Anybody tried a 7.62/.308 Win. chamber insert in a Springfield 03-A3?

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,

   This doesn't really have much to do with surplus rifles, but I thought you guys would perhaps have some experience with this issue.

   I would love to have a Springfield 03-A3, but modified to shoot 7.62 Nato.  I looked into this a few years ago, and was told that there are chamber inserts, that stay in the chamber, which will convert a .30-06 to 7.62 Nato, and that these are often used by people who shoot Garands and Sprinfields in big bore competitions. including military folks. I was also told that these inserts stay put, and don't pop out, even when fired in these semi-autos.  Apparently,  once inserted, you need a broken shell extractor to remove them from the chamber.

   Does anyone have any experience in using such an insert in a Sprinfield?   I guess the two key issues are:

   1.  Do they stay put after extended firings?  And

   2.  Are there any material feeding or ejection problems, using the shorter Nato or .308 Winchester rounds?  A very reliable gunsmith once told me that he had on a few occasions replaced worn out .30-06 barrels on Springfields with new barrels chambered for 7.62 Nato without altering the internal magazine or feed ramp, and that his customers really didn't have any feeding, firing or ejection problems that he ever heard about, especially since he put a new/strong magazine spring in the rifles, which held the shorter rounds firmly in the box.  (I think that the old-time solution to the problem was to have the gunsmith weld two vertical metal rails inside  the  the magazine box, about a quarter of an inch from the front of the box, to catch and hold the shoulders of the shorter.308 rounds, so that they wouldn't slide forward in box during firing and get out of kilter with each other.)  He said that he simply didn't find this to be necessary in the Springfield.   

   Any advice, opinions, experince on this would be greatly appreciated.  I would not take a Springfield in original configeration and alter it.  I would scour gunshows until I found a Springfield that had already been "sporterized" or "bubba'd" in the 1950s or 1960s, and go from there.  Also, I would only use an 03-A3, since I need that peep sight, and I know that the actions are considerably stronger than the older 03s.

Best Regards,
Mannyrock

   

[Hank08]

The Hollywood gun shop made the .308/30-06 inserts some yrs. ago and yes, they expanded and stayed in place.  I believe they were made more for the Garands than for bolt actions. The .308 is slightly larger at the shoulder than the 30/06 at that same spot but the action of the garand would seat them in the chamber.  Most bolt guns will have a tight chamber fit and
closing the bolt more diffucult.  Once closed though they shot the shorter round well and seemed to work thru the mag ok in most cases.  Those metal strips soldered inside the magazine probably help though they're usually there to keep from battering the tips of lead bullets.
H08

[Mikey]

Manny - Hank08 is correct about the dimentions of the 308 round and the 30-06 at the shoulder but with a chamber adapter the 308 may sit far enough back to allow for proper chambering. 

I remember reading about those adapters and thought about them but didn't think too hard about them as I am not now and have not been a fan of the 308. 

Actually, you can probably make a chamber adapter yourself.  The one you read about were most likely made from a soft metal that would fire form to the chamber and not pop out - possibly some form of locktite (non permanent stuff) was used to hold the adapter in the chamber.  You can take a 30-06 case and cut it apart to use the shoulder area as the 'adapter' with a short length of neck to space it properly and keep working both ends down until you get a 308 to chamber.  You may not be able to use any of the neck at all but rather just have to work with the 06 case shoulder area until you get the 308 to chamber. 

It might be a fun project.  Your 'adapter' may extract with every round if you don't use a adhesive but you can have fun.  jmtcw.

[kiddekop]

Dear Guys,

   This doesn't really have much to do with surplus rifles, but I thought you guys would perhaps have some experience with this issue.

   I would love to have a Springfield 03-A3, but modified to shoot 7.62 Nato.  I looked into this a few years ago, and was told that there are chamber inserts, that stay in the chamber, which will convert a .30-06 to 7.62 Nato, and that these are often used by people who shoot Garands and Sprinfields in big bore competitions. including military folks. I was also told that these inserts stay put, and don't pop out, even when fired in these semi-autos.  Apparently,  once inserted, you need a broken shell extractor to remove them from the chamber.

