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M1903 Springfield
The Springfield M1903 was the first service rifle to be adopted by all branches of the United States Armed Forces. It is a Mauser-style turnbolt action with a 24" barrel, 5-round staggered-column box magazine contained within the stock, and straight-grip single-piece stock. It fired the new high-velocity .30-'06 caliber cartridge which would become the standard US rifle and machine-gun round for the next 50 years.
Background
Development
During the Spanish-American War, US Army troops in Cuba found their Krag-Jørgensen rifles severely outmatched by the Spanish Army's M1893 Mauser rifle. The high-velocity and flat trajectory of the 7x57mm cartridge compared to the .30-40 Krag made the Spanish rifle more accurate, and the Mauser design allowed for immediate reloading of the entire magazine via stripper clips, whereas the Krag could only be loaded singly. This gave the Spanish a decisive advantage in rate-of-fire. Another notable advantage of the Mauser was the smokeless powder used in the cartridges, which made their wielders extremely hard to spot, in sharp contrast to the puffs of smoke produced by the Spencer 1860 Carbines used by some of the U.S. soldiers, which made them easy targets for Spanish marksmen.
A more powerful .30-40 cartridge was developed in 1899, but generated too much chamber pressure for the rifle to withstand repeated firings. It was decided that an entirely new rifle was needed. Thousands of M1893 rifles - surrendered by Spanish troops in Cuba - were returned to the US and extensively studied at Springfield Armory, where it was decided that the Mauser was the superior design. A prototype rifle was produced in 1900; interestingly, it was very similar to Rifle No.5, the final M1892 Mauser prototype in the US Army rifle trials of 1892. This design was rejected, and a new design combining features of the 1898 Krag rifle and the 1893 Spanish Mauser was developed.
Design
The new M1901 prototype combined the cock-on-opening bolt, 30" barrel, magazine cutoff, stock and sights of the Krag-Jørgensen with the dual locking lugs, external claw extractor, and staggered-column magazine of the 1893 Mauser. Taking a cue from the Gewehr 98, a large safety lug was added to the side of the bolt behind the extractor, which would engage the receiver bridge and prevent the bolt moving rearwards. The bolt handle was also bent downwards, to make operation of the bolt faster. It fired an entirely new .30 caliber cartridge, which propelled a 220gr round-nosed bullet at 2,300ft/s. The design was unsuccessful, however, and returned to the drawing board for further improvements.
Following then-current trends in service rifles, the barrel was shortened to 24" after it was discovered that a longer barrel offered no appreciable ballistic advantage, and the shorter barrel was lighter and easier to handle. This "short rifle" also eliminated the need of a shorter carbine for mounted troops or cavalry. A spike-type bayonet with storage in the forend of the stock was added to the design, and the new design was officially adopted as the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903.
Almost immediately it underwent two important modifications. In 1905, with 80,000 rifles aready produced, then-US President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the spike bayonet redesigned; he believed it was too flimsy for combat. A conventional blade-type bayonet, the M1905, replaced it and all rifles already produced were retrofitted for the new bayonet. The .30-'03 cartridge was also troublesome; the bullet caused excessive wear on the rifling, and the round-nosed bullet was aerodynamically inefficient. A new cartridge, propelling a 150gr spitzer bullet at 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) with improved propellant and redesigned case was approved in 1906, becoming the ubiquitous .30-'06. All existing rifles were re-chambered and re-sighted for the new cartridge.
