7mm striper clipps made for the Mauser 1895 Chilean.I like the M1903 as a rifleman and yes the sights are complicated like you said.I shoot a lot of Mausers and Lee Enfields but you can beat the M1903 as a good target rifle even though it was a general issue infantry rifle.The M1903A3 is an excellent rifle for combat because of the peep sight which simplified training and guys using the M1 Garand will shoot just as good with it once they get used to the recoil.For the modern guy the peep sight would be more familiar if they shoot the M16/AR series using the battle sights.Plenty mahalos from Vegas Brah!!!Aloha!!!
A family member of mine had one when I was a kid. It had an old Unertl or Fecker scope on it and I could barely lift it. Same family member shot CMP matches with it before the scope was put on and he free free floated the barrel but you could not tell by looking at it. He had 2 barrels for it. It was an A3. Don't know that I have ever seen a stripper clip for one though.
The M1917 is a better rifle, IMO. It's the only one that was cock on closing, because it was a British design, that's an Enfield thing. I've owned both (still have the Springfield).
The Pattern M1917 Enfields are very good rifles, but they're overly long, quite heavy and consequently a much less-handy weapon to use in the field. Their sights aren't up to the level of the Springfield, and the trigger isn't, either. Cock-on-closing is an awkward system for individuals accustomed to cock-on-closing, which is much more common (and for good reason; it is a more-sensible system). M1917s became quite popular in civilian life as custom sporterized hunting rifles, often in magnum calibers, thanks to the long, large and deep receiver and the 26-inch barrel. Some competitors converted them into bench-rest rifles. Many of the M1917s in the 'States went back to Britain in the aftermath of Dunkirk when Britain needed small arms very badly; the M1917s went mostly to Home Guard units, if memory serves.
Thanks for taking the time to make and share. My first 30 caliber rifle I bought at 16 was a M1903A3 and I promptly put it to work killing groundhogs. Yes, you can actually kill a groundhog with a 30-06. Repeat shots never needed. Nice rifle and I still have it over 40 years later.
Springfield M1903 rifles have acquired a reputation in some circles as a mere "copy" of the Mauser Brothers paradigm-changing bolt-action family of rifles, but the M1903 stands on its own - and deserves to do so - for a number of significant improvements its designers made over the Mauser. The trigger on the M1903 was superior to that on the Mauser, and easier to tune. The sights on the American design are excellent, really a technological marvel for their time. Although some users find them hard to use, they aren't too challenging once one knows the rifle and takes the time to understand the sights, which were designed with maximum flexibility in mind - offering a battle-sight zero notch for snap-shooting, and a choice of apertures on the ladder sights, which are graduated to 2,400 yards. Why such an extravagant distance? Because in those days (c. 1900), the infantryman's rifle was considered an area-denial weapon when fired in volley, i.e., simultaneous fire by a section of men upon a distant target. However, the M1903 was superbly accurate out to 1,000 yards against point targets, and there are numerous instances of effective and precise fire in combat at ranges out to 800 yards, such as the U.S. Marines picking off advancing German infantry at the Battles of Belleau Wood and Chateau Thierry in France in 1918, at ranges from 600-800 yards. The rear sight even is slanted or canted to the right to correct for spin drift due to the right-handed rifling. The 8mm (7.92x57mm) Mauser is a hard-hitting round, effective in combat, but the 30-06 improves upon it by being flatter-shooting, and using a more practical range of bullet weights, from 150-173 grains. The heavier 8mm round retains momentum well at extreme range, but long-range performance is hampered by a poor ballistic coefficient. The 30-06 simply gets the job done.
@@0Asterite0 - Yes, that's right... in fact, the Mausers which armed Spanish and Cuban forces in the Battle for San Juan Heights in 1898 were largely 7x57 mm Mausers.
Ehh...as someone who has drilled with the M1903, used it, etc, compared to the Mauser...that isn't true. All Mausers are not created equal. The 1893 or 1895 Mauser variants the US would have come across in the 1898 War vs Spain were not as well built as latter models. I'll take a 98 Mauser over the 1903 anyday....30-06 ammo is great nut not as plentiful. If a World War or Apocalypse came.out that ammo would run dry very fast....not 308 though.
