Vintage Scopes?

[4given]

I would put a good fresh scope on it and not try to keep it an antique.
Of put one in QD rings and mount the Weaver for show and tell but put a brighter scope on it to shoot with.

A NM Springfield will have the serial number electropenciled on the bolt and the barrel will be star gauged, denoted by a teeny little rayed circle stamped right on the crown.

I am told that the bolt handle was replaced to clear the scope and the barrel was cut and re-crowned as a part of the sporterization process.

[4given]

The Leupold M8 series of scopes, which were made up until the early 2000s, can look period correct depending on the font of the Leupold logo and are very reliable, modern, scopes that hold adjustments well and will not fog. I have had dozens of vintage steel tubed Weaver scopes and they look cool, but they are often not adequately sealed and can fog very easily. The only vintage scope I'd consider for actual use would be a Leupold M8. On your 1903 Springfield, an M8 4x28 "long tube" scope would be perfect and would give you adequate fore/aft flexibility in mounting that many contemporary scopes lack.

Thanks for the tip. I do need more fore and aft flexibility due to interference between the scope and the safety as you can see in the attached pictures of Dad's old rifle. In the top picture the safety is "ON" and the rifle wont fire but is is not all the way over to the right as it should be. I tried moving the scope back and forth but there is no way to get this scope to clear the safety.

Safety ON




Safety OFF

[Welder]

I too have a sporterized Springfield; mine is an 03A3 and was my grandfather's. I'm keeping an eye out for a good Lyman All American Permacenter scope for it. They're period scopes and the reticles stay centered. Contemporary to the Weaver.

[4given]

I too have a sporterized Springfield; mine is an 03A3 and was my grandfather's. I'm keeping an eye out for a good Lyman All American Permacenter scope for it. They're period scopes and the reticles stay centered. Contemporary to the Weaver.

I'm seeing quite a few on ebay right now

[4given]

Thanks for the tip. I do need more fore and aft flexibility due to interference between the scope and the safety as you can see in the attached pictures of Dad's old rifle. In the top picture the safety is "ON" and the rifle wont fire but is is not all the way over to the right as it should be. I tried moving the scope back and forth but there is no way to get this scope to clear the safety.

Safety ON




Safety OFF

A guy on another forum sent me a Buehler Low Swing Safety so I am going to try that. I'll let you all know how that works out.

[Lex Luthier]

A guy on another forum sent me a Buehler Low Swing Safety so I am going to try that. I'll let you all know how that works out.

I was going to recommend that, but couldn't remember who made them. I recall my grandpa had a low-mount scope on his 1950s FN commercial 98 rifle, and he had a swing safety fitted. I think they don't require any modification to the bolt body.

[4given]

A guy over on Cast Boolits had a Buehler Swing Safety laying around and sent it to me as a gift. Works great! Here are some pictures of it installed.

[Hambo]

Great looking rifle!

[4given]

Great looking rifle!

Thanks Hambo! I sure do love the rifle for many reasons. I shot my first deer at 12 years old with this rifle. I hope to get it out to the range soon.