Springfield 1903

Springfield 1903 Springfield '03 United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903
General Historical Information
Place of origin	USA
Designer	Springfield Armory
Manufacturer	Remington Arms Smith-Corona Typewriter
Produced In	1903–1974
Type	Bolt action rifle
Effective range	400 m (iron sight)
Rate of Fire	10–15 rounds/min
Magazine	5 rounds
Ammunition	.30-06 Springfield (7.62×63mm)
General Ingame Information
Used by	USA France
Bayonets	M1 Bayonet
Rifle grenades	HE-Grenade M9 rifle grenade
Scope	M73 Weaver telescopic sight

The M1903 Springfield rifle was an American magazine fed bolt action rifle with a 5 round magazine.

This rifle was introduced in 1903, with its design heavily influenced by mauser rifles encountered during the spanish american war. The rifle saw widespread use in the First World War, and would remain a staple of US forces through World War Two, up until the Korean War.

Highly regarded for both its accuracy and reliability, the 1903 was pressed into service as a sniper rifle, especially as its frontline use was eclipsed by the more modern semi-automatic M1 Garand. None the less the M1903 remained a formidable weapon in the hands of a skilled marksman.

The Springfield with rifle grenades is also an important support weapon mid-war, there are both grenades against infantry and HEAT grenades against armour. The grenadier kit has more rifle grenades than the usual rifleman. The Springfield with the M9 HEAT grenade is replaced by the M1 Bazooka and then the M9A1 rifle grenade which becomes more and more commonly used with the M1 Garand on late war maps.

Gewehr 249(a)

Also the Germans use the Springfield 03 as the Gewehr 249(a). Those are weapons captured in North-Africa as well in Italy and a few in Normandy. In FHSW these captured Springfield rifles only have ammo to reload two times which is the least total ammunition of all captured rifles. The Mle 1886 Lebel has a single bullet more in total and a larger magazine. Anti-tank kits with both a captured rifle and a HEAT type weapon may this rifle paired with the Panzerfaust 150.

Springfield M1903A4

Springfield M1903A4
General Historical Information
Place of origin	USA
Type	Bolt action rifle
Effective range	400 m (iron sight)
Magazine	5 rounds
Ammunition	.30-06 Springfield (7.62×63mm)
General Ingame Information
Used by	USA
Scope	M84 Telescopic sight (2x2 Scope)

The M1903A4 was the U.S. Army's first attempt at a standardized sniper weapon. M1903A3 actions were fitted with a different stock and a Weaver Model 330 or 330C 2.2x telescopic sight in Redfield Jr. mounts; the front and rear iron sights were removed. Barrel specifications were unchanged, and many M1903A4s were equipped with the two-groove 'war emergency' barrel. By all accounts, the M1903A4 was inadequate as a sniper rifle. The Weaver scopes (later standardized as the M73 and M73B1) were not only low-powered in magnification, they were not waterproofed, and frequently fogged over or became waterlogged during humidity changes. When this occurred, the M1904A4's lack of open front or rear sights rendered the weapon useless. Normally used with ordinary M2 ammunition with a 152-grain flat-base bullet, accuracy of the M1903A4 was generally disappointing; some Army snipers who came across Japanese or German sniper rifles quickly adopted the enemy weapons in place of the Springfield. The Marine Corps declined to issue the M1903A4, favoring instead a modified M1903A1 rifle fitted with a Unertl 8x target-type telescopic sight. Many other telescopic sights are also used on this weapon and on the M1 Garand. Like our telescopic sight on the Springfield, the M84 Telescopic sight. This 2.2x scope was the successor of the M81 and M82. Produced by the ibby-Owens-Ford, it went to late in service to have a great impact; April 1945. However, the scope will have a great succes during the Korean War where both the Springfield as wel as the M1 Garand.