@@Nperez1986 - OK, fair-enough.... if you like Mausers, good on you. And yes, I know not all Mausers were created equal. The design went through a number of refinements and changes over the years. Me, I'll stick with a M1903 or M1917 instead, if I am looking for a mil-surp bolt-gun. I would very much like to find a M1938 Swedish Mauser whose sights actually are alligned properly, or one chambered in 7x57, for one of the South American contracts. That is also a very nice cartridge. Yeah, all of the surplus 30-06 from years past is pretty much gone, at least in these parts. Which suggests that if you have a mil-surp gun you want to use as a shooter and often, target shooting or hunting, for example, then it might make sense to rebarrel it in 308. If it is an old gun, I'd run the rifle past a gun smith to make sure it was good-to-go for using modern ammo, though. But if you intend to use M80 Ball only, that pretty closely matches the performance of '06 M2 Ball, so you'll probably be OK and your sights will still work fine, too.
@@Nperez1986 Same here and I own 6 mausers one sml ring Carl Gustf 96 and five m98 , two are sweddish and 2 are m98 1943 stamp Mauser-Werke A. G. Oberndorf and the other is a m98k mfg 1945. All are sporterizer in 30-06 or 280remington. These are some of the best rifle ever made. I will get rid of the 6.5x55 when I use up my stash of ammo and buty 6.5 creedmore barrel for my encore frame only because ammo is readily available for the cali in walmart and academy.
One difference between the 03 and the 03A3. Most 03A3's were produced using a barrel, rifled with only two very wide lands and grooves, and the older 03 barrel has six lands and grooves. This difference is not supposed to have any effect on the accuracy of either rifle when compared with the other.
If I'm not mistaken, the rear safety lug should not be touching the back of the reciever correct? In mix and matched guns where it is locked against the receiver at the rear, I don't know if the main lugs are locked against the lugs in the reciever, or if they are slightly off, being held off by the safety lug, hence all pressure on the back of the receiver every time you shoot. When there is about a mm of space in between the safety lug and the reciever, if the main lugs fail, it will catch on the safety lug, also, you know for sure that the main lugs are locked. Is this true, I've heard this somewhere before.
I had a sporterized Springfield 03-A3 with a full float barrel and peep sight. With this rifle I learned how to shoot high power. I can remember shooting an 8 shot 6" group while standing with a GI sling at 150 yds. I'm not the greatest shot but this rifle has given me a lot of great memories! Thanks for a great review!
JUST ACQUIRED A BEAUTY 1903 03A3.. PRETTY SURE I WILL SELL IT.. AS LIKE MY 1891 M1 NAGANT IT BROKE MY CLAVICLE IM 85 LB WOMAN BUT LOVE MY WOODEN AND REVOLVERS
Best I have seen, so far. I had thought the M1903A was a Naval Rifle. I remember hearing about the "Mauser" design thefts. I found the Brit's Mk1#1 a much smoother action. (Yes, the wire wrap was removed from the SME Mk1#1, but the launcher sight was left in place.)
klee77721 I have both. I paid $750 for a Remington 03a3, and 699 for a springfield 03. Those were pretty lucky prices and took time of waiting and searching. Expect to see them for 900 or more. More than once have I seen them for 1200. They use 30.06 springfield.
lol that on and off thing is kinda the opposite of what you would think you would think when it says off the mag cut off would not be on and when the mag cut off is on it would say on but who knows why they did it that way
Hi Kimo, new subscriber here. I just picked up my 1903 A3 today. It's stamped U.S. Remington on top of the receiver and the rear sights were very loose on receipt. It was refurbished and I'm going to give it another thorough inspection and cleaning before I take it to the range to test fire. I collect vintage milsurp rifles and this is just the latest addition to my collection. I need to attach a sling, purchase some stripper clips and at some later date, find a bayonet (don't care if it's a reproduction) for it.
