I had an interesting time fixing mine up.

I've been away from this forum a while and just found this thread. They just make a more politically correct rifle than NO did in the 60's and, thus, get a lot more money for essentially the same kind of rifle.

If I could get one cheap enough, I would put it in with my Springfields and call if what it is.a clone like the SA, Inc., Polytech or LRB copies of the M14. Some buy them and cut them up for parts, which seems a little much, but it's your to do with as you please. I recently saw a collector who listed his 03's and 03A3's and included as part of his grouping of firearms a National rifle. Both were located in El Monte, California and Federal followed National's closing. National Ordnance was a predecessor to Federal Ordnance I believe. Please, if someone has such a report, please post it. I've been watching a good many forums for the last seven years and never seen a report of such a failure.

Which they may very well be except no one can find one that has failed as a result of shooting. National Ordnance had these receivers fabricated in Spain and they are very close to the originals except they are NOT forged as the original, so everyone assumes they are junk. Problem was you could buy the whole rifle for $39 and nobody had any receivers. They had slightly over-manufactured during WWII and you could buy an 03A3 less the receiver for about $29 on the retail market in the 60's. National Ordnance appeared about the time the government was getting rid of 03A3 parts by the trailer load.

National ord 1903a3 receiver info