M1903 Springfield

The M1903 Springfield, officially the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903, is an American five-round, <a href="/facts/Magazine_(firearms)/l9aHXW8u">magazine</a>-fed, <a href="/facts/Bolt_action/yEy9pnyG">bolt-action</a>, <a href="/facts/Repeating_rifle/BBq6ngot">repeating</a> <a href="/facts/Service_rifle/CejsNRy7">service</a> rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century.
Primarily chambered for <a href="/facts/.30-06_Springfield/66Vbr9rW">.30-06 Springfield</a>, it was also available in <a href="/facts/.30-03_Springfield/vDaU1Nzl">.30-03 Springfield</a> to match the .303 caliber round of the British standard service rifle, the <a href="/facts/Lee-Enfield/eAB8RKHQ">Lee-Enfield</a>. 
The M1903 was first used in combat during the <a href="/facts/Philippine-American_War/TPquEUzc">Philippine-American War</a> and was officially adopted by the United States as the standard infantry rifle on 19 June 1903. It saw service in <a href="/facts/World_War_I/vITTUanQ">World War I</a> and was replaced by the faster-firing <a href="/facts/Semi-automatic_firearm/2mTJkWwp">semi-automatic</a> eight-round <a href="/facts/M1_Garand/YW1RH1dC">M1 Garand</a> starting in 1936. However, the M1903 remained a standard-issue infantry rifle during <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, since the U.S. entered the war without sufficient M1 rifles to arm all troops. It also was used as a <a href="/facts/Sniper_rifle/qoUmojfP">sniper rifle</a> during World War II, the <a href="/facts/Korean_War/Qo93pNhE">Korean War</a> and the <a href="/facts/Vietnam_War/W0gfbGTE">Vietnam War</a>. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, collector's piece, a competitive shooting rifle and as a military drill rifle.

M1903 Springfield open-in-new

M1903 Springfield