Good vid. I recently found an SA M1903A1 with a good sn. It was made in 1918 and refurbed in 1942. Had to have it! Even as a kid I loved these rifles and could spot them in war movies & documentaries. At 64 my eyes ain’t what they used to be so getting used those sights was a real bear. Still managed to keep everything in the 8 ring at 100 yds. The Springfield is a work of art.
... Bella Woods ...ever hear of it ??? It is a forest in France that has gone down in Marine Corps lore ... The US Marines where dropping German solders at over +800 yards w/ only "iron sights" 1903 Springfield in 30-06 ... The Germans where amazed as it was the first time they fought against the US Marines and the 1903 Springfield. The 1903 Springfield out ranged any thing the British or the French fielded by several hundred yards ... much to the surprise of the Germans.
Since it's a Mauser claw CRF, you still want to push the head of the round down into the magazine to protect the claw extractor when using the mag cutoff feature. It only prevents existing rounds in the mag from feeding due to position in the magazine. Regarding "trick drill team" use, hes, they do beat you up. Braking one in a spin really stings, but the 03-A3 (and by extension any M98 "cock on open" rifle) might be the best rifle for cool tricks you can do with the bolt, as in "Inspection Arms."
Just put a deposit on a A3 O3 $449. Made 8/44 stamped on tip of barrel, owe $349... Jan 11th mine... rifle customized, Monte Carlo stock... Had to have it...
I grew up shooting my father's A3 when they were for sale for $18.00 in the back of the NRA magazine. It now belongs to my son. Anyway, I was always told that the on/off switch was mainly for when you were in the heat of battle and your magazine was empty, you would know to refill and not just close the bolt, thinking you had a round chambered.
I had a 03A3 in military school in the late 80s. We spun them and threw them like nothing. Still not sure how we did that. Although when they were occasionally dropped, even back when they were more plentiful, it was still painful to see. What I wouldn't kill to have another one.
I shot my 1903 20 years ago and couldn't remember all of the functions. It hurt my shoulder then and would much more so now. The bolt thing was changed, serial # in the 11k. Looking forward to shooting it again regardless.
I have 2, and on mine, the safety is . All the way to the left= fire . Straight up = safe. To the right = locked. When locked, the bolt and trigger are locked. In safe only the trigger is, and the bolt can be worked.
We were not paying royalties to the Mausers during WW1, once the USA entered the war, the royalties were stopped. Also the safety lug does not lock in, it doesn't even touch the lug recess behind it, it is only meant to hold the bolt in place should the 2 main lugs fail. There should be almost a 1/16 inch space behind the safety lug and the back of the lug recess. Also, Rock Island Armory did not make the rifles, they were made by the Rock Island Arsenal, big difference, although I do believe you simply misspoke. I did hear you say Rock Island Armory at least twice.
Mauser bro’s weren’t pissed just because we copied it...but because we made it BETTER! Who’d a thunk you could make the mod 98 better? We don’t need a dam stock dis or some kind of whatever to break down the bolt down, meaning all y’all need is just your hands to break down the 03 bolt, plus you can actually manipulate the cocking piece with your hands. Thus the sour from the Mauser is rooted in that those dam Yanks improved on the greatest bolt action the world has ever saw...
I must be weird at 34 I 'm a better shooter with iron sighted rifles then I am with scoped rifles once I figure out where the iron sights are zeroed for.
@05:44 that is not a mauser bolt you are confusing people by saying that. The bolt are not interchangeable, have different width and different pressure bleed holes. Yes a Springfield copy a lot of engineering, but it is not a mauser clone. Even the win m70 has copy a lot of the mauser design btw
You got some info wrong...a panel was set up by the government to see if they infringed on mausers patents and sent one over to the mauser factory for them to see if they did. The germans and the government agreed on I think $0.75 per rifle and $0.25 per 1000 stripper clips up until a maximum of $200,000 was reached. Which was paid before WW1 started.
