Gibbs 1903a3 | | Buy or build a 1903A4 Repro?

I watched Saving Private Ryan again and now I want a 1903A4 repro. I say repro because I like my milsurp guns as shooter-grade.
Given that the Gibbs and Rock Ridge 1903A4 repros are going for 1600 now, am I better off buying a sporterized 1903A3 on gunbroker for under 500 and then buying the remaining parts myself? How hard is it to rebarrel a 1903?
I say this because Criterion barrels are about $220 and a new C stock is about $150.

Some background-
Per MOA Targets' Our Steel Targets info page, Under no circumstances should steel jacketed, steel core, steel shot, armor piercing, or tracer ammunition be used on steel targets. Use of any such projectiles will void the warranty of your MOA target, and may result in injury, death, and recommendation for a Darwin Award. Please use your head for more than a sunglass holder.
Bonus, from the Flow Chart that you all know and love (you do, right?), When shooting steel targets, armor piercing (AP), steel core, steel jacket, bimetal jacket, tracers, or steel shot are not advised due to increased risk of ricochet, fire, and damage to the target.
Actual science RMRS-RP-104: A study of ignition by rifle bullets (pdf warning)
With all that out of the way, here's the story. Friend of mine picked up a Gibbs Springfield 1903A3 the other day, with a repro scope on it. He and I headed to our mutual friend's private backyard range, north of Reno. He starts out with three rounds of milsurp AYR 23 30-06 M2 AP (black tip, not sure if tungsten or tool steel core, but sharp) which I provided. In the past, I've put this same lot of ammo through 1" mild steel. I cautioned him that the stuff is not good to shoot at steel, but we were on paper plates to get him on paper.
Three rounds fired at paper, no sign of hits. So, in the interests of figuring out just how far off he was, he shifted over to the 125 yard 12" 3/8" AR500 steel target so we could watch for hits on the dirt and figure out where he was. First round rung steel, which after the fact we found to be the 3/8" AR500 pivot guard plate about six inches over the steel target. Second and third missed.
I traded spots with the shooter to take a look though the scope, and about that time I noted that black and orange aren't typical background colors at the range. Total elapsed time from first round sent, to observing open flames, was less than five minutes.
So, it was exciting, and could have been way, way worse.. I grabbed a pair of shovels and two one gallon jugs of water, and sprinted (Cola Warrior, yo), downrange to try and get it under control. Three of us with shovels and about seven gallons of water were able to subdue the fire, and then I used my pickup to bring over about 150 gallons of water to fully extinguish the smoldering parts.
Take away - the odds are low, but you can start a fire with steel containing ammunition. The backstop at this location is volcanic, a mix of basaltic and welded tuft cobbles and bolders, with a nonwelded ash matrix (think powdery dirt). Six shots were fired, one of which hit, and penetrated, a steel target. It's unknown which of the six started the blaze, but from here on out, no ammo that attracts a magnet will be used at events I'm in charge of, unless there's snow on the ground or it's raining. Even then, no steel on steel. Have shovels and water available, shit can go down way faster than you'd believe. We had a light breeze, which was pushing the fire into the juniper trees. If it had made it, we would have been in real trouble.
Photo from the paper target stand looking at the fire area, where the neighbor in red is.
Photo from the steel target stand, looking at burn scar.
Final burned area photo.
Bonus - I'm a volunteer wildland firefighter in this area, so I had my pager on me, waiting to get called out to the fire I was stomping out. Thankfully, we got it under control and out before resources were mobilized, never got a page.
Oh yeah. FIRE BAD, FIRE BAAADDDDDDDD

I mentioned the other day in Thickheaded Thursday that I had a story for you, the tl;dr being that I participated in setting a range on fire this week.
Some background-
Per MOA Targets' Our Steel Targets info page, Under no circumstances should steel jacketed, steel core, steel shot, armor piercing, or tracer ammunition be used on steel targets. Use of any such projectiles will void the warranty of your MOA target, and may result in injury, death, and recommendation for a Darwin Award. Please use your head for more than a sunglass holder.
Bonus, from the Flow Chart that you all know and love (you do, right?), When shooting steel targets, armor piercing (AP), steel core, steel jacket, bimetal jacket, tracers, or steel shot are not advised due to increased risk of ricochet, fire, and damage to the target.
Actual science RMRS-RP-104: A study of ignition by rifle bullets (pdf warning)
With all that out of the way, here's the story. Friend of mine picked up a Gibbs Springfield 1903A3 the other day, with a repro scope on it. He and I headed to our mutual friend's private backyard range, north of Reno. He starts out with three rounds of milsurp AYR 23 30-06 M2 AP (black tip, not sure if tungsten or tool steel core, but sharp) which I provided. In the past, I've put this same lot of ammo through 1" mild steel. I cautioned him that the stuff is not good to shoot at steel, but we were on paper plates to get him on paper.
Three rounds fired at paper, no sign of hits. So, in the interests of figuring out just how far off he was, he shifted over to the 125 yard 12" 3/8" AR500 steel target so we could watch for hits on the dirt and figure out where he was. First round rung steel, which after the fact we found to be the 3/8" AR500 pivot guard plate about six inches over the steel target. Second and third missed.
I traded spots with the shooter to take a look though the scope, and about that time I noted that black and orange aren't typical background colors at the range. Total elapsed time from first round sent, to observing open flames, was less than five minutes.
So, it was exciting, and could have been way, way worse.. I grabbed a pair of shovels and two one gallon jugs of water, and sprinted (Cola Warrior, yo), downrange to try and get it under control. Three of us with shovels and about seven gallons of water were able to subdue the fire, and then I used my pickup to bring over about 150 gallons of water to fully extinguish the smoldering parts.
Take away - the odds are low, but you can start a fire with steel containing ammunition. The backstop at this location is volcanic, a mix of basaltic and welded tuft cobbles and bolders, with a nonwelded ash matrix (think powdery dirt). Six shots were fired, one of which hit, and penetrated, a steel target. It's unknown which of the six started the blaze, but from here on out, no ammo that attracts a magnet will be used at events I'm in charge of, unless there's snow on the ground or it's raining. Even then, no steel on steel. Have shovels and water available, shit can go down way faster than you'd believe. We had a light breeze, which was pushing the fire into the juniper trees. If it had made it, we would have been in real trouble.
Photo from the paper target stand looking at the fire area, where the neighbor in red is.
Photo from the steel target stand, looking at burn scar.
Final burned area photo.
Bonus - I'm a volunteer wildland firefighter in this area, so I had my pager on me, waiting to get called out to the fire I was stomping out. Thankfully, we got it under control and out before resources were mobilized, never got a page.
Oh yeah. FIRE BAD, FIRE BAAADDDDDDDD
Anyone wanna buy about 4000 rounds of surplus M2 AP? :D

By that I mean springfield 1879, m1 garand, 1903a3, etc. I know Gibbs rifles does 1903a3 reproductions which is cool, but why aren't there many other manufacturers doing the same thing? I know there's nothing like getting an old rifle and seeing the year stamped on it, but you know what I mean. Sorry if there's something completely flying over my head right now, I've just always wondered this and have never really made a point to ask.