Quote:

---

I have the chance to purchase a M1903 MS. This is full wood and has been converted to 308. The asking price is $1450 Australian and the owner tells me it is pre war production. Stock looks to be well used but action looks in good order. All this from photos.

Please educate me on any pitfalls to look for and would the asking price be reasonable. Also can these actions be easily scoped and what sort of scope mounts would I need to look at.

---

M/S magazines are designed to accept a specific cartridge and the .308 is substantially different from the 6.5X54 M/S, so feeding should be a primary concern. I would consider running dummy rounds through the magazine as a vital prerequisite for purchasing such a rifle.

Since the .308 is also a more powerful cartridge, you should check for cracks in the stock between the front action screw and the magazine.

To answer your question bluntly, no, the action cannot be easily scoped because of the split bridge which precludes mounting a rear base on the top of the bridge, where it would normally be. The mounts available range from moderately expensive to very expensive to astronomical. (I refer to the Redfield mount, the Griffin & Howe mount and the German claw mount.) I have all three of M/S rifles and they all function satisfactorily, although the Redfield mount cannot be depended upon to return the scope to zero if removed and remounted.

I have bought M/S rifles with claw mount bases installed. In that case, it is simply a question of finding someone competent to fit new rings to the old bases.

I have also bought a M/S with a Griffin & Howe mount installed. It proved to be a joy to use, but finding someone to install one in your part of the world may be a problem. Some M/S rifles are set up to accommodate side mounts and have a removable plate on the side which provides access to a flat surface, making installation a good deal easier.

Redfield mounts are no longer manufactured by Redfield, but there is at least one well made clone on the market. I have found it to be no different from the original in any significant way. Some M/S actions are drilled and tapped on the receiver ring and on the side of the bridge to accept the Redfield mount, and that makes installation not much different from an ordinary scope mounting operation.

Post Extras