M1903 Springfield

Also known as United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903, Springfield 1903 rifle

American 5-round magazine fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle

Key facts

Type: Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1903–1936 (as the standard U.S. service rifle) 1936–1970s (as a U.S. Army sniper rifle)
Used by: See Users
Designed: 1903 ( 1903 )
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory Rock Island Arsenal Remington Arms Company Smith Corona
Unit cost: $41.35 (1938), equal to $946 now
Produced: 1903 ( 1903 ) –1949 ( 1949 )
Number span no built: 3,004,079
Variants: See Variants
Mass: 8.7 lb (3.9 kg)
Length: 43.2 in (1,100 mm)

~39 min read

Article

The M1903 Springfield, officially the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903, is an American five-round, non-removable, staggered-row box magazine-fed, bolt-action, repeating service rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century.

The M1903 was first used in combat during the Philippine-American War and was officially adopted by the United States as the standard infantry rifle on 19 June 1903. It saw service in World War I and was replaced by the faster-firing semi-automatic eight-round M1 Garand starting in 1936. However, the M1903 remained a standard-issue infantry rifle during World War II, since the U.S. entered the war without sufficient M1 rifles to arm all troops. It also was used as a sniper rifle during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, collector's piece, a competitive shooting rifle, and as a military drill rifle.