Guns Magazine - Gibbs Rifle Company

!lP!
HEPIz
Etat
FR
m
Mike o'Duke" Ventunino
Photos: Yvonne Ventunino
ll nv militarv item ol World
flWar ll vinfage is now
considered collectible and is
therelore expensive. This is
especially true ol genuine WWll
sniper rifles. I know, for I sold
off a portion of my 0ld West
lirearms collection to finance
just a few. For example, original
US Model 1903A4 sniPer rifles
complete with the proper
Weaver 330C 2.5X scoPes and
Redlield Jr. mounts start about
$3K. So when I heard Gibbs
Rille Company (part ol NavY
Arms) was offering "new"
'03A4s priced at a third ol that I
was more than interested.
A couple ol'weeks befbre this wl'iting
the Gibb's replica an'ivcd. Arld to -sive
my conclusion llr bctble the end of this
article I want to slly ltty check payirl-t
fbr it is alrcady on its way biick to West
Virginia. Ancl my enthr,tsiastn doesn't
steln tl'onr its looks alone. ln only two
weeks. I filecl several hundred t'ol-tnds
through this "trew" '03Azl out to 3(X)
yards. Not only do I consider it a fine
shootin-u rifle. but it celtainly is capable
of better plecision tliarl ttiy tiriginal US
Model 1903A,1.
Perhaps that shoLrld not be surplising.
The United States. unlike Blitain.
tl.re Sovie t Unioti. ancl Gcrnlany. did
rrol selee t |i Hcs ol \uI]el i( )l llcctllltc)
lbr sniper rifles. Orclinnry US Moclel
l903A3s cctt't'tittg olf of Relllill-gtoll's
assernbly lincs wcre chosen at randtlt-t-t.
Tl'rcy were -givcn
C-stocks (the pistol
style acloptecl l'or all Moclcl 1903s
-urip
in lt)29). Accordin-s to tlie US military'
fitting a C-stock on a US Model 1903
instantly turnecl it into a Moclel 1903A I'
althou-eh Ilarkit't-Qs on the lille rernainecl
the sar-ne.

, ^ 9rher rhan rhe stock. US Model
l:914], chosen ,o U..or. US Model
llglY:_ y.rg c!.ans_ea i;; ;;,;i;
u(ner mrnor details. Their bolt hinAfes
w^ere benr so rhey ,oura J.ui'lr.
scopes, and the recr .
i:]Ti:!g F J;.,'ff:';J. ffil'ilSj
l:"f ,1r"" rop.ot irr. ir""i..i.ilffi;;
to lrs left side. Neit
nont uruj.",]rni'i,ii.",,ilXl,ff:t
rne top^of the il."j
receiver was drilled anJ
jlpp.d, for Redfi eld J", i",. ;;; ;;;;;:
T:ly!j.h were insralled w;i#'i568
4.J^ relescopes. ln the beginning
scopes these
were simplv nrrlled From.s;";i;;
goods dealers' she'lves. Later ones
purchased
were
directly from Weaver
gov.ernment.and
;, ;;;
those had
mrlrtary the
markinss. il";;;
,^;ll[ou.g_h ovEr I miilion US Model
ltlr.o r;:T:,.i9,e m a ge qy n1;, i i,i',l',j
l:'' .9,_o.T.pun, ;il- I;;ir':i;."#;
ounng WWJI. only about 2g.000
set up as
;;;
US MirO.r ISO-:"AZ"s;;;.;
l',lll: uil ladg by were Remrngton. Thev
rssued to the Army figh'ting
the
i,
European
il;il
Theater of Oi..ut%nrl"nj
the Pacifi c Island cam[aidr.'S;;;"j;;
Ijj!_," ll. usMc. ni,n"'rer,
"irn*i"J
dt !f tiil ntl,I;"fl_,T ;ail*i
l1:.:g!- rhe ,Korean w", ( ld5clA;j;
ano.supposedly some were even used in
vletna.m in the 1960s, utttorgfr'f *ioi
been able ro find concrer. oo.,ir"niutio"n
ot that yer.
_,,9n.. reason often given lor lhe
,Tll],iy'r unhappiness -wirh ih;
yut .th.g.
