Winchester Model 1903

Winchester Model 1903
Type	Semi-automatic rifle
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designer	T. C. Johnson
Manufacturer	Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Produced	1903 to 1932
Number built	126,000
Variants	"Plain" and "Fancy Finish" rifles
Specifications
Weight	6 lb (2.7 kg) to 7 lb (3.2 kg)
Length	37 in (940 mm)
Barrel length	20 in (510 mm)
Cartridge	.22 Winchester Automatic
Action	Blowback
Rate of fire	Semi-automatic
Feed system	10-round tube magazine
Sights	Open iron sights and optional tang or receiver-mounted aperture sights

The Winchester Model 1903 was the first commercially available semi-automatic firearm made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.

History

The Winchester Model 1903 was designed by T.C. Johnson, who had joined Winchester in 1885 and had become nationally known as an inventor of successful rifles. It was first chambered for the .22 Winchester Automatic cartridge.

In 1919, the Model 1903 moniker was shortened to Model 03, and following a partial redesign in the 1930s, was renamed the Model 63. In addition to other changes, the model fired the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. This cartridge was more popular than the .22 Winchester Automatic cartridge, and was demanded by customers.

The Model 63 was first available for purchase in 1933 and remained in production until 1958.

Production totaled approximately 126,000 Model 1903 rifles and approximately 175,000 Model 63 rifles.^[1]

Design and Features

The Model 1903/Model 63 featured a 20-inch (510 mm) round barrel. A 23-inch (580 mm) barrel was approved for manufacturing in 1933, and the 20-inch (510 mm) barrel was discontinued in 1936.

The Model 1903/Model 63 had a tubular magazines in the butt stock. The magazine held ten cartridges, and was loaded through a slot in the right side of the butt stock.^[2]

The Model 1903 and Model 63 were takedown rifles. The takedown mechanism on the Model 1903 required the user to press the takedown screw-lock down through a slot in the tang to release the lock from the ratchet. The Model 63 featured an improved mechanism that required the user to simply turn the takedown screw to the left until the mechanism released.^[3]

The self-loading feature of the Model 1903/Model 63 was accomplished by use of a simple blow-back operated mechanism. This mechanism featured a balanced breech bolt, meaning that the breech bolt contained a quantity of metal proportioned to the weight and velocity of the bullet. This balances the recoil forces so that the breech bolt does not move rearward until the bullet has left the muzzle of the barrel, and therefore allows the bullet to be fired with no loss of energy. The original design of this self-loading mechanism required Winchester to design a custom cartridge (the .22 Winchester Automatic) to go along with it. This mechanism was redesigned for the Model 63 to allow it to fire the .22 Long Rifle cartridge, which by then had become much more popular.

The Model 1903 was advertised as an "automatic rifle". In modern times, it is more appropriately referred to as a semi-automatic rifle since the loading mechanism required the trigger to be pulled for each shot.

Variants

The Model 1903 was available in a "standard" and a "deluxe" version (also called "plain" and "fancy" versions). The standard version had a plain walnut stock with a plan straight grip. The deluxe version had a checkered walnut pistol grip stock with a checkered forearm. A tubular magazine located in the buttstock held ten cartridges.^[4]

The first 5000 rifles were produced without a safety mechanism. After this, a cross-bolt safety was added.^[5]

The Model 63, introduced in 1933, was chambered for the popular and widely available .22 Long Rifle cartridge. It was initially made with a 20" barrel, then with a 23" barrel from 1936 until the end of production in 1958. About 175,000 Model 63 rifles were manufactured, with the last 10,000 having grooved receiver tops for scope mounting.

References

Winchester firearms and cartridges
Rifles	Lever-action Henry rifle Model 1866 Model 1873 Model 1876 Model 1886 Model 1892 Model 1894 Model 1895 Model 53 Model 55 Model 64 Model 65 Model 71 Model 88 Model 150 Model 250 Model 255 Model 9422 Bolt-action Model 1878 Hotchkiss Model 1895 Lee Navy Model 1900 Model 1902 Model 1904 Model 43 Model 47 Model 51 Imperial Model 52 Model 54 Model 56 Model 57 Model 58 Model 59 Model 60 Model 60A Model 67 Model 68 Model 69 Model 70 Model 72 Model 75 Model 121 Model 131 Model 141 Model 320 Model 325 Model 670 Model 770 Pump-action Model 1890 Model 1906 Model 61 Model 62 Model 62A Model 270 Semi-automatic Model 1903 Model 1905 Model 1907 Model 1910 Model 30 Model 63 Model 74 Model 77 Model 100 Model 190 Model 490 Full-automatic Olin/Winchester FAL Model 1917 Falling-block action Model 1885
Shotguns	Pump-action Model 1893 Model 1897 Model 1912 Model 25 Model 42 Model 1200 Model 1300 Lever-action Model 1887 Model 1901 Model 9410 Single-shot Model 20 Model 36 Model 37 Model 37A Model 41 Double-barrel Model 21 Model 24 Model 96 Model 101 Semi-automatic Model 1911 SL Model 40 Model 50 Model 59 Model 1400 Model 1500 SX-1
Cartridges	.17 Winchester Super Magnum .22 Magnum (WMR) .218 Bee .219 Zipper .22 Hornet .220 Swift .223 Winchester Super Short Magnum .225 Winchester .243 Winchester .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum .25-20 WCF .25-20 Winchester .256 Winchester Magnum .25-35 Winchester .25 Winchester Super Short Magnum .264 Winchester Magnum .270 Winchester .270 Winchester Short Magnum 7mm Winchester Short Magnum .284 Winchester .30-30 Winchester .307 Winchester .308 Winchester .300 Winchester Short Magnum .300 Winchester Magnum .32 Winchester Special .32-20 Winchester .325 Winchester Short Magnum .33 Winchester .338 Winchester Magnum .345 Winchester Self-Loading .348 Winchester .35 Winchester .35 Winchester Self-Loading .351 Winchester Self-Loading .356 Winchester .358 Winchester .375 Winchester .38-40 Winchester .38-55 Winchester .38-56 WCF .38-72 Winchester .40-60 Winchester .40-72 Winchester .401 Winchester Self-Loading .405 Winchester .44 Henry .44-40 Winchester .45-60 Winchester .45-75 Winchester .458 Winchester Magnum .50-110 Winchester