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Message: <blockquote data-quote="svnmag" data-source="post: 350937" data-attributes="member: 330"><a href="https://www.quora.com/profile/Paul-Feist-5" target="_blank"><img src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-43043958-50-mazjzvpcyztzuappimmpubpocpalutvw.jpeg" alt="Profile photo for Paul Feist" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a><a href="https://www.quora.com/profile/Paul-Feist-5" target="_blank">Paul Feist</a>NRA instructor, Life Member, Gun Collector, Competitive Shooter and Author:Here’s the deal with “low numbered” 1903 Springfield rifles…Yes, serial numbers below 800,000 from Springfield, and below 300,000 from Rock Island, may have been subjected to overheating and are thus weakened and potentially life threatening bombs to fire.The real question is; what do I mean “May” have been?Well, not every 1903 in those low number ranges was subjected to the overheating. Quite a number of the ones that were, blew up in the faces of soldiers - which is how the problem came to light in the first place!More were hardness tested (which can weed out SOME of the defective ones, but cannot detect ALL of the defective ones! If it cracks when you put the hardness tester to it, it’s definitely bad, but if it doesn’t, it’s not definitely good!).  The real unresolved question is this:  Are you willing to bet your life that the rifle you have your face up against isn’t one of the 5–10% of the defective rifles that could kill you?I’m not. And I’m reckless!I would very dearly love a low numbered rifle, because I do not have a 1903, and I need one to go with my 1903A3… and I want the WWI era 1903. But I don’t dare buy myself one… because I’d want to shoot it, and even though there is only a less than 10% chance it’s defective, I don’t want my eyeball popped like a grape by a bolt coming back in my face, or to lose fingers when the receiver ring lets go.The defective rifles don’t always let go on the first shot, either. They can be fired for decades, and then one day, people are running around yelling “find his ear! Stop the bleeding! Call a gunsmith, uh, I mean ambulance!”.It’s a damn shame we condemn ALL “low numbered” 1903 rifles because of a few that were overheated and ruined - but it’s the safe and sane way to go.  Sure do love the WWI era Springfields, though!</blockquote>

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