M1903 Springfield
Specifications
- Weight: 8.65 lb (3.9 kg) depending on wood density
- Length: 44.9 in (1,140 mm)
- Barrel length: 24 in (610 mm)
- Cartridge: .30-03 Springfield; .30-06 Springfield
- Action: Bolt-action
- Muzzle velocity: 2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)
- Feed system: 5-round, 25-round (Air Service variant) stripper clip, internal box magazine
- Sights: Leaf rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight, Aperture rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight (M1903A3)
The M1903 Springfield and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Unbeliever | Raymond McKee | Philip Landicutt | 1918 | |
| Darwin Karr | "Lefty" | |||
| Moss Gill | Albert Mullins | |||
| Mortimer Martine | Eugene Harbrok | |||
| Earl Schenck | Emanuel Müller | |||
| American, Belgian, and German soldiers | ||||
| The Lost Battalion | American soldiers | 1919 | ||
| The Big Parade | John Gilbert | James Apperson | 1925 | |
| Tom O'Brien | Bull | |||
| Karl Dane | Slim | |||
| George Beranger | A German soldier | |||
| U.S. soldiers | ||||
| Wings | American, French and German soldiers | 1927 | ||
| Four Sons | James Hall | Joseph Bernle | 1928 | |
| Jack Pennick | The Iceman | |||
| U.S. soldiers | ||||
| Doughboys | Buster Keaton | Elmer J. Stuyvesant Jr. | 1930 | |
| Cliff Edwards | Nescopeck | |||
| Edward Brophy | Sergeant Brophy | |||
| Arnold Korff | Gustave | |||
| U.S. soldiers | ||||
| Pardon Us | National Guardsmen | 1931 | ||
| Heroes for Sale | Richard Barthelmess | Thomas Holmes | 1933 | |
| Gordon Westcott | Roger Winston | |||
| U.S. soldiers | ||||
| The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | Rebels | 1935 | ||
| China Seas | British Sikh soldiers | 1935 | ||
| They Gave Him a Gun | Franchot Tone | James Davis | 1937 | |
| Spencer Tracy | Fred P. Willis | |||
| U. S. soldiers | ||||
| Each Dawn I Die | Army National Guard soldiers | 1939 | ||
| The Roaring Twenties | James Cagney | Eddie Bartlett | 1939 | |
| Humphrey Bogart | George Hally | |||
| Jeffrey Lynn | Lloyd | |||
| The Fighting 69th | James Cagney | Pvt. Jerry Plunkett | 1940 | |
| Jeffrey Lynn | Sgt. Joyce Kilmer | |||
| U.S. soldiers | ||||
| Sergeant York | Gary Cooper | Sgt. Alvin C. York | 1941 | |
| George Tobias | Pvt. Michael T. "Pusher" Ross | |||
| David Bruce | Pvt. Bert Thomas | |||
| Jack Pennick | Cpl. William Cutting | |||
| Lane Chandler | Cpl. Murray Savage | |||
| American soldiers | ||||
| Wake Island | U.S. soldiers | 1942 | ||
| Air Force | U.S. and Japanese soldiers | 1943 | ||
| Guadalcanal Diary | Richard Jaeckel | Private Johnny "Chicken" Anderson | 1943 | |
| Gung Ho! | Marine Raiders | 1943 | ||
| Japanese soldiers | ||||
| Sahara | Louis Mercier | Jean 'Frenchie' Leroux | 1943 | |
| German soldiers | ||||
| Bataan | Robert Taylor | Sgt. Bill Dane | 1943 | |
| Thomas Mitchell | Cpl. Jake Feingold | |||
| Barry Nelson | F.X. Matowski | |||
| The Fighting Seabees | CB recruit | 1944 | ||
| They Were Expendable | John Wayne | Lt. JG 'Rusty' Ryan | 1945 | |
| U.S. Navy sailors | ||||
| The Story of G.I. Joe | U.S. soldiers | 1945 | ||
| Back to Bataan | Philippine guerrilla fighters | 1945 | ||
| It's a Wonderful Life | Ward Bond | Bert the cop | 1946 | |
| Tokyo Joe | U.S. Army soldiers | 1949 | ||
| Viva Zapata! | Mexican soldiers and rebels | 1952 | ||
| Blowing Wild | Ward Bond | Dutch Peterson | 1953 | |
| Local policemen | ||||
| Battle Circus | North Korean soldier | 1953 | ||
| From Here to Eternity | Montgomery Clift | Pvt. Robert Prewitt | 1953 | |
| Frank Sinatra | Pvt. Angelo Maggio | |||
| A Bullet For Joey | U.S. Navy sailor | 1955 | ||
| China Gate | French Legionnaires | 1957 | ||
| The FBI Story | South American soldier | 1959 | ||
| The Dictator's Guns (L'Arme à gauche) | Leo Gordon | Morrison | 1965 | |
| Tarzan and the Valley of Gold | Vinero's soldiers | 1966 | ||
| The Professionals | Mexican soldiers and rebels | 1966 | ||
| The Sand Pebbles | Steve McQueen | Jake Holman | 1966 | |
| Richard Attenborough | Frenchy Burgoyne | |||
| Joe Turkel | Seaman Bronson | |||
| The Vulture (Le Rapace) | Mexican soldiers and police | 1968 | ||
| The Wild Bunch | Mexican and U.S. soldiers | 1969 | ||
| 100 Rifles | Mexican soldiers and Indians | 1969 | ||
| Two Mules for Sister Sara | French soldiers | 1970 | ||
