Chuck said

Bert H. said
Just as an FYI, it is not possible to "rechamber" a 30-03 barrel to 30-06 without first cutting the entire chamber off of the barrel.  
 
Bert
  

Not true.
"Military .30-03 barrels can safely and functionally be converted to .30-06 by unscrewing the barrel, setting it back (milling a small amount off the breech end), re-threading, and re-chambering. This requires a qualified gunsmith with a lathe and the proper reamer."
This is what the Military did and that is why finding a 03 Springfield in 30-03 is rare. 
  

Chuck,

The cost in both the time and labor to do the work necessary to convert a 30-03 barrel to 30-06 would be greater than simply installing a new barrel. 

In addition to milling .2" off of the breech end of the barrel, then rereaming the chamber to the correct dimension, that is not all that would have needed to be reworked. 

The rear sight mounting holes would need to me moved further forward, the barrel fitments to the stock would also need reworking/moving.  I simply do not believe that the Springfield Armory would have wasted all of the extra time needed to convert a 30-03 barrel versus simply putting a replacement barrel on the rifle.

Bert

The type l and ll with their 20 inch barrels, and the type lll and llll, with their M-95, 24 inch Musket barrels cut down to 21.75". It makes me wonder how and why they came up with that number, for the length on the barrel, and not a more even, or rounded number. I guess it really doesn't matter, just curious is all.

Years ago the barrel length on the type lll and llll, was said to be 21.50, and 22 inches long, in earlier beginning surveys. We can see how that can happen as the breach measurements can be subjective to assuming something, in many cases, I suspect.

With all the updated information, it really gives the collector some more information to go on.

Tony

steve004 said

Interesting but pretty vague:  "not desirable."
  

Well, there are more books on these rifles and maybe more info in this book but I don't collect them. 

Chuck said
The Springfield 1903 Rifles by Brophy.
After a quick look through the 616 page book I found one paragraph on page 34. "The new cartridge had a neck that was .1" shorter than the original one, and although it would fit into the chamber, it was not desirable."
Page 38 states that the 03 barrels were 24.2" and the barrels modified to 06 are 24".
  

Interesting but pretty vague:  "not desirable."

After a quick look through the 616 page book I found one paragraph on page 34. "The new cartridge had a neck that was .1" shorter than the original one, and although it would fit into the chamber, it was not desirable."

Page 38 states that the 03 barrels were 24.2" and the barrels modified to 06 are 24".

One other thing is that the 150 gr Military bullet is a spitzer, pointed, bullet.  

steve004 said

Chuck said

Bert H. said
Just as an FYI, it is not possible to "rechamber" a 30-03 barrel to 30-06 without first cutting the entire chamber off of the barrel.  
 
Bert
  

Not true.
"Military .30-03 barrels can safely and functionally be converted to .30-06 by unscrewing the barrel, setting it back (milling a small amount off the breech end), re-threading, and re-chambering. This requires a qualified gunsmith with a lathe and the proper reamer."
  

Why would this be worth all the trouble when the .30-06 cartridge can be safely fired in the .30-06 chamber?
  

I don't know the answer to that.  I'll look at my 03 Springfield book and see what it may say.  All I know is the Military wasn't about to waste the barrels.

Chuck said

Bert H. said
Just as an FYI, it is not possible to "rechamber" a 30-03 barrel to 30-06 without first cutting the entire chamber off of the barrel.  
 
Bert
  

Not true.
"Military .30-03 barrels can safely and functionally be converted to .30-06 by unscrewing the barrel, setting it back (milling a small amount off the breech end), re-threading, and re-chambering. This requires a qualified gunsmith with a lathe and the proper reamer."
  

Why would this be worth all the trouble when the .30-06 cartridge can be safely fired in the .30-06 chamber?

Bert H. said

Just as an FYI, it is not possible to "rechamber" a 30-03 barrel to 30-06 without first cutting the entire chamber off of the barrel.  

 
Bert
  

Not true.

"Military .30-03 barrels can safely and functionally be converted to .30-06 by unscrewing the barrel, setting it back (milling a small amount off the breech end), re-threading, and re-chambering. This requires a qualified gunsmith with a lathe and the proper reamer."

This is what the Military did and that is why finding a 03 Springfield in 30-03 is rare. 

Chuck said

Bert H. said
There is no evidence that any of the 94/95 hybrids were assembled using 30-03 or 30-40 barrels. 
Quite honestly, I do not believe that by October of 1928 that Winchester had on hand any 30-03 barrels.  While it is not impossible, I also very much doubt Winchester used altered 30-40 (30 Army) barrels as they were still actively manufacturing Model 95s in that cartridge.  Winchester did announce (in their catalogs) that the 30-06 cartridge chambering had been discontinued prior to 1928.
Bert
  

Was the 30-06 discontinued in the Model 95 or did you mean 30-03?
The Military rechambered the 30-03 barrels to 30-06.  It is really hard to find a Military Springfield rifle in 30-03 because of this. 
  

Chuck,

It was the 30-06 cartridge that Winchester discontinued for the Model 95 in the mid 1920s.  It is my belief that the impetus behind doing that was the introduction of the Model 54 bolt-action rifles in that same cartridge.

Just as an FYI, it is not possible to "rechamber" a 30-03 barrel to 30-06 without first cutting the entire chamber off of the barrel.  The 30-06 is simply a 30-03 cartridge with a slightly shorter neck. 

It is perfectly safe to shoot 30-06 cartridges in any original 30-03 chambered rifle, but it is not possible to shoot a 30-03 cartridge in a 30-06 chambered barrel.  The U.S. Army actually rebarreled the Springfield Model 1903 rifles versus rechambering them.

The attached picture shows in order the first three .30 caliber Military cartridges; 30-40 (30 US) on left, 30-03 Gov't center, and 30-06 Gov't right.  Take note that the 30-06 has a slightly shorter neck than the 30-03.

Bert

Bert H. said

There is no evidence that any of the 94/95 hybrids were assembled using 30-03 or 30-40 barrels. 
Quite honestly, I do not believe that by October of 1928 that Winchester had on hand any 30-03 barrels.  While it is not impossible, I also very much doubt Winchester used altered 30-40 (30 Army) barrels as they were still actively manufacturing Model 95s in that cartridge.  Winchester did announce (in their catalogs) that the 30-06 cartridge chambering had been discontinued prior to 1928.
Bert
  

Was the 30-06 discontinued in the Model 95 or did you mean 30-03?

The Military rechambered the 30-03 barrels to 30-06.  It is really hard to find a Military Springfield rifle in 30-03 because of this. 

Production of the Model 55 began on June 30th, 1924.  In total, Winchester manufactured approximately 20,600 Model 55 rifles, with the first 12,002 serialized in their own number range.  

I am currently writing a newly revised & updated article that will detail the production history and statistics of the Model 55.  My original article (published in the Winter 2012 edition of "The Winchester Collector" magazine) is now somewhat outdated.

With the addition of your Model 55 rifle, I now have 1,748 documented specimens (and still looking for more).

Bert

Bert