;;
scopes and mounts designed
tor civilian use did not srand ,;;;;
lf:^.:":l Tilitary .servrce very "p
Ars o well.
t h e r,.; il;; J'.i i';," ;:,#ir. h:,, l, * " lrj,*li,
il 3 i:dil,"irfi
,
! ;Til #: ij
;nj,$:iii,,;jn",", -d rd;';;;; iili going at reasr through rhe Mr
r,ao a nea,i n
f ;; fi .ii:.x."0,1.*F3: flxl, :fl . T.,,f #l;:"ij,t".n","
o" ti,.
ii,i#rli;*,Xl;Xn,,J" sniper .in;; ih; ilr'I-ls Moder rso: spii"sf,.rd,s baner
c
",", ; ; i i i i;i';; : H,.il,..I x :y il"ff ddril:li",:"} ;i tti; r'"J,Ti"q; 11
specia'v chosen us, rraoaei' is-'i fril"ris'inzffi;il riiarkings RA
sprngfierds firred with .rorrg tubJl iiiir.rRemingronArmsAprir/r9a3.To
external ad justmenr' unertr 8i 16;:
ili;:F.rrq their rifles ur" iot misraken
Here's anorher ract of comparison;rfi i;;"Tiginals...the newry manuracrured
orher narions' worrd war rr rnipeiririir. il,..,:i," ciuui nin. bJmiany., voo.t
*1:#:iii,Lliii r;; lmt ::i jifr'^.' dr;eR ;;"51;*,on,r,
in case ure scope'was lisaoreo. cn -1fi3' T1:^..1.1 *:eivLa is rurt.J
ttot A Fake
:"tl1ggf jiT:#['J:i""rff#J:H
Because its model, sramp^ins
-was :ffi:g;;3J'JfJ. *. .tu-i.a wirh t-he
I:lil.d to.the teft side of rhe ,ifl..; f-;; .",+
receiver ring. rh. iJ::M"d.t'i;b3'iii: ,."lll Gibbs Rifle co.'s replica 2.5X
it"t't# *ltlt.ri'ffi
Company r,ur not iii.a,o r"pioau." itiffi *, ld ,**lT'ff*fr{*
the upside down
ffi,,1r^rrX.il:'rt"*:"ll"rr:f,:il;:i
marking rrriii-""* j'6'+:
rrties r..nnicat 'Manuai'-cruu,
are assembled on original MoJei co.-ruppf i., nin.
with each rifieJn" Weaver
i i::ff ;,'d"f,::il l*'"1 ;a;i ;;#fi; ir"dd,.oo., h ave srandard cros sh ai rs as
does the scope on ,y o.iginui;O:'Ii.
-;t\
l(Ufit'strE@*
DOES IT
AEAII!!
With the ilEW
KWIK-MOUNT@/
22 ADAPTER FOR RIFLES
WiIh GROOVED RECEIVERS
Universal mounts enabling
scopes to be interchanged easil[
onto a variety of receivers
Satin smooth finish available
in brite black, silver, and black
matte, all at the same price.
Sels the standard lor looks in the
industry.
lf you can't lind our bases at your
favorite distributor, contact
KWIK-SITE and we'll make SURE
you get them.
l(Hltfts'
Leading It.S. Manafacturer
of Scope Mounts
5555 Treadwell, Wxyns, Ml4g1g4
(734) 326.1500 Fax (tu1g26,-a12s
utww. kwiksitecorp. com
55

BUttET
BUTTET
POIIIDER
(BnAilD)
48.0 2,746
STAl{DARD DEVIATIOI{
(FPs)
24
stzE
(ncHES)
Notes: All groups are for"fiverounds fired at 1 00 yards from a sandbag rest. chronograph
readings taken with a PACT Professional Model ri,rith start screen at abproximatelv 6Y. All
handloads used Remington brass and Remington g-l12Large hifle primers.
2
t.tJ
Dtr,
1.63
1.63
2.50
2.50
1.38
vEroctTY
(FPS)
2,815
STAIIDARD DEVIAIION
(FPS)
22
n'
GROUP SIZE
(r1{cHES)
2
readings taken with PACT Professional Model with start screen at approximately 6,.
However, other '03A4 owners
report their rifle's scopes have a thick
centel' post with thin crosswire. The
crosshairs in this new scope are fairly
thick and subtend about 6" at 100 yards.
It has worked perfectly except for one
problem, which I will discuss shortly.
Its adjustments are fairly precise, each
Ne'r*Nltft=u
I click changes point of impact ll4" aI
r 100 yards.
I According to the US Technical
I Manual meitioned above the Model
; 1903A,4 with its 2.5X scope was
r supposed to be sufficient for accurate
I shooting to 1.000 yards. I consider that
i hopelessly optimistic. And evidently so
I did many WWll inlantlyrnen who were
r issued such rifles. One friend's father
I who carried one in Europe in 194411945
I said he considered l50io 200 yards as
r practical combat range.
r Here's the minor problem I
I encountered with the Gibb's scope.
I Like most ol us I tend ro shoot a new
r riffe first and then read the instruction
t booklet later. I could have saved mvself
I some ammo if I had reversed that. On
I the back of the Technical Manual reprinr
r that came with my rifle is the following
r paragraph:
| "Pleose note that on \tour 1903-A4
t,
rifle, ttrc titttlage and elevatiort ktrob
r adjuslments are markecl incorrectly and
t hcive beett reversed.