| Big Jake | Texas Rangers | 1971 | ||
| The New Centurions | L.A.P.D. Honor Guard | 1972 | ||
| Dillinger | Vigilantes | 1973 | ||
| Midway | U.S. Marines | 1976 | ||
| The Muthers | Pirates, Camp guards | 1976 | ||
| Go Tell the Spartans | South Vietnamese militia | 1978 | ||
| The Police War (La Guerre des polices) | French police | Scoped | 1979 | |
| 1941 | U.S. Army soldiers | 1976 | ||
| The Big Red One | Lee Marvin | Private Possum | 1980 | |
| Lili Marleen | American and British soldiers | 1981 | ||
| Ragtime | Police officers | 1981 | ||
| Sahara | Cliff Potts | String | 1983 | |
| Perry Lang | Andy | |||
| Born on the Fourth of July | 4th of July celebration cadets | 1989 | ||
| Child's Play 3 | Kent Military School students | 1991 | ||
| Chaplin | U.S. soldiers | on the set of Shoulder Arms | 1992 | |
| Forrest Gump | Gary Sinise | Lt. Dan Taylor's ancestor | 1994 | |
| Clear and Present Danger | U.S. military honor guard | With metal parts chromed | 1994 | |
| Silent Hunter | Seen in Eli's cabin | 1995 | ||
| Truman | Gary Sinise | Capt. Harry S. Truman | 1995 | |
| Last Man Standing | One of the men who massacres the truck convoy | 1996 | ||
| The Quest | Dobbs' men and Turk smugglers | 1996 | ||
| Commander Hamilton | Libyan troops | 1998 | ||
| Pearl Harbor | U.S. military personnel | 2001 | ||
| Windtalkers | United States Marines | 2002 | ||
| The Lost City | Cuban rebels | 2005 | ||
| Fido | Tim Blake Nelson | Mr. Theopolis | 2006 | |
| Henry Czerny | Johny Bottoms | |||
| US Army soldiers | ||||
| Zomcon guards | ||||
| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Jacob Tolano | Martin Gateau | 2008 | |
| U.S. Army soldiers | ||||
| An American Carol | Ghost of World War I-era troops | 2008 | ||
| Public Enemies | U.S. Army soldiers | 2009 | ||
| Prison guards | ||||
| Vigilante | ||||
| Shutter Island | Leonardo DiCaprio | U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels | 2009 | |
| Prison Guards | ||||
| Spoils of War | US Marines | Archive footage | 2009 | |
| Cold Steel (Bian di lang yan) | Peter Ho | Mu Liangfeng | 2011 | |
| Tony Leung Ka Fai | Capt. Zhang Menzi | |||
| Mickey He | Xiao Wu | |||
| Chinese military snipers | ||||
| Back to 1942 | Chinese troops | 2012 | ||
| Live by Night | Joe Coughlin's men | 2016 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Three Stooges | Curly Howard | Curly | Episode "Three Pests in a Mess" | 1945 |
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | various characters | 1964-1968 | ||
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Robert Vaughn | Napoleon Solo | 1964-1968 | |
| Tales from the Crypt | Kirk Douglas | General Kalthrob | episode: "Yellow" (S3E14) | 1991 |
| The Sopranos | Tony Sirico | Paulie | "House Arrest" (2.11) | 1999-2007 |
| Doctor Who | Hugh Quarshie | Solomon | "Daleks iin Manhattan" | 2005 - ???? |
| Doctor Who | Hooverville citizens | "Daleks in Manhattan" | 2005 - ???? | |
| Bonnie and Clyde (2013) | police officer | scoped | 2013 | |
| Watchmen | Alexis Louder | The Mother | "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" (S01E01) | 2019 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forgotten Hope | 2003 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Rising Sun | "Springfield '03" | M1903/A5 | 2003 | |
| Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault | "Springfield M1903A5" | M1903/A5 | 2004 | |
| Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth | 2005 | |||
| 7554 | 2011 | |||
| State of Decay | "Model 1903" | added in Lifeline DLC (2014) | 2013 | |
| Verdun | "Model 1903 Springfield" | 2015 | ||
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | 2016 | |||
| Battlefield 1 | "M1903" | 2016 | ||
| Call of Duty: WWII | "M1903" | 2017 | ||
| Enlisted | Springfield M1903 Air Service | 2021 | ||
| Springfield M1903 Mk 1 | ||||
| Springfield M1903 Mk 1 with M1 Grenade Launcher | ||||
| Beyond The Wire | "Springfield M1903" | Warner & Swasey Sniper configuration | 2022 |
Animation
| Film/TV Show | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Iron Giant | US Army soldiers | 1999 |
M1903A1 Springfield
The M1903A1 Springfield was introduced in 1929, with the only alteration being the C-type pistol-grip stock. The US Marine Corps utilized the M1903A1 with a scope added as their standard sniper rifle during World War II.