I bought a sporterized 1903a3 years ago for 150$. I never got around to firing it yet because Im not sure its safe. Its a recreation from spare parts made by "monte cal" in the 50s or 60s. When its not cocked the bolt can be wiggled just a little bit when pushing down on it. Its tight when cocked and there is no play. I just cant bring myself to fire it. I need to have a gunsmith look at it. If its safe to fire Im going back to a classic stock.
The 1903 A3 I had I was getting tighter groups than that at 150 yd I cited mine in at a hundred and getting a nickel-sized groups you guys must be flinching although the dang things do kick like a mule
The numbers thing is because of Julian Hatchers testing the 03 with extremely hot cartridges that are past proofing. If the rifle was going to blow up it would have years ago because all of them were used.
Never asume that the safety is on when you have a live round in the chamber !!! That’s how accidents happen Before you demonstrate how the safety works take the rounds out !! Hello
Ive only recently become interested in these rifles. What i like about bolt action is theres no wasted energy like with an ar15. Takes a portion of gas to work ejector and reload. And ive noticed the mauser seems very well engineered.
Gas guns use otherwise lost energy. The amount of gas used is really small, and happens after the bullet is long gone from the barrel. A self loader is more efficient whatever the operating principle.
I enjoyed you 1903 and A3 video. I own both great shooters. But I would like to see a comparison between the 2 different A3 manufactors. Remington and an early (6 groove) Smith Corona.
From what I have read, the producer of this video is in error when it comes to the US paying Germany, (or Mauser), royalties on 1903 rifles during WWI. It is true that the Mauser Company sued the US government for patent violations in the production of the Springfield 1903. But that case was settled with the US agreeing to pay a royalty of $0.50 for every rifle made, up to 400,000 rifles. After that no further royalty was due. That meant the total paid to the Mauser Company was $200,000.00, and rifle number 400,000 was made in 1910. So by the time WWI came around, the US was no longer paying anyone royalties on 1903 rifles. It is never a good idea to accept the tales you hear at gun shows as gospel. Before repeating this “scuttle butt” you need to check it out.
Edin Hasanagic; It's best to do your own research and not trust what someone says on You-tube or at a gun show. If you are going to invest in collectable firearms you need to invest in books first so you don't have to relay on "hear-say".
I've always understood the irony of the story to be that a U.S arms manufacturer paid royalties to a German one while they both were making weapons to kill each other with. But since this was before they were enemies, it kind of lose its irony.
I posted this a few years back. Here are the facts: 1) Gen. Crozier (US) in 1904 was concerned about patent infringement on the stripper clip that had been borrowed from the Mauser design. He contacted Mauser of his own accord. Turned out that five rifle patents were infringed and two clip patents were likewise infringed. The US initiated the whole thing. 2) A total of $200,000 dollars in penalties was decided upon, to be paid to Mauser. This was paid off in 1909. The design issue was over in 1909. 3) Another German firm filed suit afterwards for patent infringement, regarding the spitzer bullet. Deutsch Waffen-und-Munitionsfabriken was the firm. USA disagreed, saying that USA had conducted experiments circa 1894. THIS is the suit that WWI interrupted. 4) When WWI erupted, USA seized the patent under the Alien Property Custody Act. 5) In 1921, an international tribunal found that Deutsch Waffen-und-Munitionsfabriken's claim was without merit. It also ruled that the US seizure of the patent during WWI was illegal.
Hey! I live in California and was thinking of moving to Kauai, but I have rifles. A few AR15's I love the old Milsurps, Have M1903's Mausers, and such. I saw that there was no shooting range in Kauai however and was wondering how the whole 2nd Amendment scene is over in Hawaii? With the new California gun laws, I've got to get out of here. I have means in Kauai to live, but would it be better to move to say Utah in terms of my hobby, which pretty much takes up all of my time, and my love.
ung427 I'm from Kauai if you get a hunting license you can shoot in the woods on public land safely of course you can bring your ar15s just have register them a pistol can only have 10 rounds Kauai is seriously amazing my family is there but I'm currently in North Carolina, if you know the right people you can make shooting buddies ammo is expensive there's a hazmat fee to ship to Hawaii
Informative video. The idea of the mag cutoff sounds strange to us today when we are used to multi round magazines. Saving ammo was not the purpose of loading a single round. The purpose was to give the shooter multiple rounds when he NEEDED them. Load the 5 rounds, turn the cut off on. Now you always have 5 rounds in reserve. For just slow fire keep loading the single rounds. During an attack when rounds were needed quickly, flip the lever and bingo, multiple rounds are available quickly. I'm retired Army.
