I need help finding out the age and value on a 22 cal semi-auto rifle. It says it is a Winchester Model 03 .22cal automatic. Tube fed, loads in the right side of the stock. Bolt opens with rod on tip of forend, fixed front sight, rear seems to be adjustable (small screw just past rear sight grove). I think this is the serial# 181**. But I'm not positive, any feedback will be very helpful, Thanks!!!
Winchester 22cal model 03
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Chambered for the .22 Winchester Automatic Rimfire. Pricey and had to find. Some have come in from South America through Navy Arms. The 1903 was made from 1903 to 1932 with 126,000 made. Price List (take it for what it's worth) exc-$850 to fair-$200.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
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Winchester later chambered the rifle in .22 long rifle and called it the Model 63 which was built I believe until 1953 or so.
There were actually supposedly in excess of 1000 of these rifles bought by the US and Britain towards the end of World War I for purposes of training airmen with lead, etc. (Believe they were mounted in a machine gun like flexible mount, at least by the British.)
The rifle has a continuation of the bolt under the foregrip to hold the action shut to add mass before the bullet leaves the chamber unlike most blowbacks that rely more on spring pressure. This concept was carried on in the Winchester "self-loaders) Models 1905, 1907 and 1910.
Believe the Winchester 1903 was the first semi-auto .22 and is a Thomas Johnson design. The special cartridge was due to concerns of barrel fouling and uneven pressure distribution of the black powder and semi-smokeless rimfire rounds of the time.
I believe the diameter of the .22 automatic bullet is the same as that of the .22 Magnum rimfire. But I may be confusion that withthe proprietary round for which the pump action Winchester 1890 was chambered.
There were actually supposedly in excess of 1000 of these rifles bought by the US and Britain towards the end of World War I for purposes of training airmen with lead, etc. (Believe they were mounted in a machine gun like flexible mount, at least by the British.)
The rifle has a continuation of the bolt under the foregrip to hold the action shut to add mass before the bullet leaves the chamber unlike most blowbacks that rely more on spring pressure. This concept was carried on in the Winchester "self-loaders) Models 1905, 1907 and 1910.
Believe the Winchester 1903 was the first semi-auto .22 and is a Thomas Johnson design. The special cartridge was due to concerns of barrel fouling and uneven pressure distribution of the black powder and semi-smokeless rimfire rounds of the time.
I believe the diameter of the .22 automatic bullet is the same as that of the .22 Magnum rimfire. But I may be confusion that withthe proprietary round for which the pump action Winchester 1890 was chambered.
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The Winchester 1903 was produced between 1902 (available in early 1903) and 1932, although sales continued at least until 1936, and was designed by Thomas C. Johnson (additionally the designer of the Model 1905, 1907, and 1910 rifles, and the 1911 shotgun). Something over 126,000 were produced in total, all chambered for the .22 Winchester Automatic Rim Fire (not the same as the .22 Winchester Rim Fire for the Model 1890). There was also a similar .22 Remington Automatic, but the two are not interchangeable.
Serial number 181xx would be from about 1906, and should be marked "MOD. 1903" on the barrel, just forward of the receiver. In an attempt to make their models seem more modern, Winchester began eliminating the "18" and "19" from the markings on all models, and around 1912 the model designation was changed to "MOD. 03". The "MODEL 03" marking was first used around 1928.
Jim
Serial number 181xx would be from about 1906, and should be marked "MOD. 1903" on the barrel, just forward of the receiver. In an attempt to make their models seem more modern, Winchester began eliminating the "18" and "19" from the markings on all models, and around 1912 the model designation was changed to "MOD. 03". The "MODEL 03" marking was first used around 1928.
Jim
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