   Does anyone have any experience in using such an insert in a Sprinfield?   I guess the two key issues are:

   1.  Do they stay put after extended firings?  And

   2.  Are there any material feeding or ejection problems, using the shorter Nato or .308 Winchester rounds?  A very reliable gunsmith once told me that he had on a few occasions replaced worn out .30-06 barrels on Springfields with new barrels chambered for 7.62 Nato without altering the internal magazine or feed ramp, and that his customers really didn't have any feeding, firing or ejection problems that he ever heard about, especially since he put a new/strong magazine spring in the rifles, which held the shorter rounds firmly in the box.  (I think that the old-time solution to the problem was to have the gunsmith weld two vertical metal rails inside  the  the magazine box, about a quarter of an inch from the front of the box, to catch and hold the shoulders of the shorter.308 rounds, so that they wouldn't slide forward in box during firing and get out of kilter with each other.)  He said that he simply didn't find this to be necessary in the Springfield.   

   Any advice, opinions, experince on this would be greatly appreciated.  I would not take a Springfield in original configeration and alter it.  I would scour gunshows until I found a Springfield that had already been "sporterized" or "bubba'd" in the 1950s or 1960s, and go from there.  Also, I would only use an 03-A3, since I need that peep sight, and I know that the actions are considerably stronger than the older 03s.

Best Regards,
Mannyrock

   

While engaged in a garand qualification match at the Yucca Valley,Ca range we noticed an older shooter using his 1903 springfield hitting the 10 or 9 ring of the 600 yard simultor targets from every position ,he also had his shooting coat with 2 emblems 1950 & 1951 National High Power Rifle Champion.We asked him about his rifle and he told us he estimated he'd fired in excess of 50,000 rounds thru his rifle in competition & practise and he only had about 6 inches of rifling left near the muzzle but his score was very high he may have been in his middle 70's. Griffin & Howe customized many 1903 Springfields for their customers who used them to take every species of large game on the north american continent back in the 1920's.

[kiddekop]

Dear Guys,

   This doesn't really have much to do with surplus rifles, but I thought you guys would perhaps have some experience with this issue.

   I would love to have a Springfield 03-A3, but modified to shoot 7.62 Nato.  I looked into this a few years ago, and was told that there are chamber inserts, that stay in the chamber, which will convert a .30-06 to 7.62 Nato, and that these are often used by people who shoot Garands and Sprinfields in big bore competitions. including military folks. I was also told that these inserts stay put, and don't pop out, even when fired in these semi-autos.  Apparently,  once inserted, you need a broken shell extractor to remove them from the chamber.

   Does anyone have any experience in using such an insert in a Sprinfield?   I guess the two key issues are:

   1.  Do they stay put after extended firings?  And

   2.  Are there any material feeding or ejection problems, using the shorter Nato or .308 Winchester rounds?  A very reliable gunsmith once told me that he had on a few occasions replaced worn out .30-06 barrels on Springfields with new barrels chambered for 7.62 Nato without altering the internal magazine or feed ramp, and that his customers really didn't have any feeding, firing or ejection problems that he ever heard about, especially since he put a new/strong magazine spring in the rifles, which held the shorter rounds firmly in the box.  (I think that the old-time solution to the problem was to have the gunsmith weld two vertical metal rails inside  the  the magazine box, about a quarter of an inch from the front of the box, to catch and hold the shoulders of the shorter.308 rounds, so that they wouldn't slide forward in box during firing and get out of kilter with each other.)  He said that he simply didn't find this to be necessary in the Springfield.   

   Any advice, opinions, experince on this would be greatly appreciated.  I would not take a Springfield in original configeration and alter it.  I would scour gunshows until I found a Springfield that had already been "sporterized" or "bubba'd" in the 1950s or 1960s, and go from there.  Also, I would only use an 03-A3, since I need that peep sight, and I know that the actions are considerably stronger than the older 03s.

Best Regards,
Mannyrock

   

Do you mean a Remington 03A3?

[mannyrock]

  Well, hmm, I have always heard them called the U.S. O3-A3 Springfield.  I believe that they were manufactured for the government by Remington Arms and Smith Corolla during WWII. 

    Remington also manufactured new 1903 Springfield rifles for the government during WWII as well. But, nobody refers to this rifle as the 1903 Remington. :-)

Mannyrock