The international courts found 17 mauser patents were stolen but we did quit paying royalties at the start of WW1. They say the 98 was built to be perfectly engineered, the 1903 was built for target shooting, and the 303 was built for war.
Re: "They say the 98 was built to be perfectly engineered, the 1903 was built for target shooting, and the 303 was built for war." Yeah, but who is "they"? It's a B.S. saying anyway. Only the Lee-Enfield fanboys believe that crap anyway. Lee-Enfields were great rifles in the day in WWI, and just the thing the Tommies in the trenches needed at the time, but the rifle was obsolete by WWII. Strangely, even after seeing the Americans, their allies, use semi-automatic rifles throughout the war, the British MOD still clung to bolt-actions, and gave the army the No. 5 Mk. I, a.k.a. the Jungle Carbine, which saw action in the Malayan Emergency. They were plagued by reports of wandering zeros, but maybe the British soldier finally figured out that they needed a self-loading rifle for a change, hence the SLR or FAL. The .303 cartridge is powerful-enough for war, and much hunting besides, but it is a pain in the neck due to its rim. It would have been better to be a rimless design, and then there would have been no real need for .308/7.62 NATO, since the .303 makes 90-95 % the power of the short-action .308-caliber cartridge. The Lee-Enfield bolt-action itself is rightly known as the fastest-cycling bolt-action to have seen military use, but it acquired that speed at the expense of some other desired attributes in a rifle, including strength and rigidity. The LE action has never been used by any modern hunting rifle manufacturer, to my knowledge, as the basis for any new production due to the inherent relative weakness of the LE receiver and bolt, which simply are not as strong as the Mauser design. This is why you seldom see LE mil-surp rifles sporterized and converted to more powerful calibers or cartridges; it isn't safe to do this with one, like it is with a German Mauser, or a M1917 or M1903 or even an Arisaka (these had the strongest actions of all bolt-action rifles, according to tests done post-war by P.O. Ackley, the American gunsmith of some renown. In short, the L-E bolt gun was an evolutionary dead-end as a design. Anyone who claims the Springfield M1903 is inadequate in any way or lacking as a combat rifle, doesn't know the subject matter well-enough to comment. U.S. Marines used M1903 Springfields in 1918 at the Battles of Cateau Thierry and Belleau Wood, to pick off German landsers (infantry) advancing through the French wheat fields, at distances of up to 800 yards, using nothing more than iron sights and good Marine fundamentals of marksmanship. Astonished French onlookers exclaimed that they had never seen such proficient long-range combat marksmanship. And don't even get me started about how much better as a cartridge is the 30-06, than the 303.
I see that your 1903 has a low enough serial number to fall into the questionable safety range for using modern ammo. You are probably OK but, maybe not. Anything over 900,000 is consider good to go. Mine is a Remington mfg over 1,000,000. Great rifle and you are right they can be very accurate.
You are erroneous in stating in the video that the USA did steel designs from the Mauser model 1871 to make the M 1903 Springfield Rifle. Prior to WWI, Springfield Armory was paying a license royalty in excess of 200k$ to Mouser in Austria for the license to manufacture the Mauser variant in the USA with different or added futures per requested by the US Army. When WWI broke out, the US seized German assets in the USA and the Mauser license was one of them. After the war, it was found that the German patent was not valid, but, the seizer had been improper and the government was ordered to pay Mauser damages.
Excellent comparison. I marched many a mile with the 03A3 years ago at Navy boot Great Lakes. Didn't much appreciate it much back then, fast forward to now after owning several of both......... I LOVE shooting my A3's, use scoped version as one of my goto deer rifles.