The M1903A1 Springfield and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Christmas | U.S. Army soldiers | 1954 | ||
| China Gate | Legionnaires | 1957 | ||
| I Am Cuba (Soy Cuba) | Cuban government soldiers and guerrillas | 1964 | ||
| The Born Losers | Tom Laughlin | Billy Jack | 1967 | |
| Stuart Lancaster | Sheriff Harvey | |||
| The Vulture (Le Rapace) | Mexican soldiers and police | May be A3 modification | 1968 | |
| Blastfighter | A henchman | 1984 | ||
| Best Seller | Brian Dennehy | Dennis Meechum | with M82 scope | 1987 |
| JFK | A killer | with Unertl 8x scope | 1991 | |
| The Thin Red Line | Mickey Rourke | A sniper | Deleted scene; with a 7.8x Unertl scope | 1998 |
| Letters from Iwo Jima | MSgt. Tom Minder | US Marine sniper | with 7.8x Unertl scope | 2006 |
| Let the Bullets Fly | Henchmen | 2010 | ||
| Captain America: The First Avenger | Sebastian Stan | Sgt. James "Bucky" Barnes | Deleted scene; with 7.8x Unertl scope | 2011 |
| The Highwaymen | Kevin Costner | Frank Hamer | car arsenal | 2019 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pacific | US Marine Sniper | with 7.8x Unertl scope | 2010 |
Video Game
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven | 2002 | ||
| Hidden & Dangerous 2 | "Springfield" | 2004 | |
| Forgotten Hope 2 | 2007 | ||
| Medal of Honor: Airborne | "Springfield" | 2007 | |
| Call of Duty: World at War | "Springfield" | 2008 | |
| Battlefield: 1943 | 2009 | ||
| Red Orchestra 2: Rising Storm | 2013 | ||
| Battlefield Hardline | 2015 | ||
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | 2016 | ||
| Heroes & Generals | "Springfield M1903" | unscoped and with M84/Unertl scopes | 2016 |
| Mafia III | 2016 | ||
| Raid: World War II | "Springfield M1903 Rifle" | 2017 | |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | 2020 | ||
| Enlisted | Springfield M1903A1 | 2021 | |
| Springfield M1903A1 (Unertl scope) |
M1903A3 Springfield
Anticipation of American involvement in World War II lead to the US War Department contracting with Remington Arms and Smith-Corona Typewriter Company to produce M1903 rifles to supplement production of the M1 Garand. Remington began production at serial #3,000,000 in September 1941 using old tooling from Rock Island Arsenal put in storage in 1919. As the older tooling wore out, Remington replaced unnecessary milled parts with stamped replacements, which helped to simplify and speed up production, and also improved the design by replacing the original rear sight with a peep sight on the receiver bridge. By serial #3,330,000 the design had been modified so much that it was decided to give the model a new designation, United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903-A3. In October 1942 Smith-Corona began production of the M1903A3 in Syracuse, New York. Smith-Corona rifles were produced using a number of subcontractors, primarily barrels made by High-Standard Manufacturing and Savage Arms. Production of the M1903A3 ended February 12, 1944 when production of M1 Garand rifles was deemed sufficient for the war effort.
The M1903A3 was extensively used by Allied forces in World War II; it was the primary battle rifle of the 1st Brazilian Infantry Division in Italy, and was extensively used by Free French forces after August 1943. It would see action with postwar French forces in Indochina and Algeria. While the basic M1903 and the M1903A1 were distinguished by the use of either a straight-grip stock or a C-type pistol-grip stock, both stock types were used interchangeably in the M1903A3 without any change in designation.
