During the Spanish-American War of 1898, it was recognized that the Spanish Mauser, Model of 1893, exhibited characteristics superior to the "trapdoor" Springfield and Krag rifles carried by the United States troops. The Mauser was superior from the standpoint of rapidity of loading and the ammunition it fired.
On August 15, 1900, Springfield Armory completed an experimental magazine rifle which they believed to be an improvement over the Krag. They fashioned a clip loading magazine rifle in which the cartridges were contained within the stock, preventing damage to an otherwise exposed magazine.
Rifle production was suspended in January 1905, after the Secretary of War received a letter from President Theodore Roosevelt criticizing the rod bayonet as being too delicate for combat. Subsequently the rod bayonet was abandoned in favor of the "Model 1905 Knife Bayonet."
A major conversion effort was launched by Springfield Armory to convert over 80,000 rod bayonet '03 rifles to the new Model 1905 bayonet. An improved rear sight was another modification done during this period. The new sight was a folding leaf that included revised graduations on the sight ladder to accommodate the new ammunition being introduced by the Department of Defense.
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Among the arms on display at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site is an '03 rifle which exhibits the characteristics of an altered rod bayonet rifle. This rifle in particular, however, has an interesting story. During World War I, a trooper in France noticed that his issue '03 rifle had a particularly low serial number: No. 1. He reported this to his company commander who, recognizing the historical significance of the piece, returned it to the Chief of Ordnance.
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By the time the United States had entered World War I, approximately 843,239 standard service Model 1903 rifles had been manufactured. However this was insufficient to arm U.S.troops for an undertaking of the magnitude of World War I. During the war, Springfield Armory produced over 265,620 Model 1903 rifles.