', To odjtt.st the wittdoge, ltleose trse the
i elevotiott ktroh To odiust tltc clevatiort.
pleose adjust the tvindage."
t Naturally because I didn't read this
I nole first. my rifle's point ol irnpact
, wandeled all over the place while I
r fussed and cussed. Then I read the
I warning note, but being the bright light
I I am. instead ol'tryin;lto remembearo
i adjust one knob when another needed
r adjusting, I simply rotated the scope
t 90 degrees. Now the knobs are on the
I opposite sides of the scope compaled to
i my original rifle's brrt when I move rhe
r elevation knob it moves the elevation
t and so forth.
I CiUtr's Model l903A4s are a mixture
i of brand new and military surplus parrs.
r Newly made are the barrels, stocks,
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scopes. ilnd tnounts.
'e, i rre e, ril, e ;;il;i: l;,, y,i::trn ;ii ,i:: i
l;,j,j1,,!9.X,1,l'.;, l,ill I llli"[: j
olllerlslons ol ..10(J" anO ..ro!; i1.rl :
:,1,,:1. are beirrg nritcle by ,fr. p"a.rr"i j
(.ornpany
of ltlly who are t,,o*n' j:,,,1 i
ll:ii Sgg.t .shooiirrg ,;,r"' u,,,r_ll
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i
',.,f,.1:. bhck powder. crr.tr.idge ,:in"".. I
t\Xllo"l;,.:,r, rcprica ;1,il-;, ;si;:i I
,r,ift1i,"1' to,ffi"i ";;;,"',,,1i' *;;j'il j
,"..T|'S,,*;oj ;;' rny sarnpre ,rn. i. I
cspecrauy pleasing. r, ;. r.i.y ;;;,,"h. I
::,::ilyh rhe eye bri rror *o tn,rd il.i;i. I
ililll"ll: r,rr a ,nrilirary ,in..-ir.r"". i
rrraci.c du'ing .-;;;il'*..il lllrlrta|r Iinc ;
sroek.,h.s riiri,d;;ii"J,,l, rny sa'rple.s , 0,,,,:,llllil* ol rhc r.ifle has hecn pcr.lccr
-q
llllo,h'l::'. ri i''n,'i,,i.'o'il J; l,ilJil i lfi;;.,sr';r,. '"".,:.r
r',n.i,..,r',o,,nd, r.u.
[:'i,:lJn;ihi:'l]i tl-ca.sin-e
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i ._F#,,y[i il: [,'r'olili,.t., r:_
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Lvt with 15o_-erain _.a Fl,t"j',ut rtf .l
'iliL^lfqlirtil s,:'MPAI{Y i Eji:l:rl i'1i;:;f'1,::il*;:;l;
#ffiru,flft#iflu,1,,0, i,ljjJr$;[f ;#lt ln"']#tr $j
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*t.o -P.Ers l7A
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-r.vu'r , rype of .-10 06 US.njiri"ry
r at this .,,rpiillrr"",t
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Headstarnpe;l ch"^-,-.-..ttttt-g', LC69.
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: 2. 6 4 6,b, ;:*::r-::, i
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For rhis^arii.r" in,.j,,i"o, "r,,i".i+,,.
.r_rlro,
l,Xu* i ;';:o|,ll''00 vartis r'o i:'..iXiv ro..'r'
o'r"Jro, i fil.ifjh"i:,';i ;in,;il,i;,,i1,,;J,1:
rilfinished I ff ffllr,
to.,r, -*"],.1 i',o.,. ,.ir,,
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rny .30-06 handloads are also likely to
end up being {ired in Ml Garands they
likewise nse medium burning powders:
namely Hodgdon Varget, Alliant RLl5,
Vihtavouri N140. and IMR4895. Of the
10 5-shot groups, the smallest group
fired with the Gibbs was 1.38" and the
largest was 2.5". Averaging all 10 groups
gave the figure of 2.03". Note also in the
accompanying chart velocities bracketed
the desired 2,700 fps by about 50 fps or
so in either direction.
That was the work part. The fun Part
was bouncing bullets off my Action
Target PT-torso plates at 100, 200, and
300 yards. With the rifle sighted dead on
at 100, I held in the top half of the 18"
plates for hits at 200 yards and at the top
of the targets at 300 yards.
Having given my conclusion awaY
early in this article there's not much else
to say. The bottom line is I bought this
rifle and when it comes to guns I don't
throw money away fbolishly. The people
at Gibbs Rifle Company made a good
decision to market a new US Model
1903A4 fbr today's shooters. (ITliri:l
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