The M1903A3 Springfield and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fighting Seabees | US Marine and CB members | 1944 | ||
| The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | National Guard soldiers | 1953 | ||
| Never So Few | Burmese and american soldiers | 1959 | ||
| Battle of the Bulge | U.S. Army Soldiers | 1965 | ||
| The Wild Bunch | Ben Johnson | Tector | 1969 | |
| Strother Martin | Coffer | |||
| U.S. Army and Mexican soldiers | ||||
| Five for Hell | Aldo Canti | Nick Amadori | 1969 | |
| Luciano Rossi | Johnny White | |||
| US Army soldiers | ||||
| Badlands | Police officer | 1973 | ||
| Dillinger | U.S. Army soldiers | 1973 | ||
| Ironweed | Jared Swartout | U.S. Army officer | 1987 | |
| Return from the River Kwai | Japanese soldiers | 1989 | ||
| Miao tribesmen | ||||
| former Allied POWs | ||||
| Courage Under Fire | U.S. Army soldiers | With metal parts chromed | 1996 | |
| The Scoundrel's Wife | U.S. Coast Guard sailors | 2002 | ||
| An American Carol | Ghost of World War I-era troops | 2008 | ||
| Shutter Island | Shutter Island prison guards | 2010 | ||
| Gallipoli: End of the Road | Gürkan Uygun | Mushin | Standing in for Turkish M1903 Mauser | 2013 |
| Umut Kurt | Hasan | |||
| Mehmetcan Diper | Eyüp | |||
| Inanç Koçak | Kostas | |||
| Emir Çiçek | Sgt. Enver Çavuş | |||
| Fikret Yildirim Urag | Capt. Ibrahim Adil | |||
| Turkish soldiers | ||||
| Black Widow | Black Widows recruits | "Parade" rifle | 2021 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pacific | Keith Nobbs | PFC Wilbur 'Runner' Conley | 2010 | |
| Joshua Bitton | Sgt. J.P. Morgan | |||
| Josh Helman | Lew 'Chuckler' Juergens | |||
| Tom Budge | PFC Ronnie Gibson | |||
| Sam Parsonson | Pvt. William LaPointe | |||
| US Marines |
Video Game
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor: Allied Assault | With scope | 2002 | ||
| Call of Duty 2 | 2005 | |||
| Forgotten Hope 2 | "M1903A3" | Can use a bayonet and rifle grenades | 2007 | |
| Death to Spies | 2007 | |||
| Death to Spies: Moment of Truth | 2009 | |||
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | Released with 1.34 update | 2011 | ||
| World of Guns: Gun Disassembly | Springfield M1903 A3 | scope | 2014 | |
| Day of Infamy | 2017 | |||
| Post Scriptum | 2018 | |||
| Enlisted | M1903A3 | 2021 | ||
| M1903A3 with Unertl scope |
Animation
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero | Robert Conroy | 2018 | |
| Sgt. Casburn | |||
| U.S. and French soldiers |
M1903A4 Springfield
The M1903A4 is an adaptation of the M1903A3 for sniper use, with the iron sights removed and a low-mounted scope in their place. The M1903A4 was used only by the US Army during World War II, as the Marines preferred their own modified M1903A1 design.
The M1903A4 Springfield Sniper Rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saving Private Ryan | Barry Pepper | Pvt. Daniel Jackson | 1998 | |
| Tae Guk Gi | South Korean soldier | With scope removed | 2004 | |
| Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed | US paratrooper | 2012 | ||
| Overlord | John Magaro | PFC Tibbet | 2018 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor | 1999 | |||
| Commandos 2: Men of Courage | "M1903 .30-06" | 2001 | ||
| Medal of Honor: Allied Assault | 2002 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Frontline | 2002 | |||
| Commandos 3: Destination Berlin | "Allied Sniper Rifle" | 2003 | ||
| Call of Duty | "Springfield" | 2003 | ||
| Forgotten Hope | 2003 | |||
| Call of Duty: United Offensive | "Springfield" | 2004 | ||
| Day of Defeat | With M82 scope | 2004 | ||
| Call of Duty: Finest Hour | "Springfield" | 2004 | ||
| Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 | 2005 | |||
| Call of Duty 2: Big Red One | "Springfield" | 2005 | ||
| Resident Evil 4 | With upgradable scope | Inaccurately chambered in .223 Remington | 2005 | |
| Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 | With M84 scope | 2006 | ||
| Call of Duty 3 | "Springfield" | 2006 | ||
| Forgotten Hope 2 | With Model 330 Weaver scope | 2007 | ||
| Hour of Victory | 2007 | |||
| Death to Spies | 2007 | |||
| Far Cry 2 | Incorrectly shown loaded with a stripper clip inserted into the bottom of the weapon | 2008 | ||
| Death to Spies: Moment of Truth | 2009 | |||
| Day of Defeat: Source | 2010 | |||
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | released with 1.34 update | 2011 | ||
| Sniper Elite V2 | 2012 | |||
| Sniper Elite III | "Patriot Weapons Pack" DLC | 2014 | ||
| The Walking Dead: Michonne | incorrectly depicted with a protruding magazine | 2016 | ||
| Sniper Elite 4 | 2017 | |||
| Post Scriptum | 2018 | |||
| State of Decay 2 | 2018 | |||
| Enlisted | Springfield M1903A4 (Weaver Model 330 Scope) | 2021 | ||
| Sniper Elite 5 | 2022 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayoi Neko Overrun! | 2010 | ||
| Baccano! | Lemure sniper | 2007 | |
| Hanasaku Iroha | 2011 |
Sporterized M1903 Springfield
The M1903 and its descendants have long been popular as the basis for custom hunting/target rifles. Famous gunsmith Reginald F. Sedgely and the sporting house of Griffin & Howe (in business since 1923) are two of the most well known makers not to mention the thousands of self-taught hobbyists working in their basements and garages over the past one hundred years.
The Sporterized Springfield Rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Book of Eli | Town guard | Same sporterized rifle as used in A Boy and His Dog (1975) | 2010 | |
| Blue Desert | Philip Baker Hall | Joe | Scoped | 1991 |
| The Howling | Colony Resident | Griffin & Howe | 1981 | |
| Black Sunday | Robert Shaw | Maj. David Kabakov | Scoped | 1977 |
| Breaker! Breaker! | Dan Vandegrift | Wilfred | Griffin & Howe? | 1977 |
| A Boy and His Dog | Don Johnson | Vic | Customized with Mannlicher Schönauer Carbine (Stutzen) stock | 1975 |
| The Dictator's Guns (L'Arme à gauche) | Leo Gordon | Morrison | 1965 | |
| His Kind of Woman | Vincent Price | Mark Cardigan | Griffin & Howe | 1951 |
| Alberto Morin | Lt. Rodriguez | |||
| Mexican policemen | ||||
| The Macomber Affair | Gregory Peck | Robert Wilson | 1947 | |
| Robert Preston | Francis Macomber | |||
| High Sierra | Frank Cordell | Slim | scoped sporter | 1941 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - Season 1 | Michael St. Clair | James | "The Gazebo in the Maze Affair" (S1E27) | 1965 |
| The Walking Dead - Season 3 | Lauren Cohan | Maggie | "I Ain't a Judas" (S3E11) | 2012-2013 |
Pedersen Device
The Pedersen Device is an attachment for the M1903 Springfield developed during World War I, converting the rifle into semi-automatic pistol cartridge weapon, designated US Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918 by the Ordnance Department. Functionally, the Pedersen Device is a very small and simple top loading, blowback-operated pistol. M1903 Springfields were modified with additional left-facing pistol-caliber ejection port and other receiver modifications to accommodate for the device, and were designated US Rifle, Cal. .30, Model of M1903, Mark I. It is attached by removing the turnbolt and inserting the device. It uses the rifle's trigger group and uses 40-round magazines, inserted 45-degrees diagonally from the right.
The device was designed by Remington Arms employee John Pedersen prior to US entry into WWI. After US entry into WWI, the Army ordered 133,450 devices and 800,000,000 cartridges for the 1919 Spring Offensive. Production began in 1918, but the war ended before they reached Europe. The production contract was terminated on March 1, 1919, after 65,000 devices, 1.6 million magazines, 65 million cartridges and 101,775 modified Springfield rifles were produced. They were subsequently placed in storage and declared surplus in 1931. Nearly all were destroyed in a giant bonfire because the Ordnance Department didn't want to pay for the cost of storage. An estimated 60-100 Pedersen devices survive today. Most Mark I rifles converted for the Pedersen device were converted back to the original standard in the 1930s, with the only remaining sign of their conversion being a receiver cutout and a Mark I rollmark.
Mk.II and Mk.III prototypes were designed for the M1917 Enfield and U.S. Rifle, 7.62 mm, Model of 1916 (a Remington-produced version of the Russian Mosin Nagant that were never delivered to Russia). Neither went into production.
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battlefield 1 | "M1903 Experimental" | 2016 | ||
| Enlisted | 2021 |