'03 Micrometer sight adjusting tool

[saltydog452]

Does anyone have any information regarding the adjusting tool, new or reproduction?

From what I understand, they were fairly common at Perry. Using irons at distance required a more precise sight adjustment to the issue sights that were machined into the original graduation steps.

Thanks,

salty

[madsenshooter]

I can't point you to one, but here's a discussion about them, with some pics. http://www.jouster.com/forums/showthread.php?922-Home-Shop-Sight-Micrometer

There was a fellow in Ohio that was making them, but he retired last year. I was wrong, I can point you to one.

http://www.sbsdistributing.com/

[leadman]

I read that it is possible to use a caliper on the 1903 rear sight. I will have to try it after I finish breakfast.

[Larry Gibson]

I read that it is possible to use a caliper on the 1903 rear sight. I will have to try it after I finish breakfast.

Dial Calipers and the ’03

We have to make two assumptions here. First you have a good zero with the leaf sight, say 200 yards with the peep. Second; you have a good steel dial caliper. Oh yeah, one other – everyone is right handed

To begin; put the leaf down and the muzzle to your left. Inspect the face of the Battle Sight and the back edge of the sight base. Make sure there are no burrs, that they are flat and square as this is the two surfaces you will take the measurements from. If there are any burrs a little judicious stoning and touch up with cold blue is necessary. If I’ve lost you here pick up the rifle and aim it. The two surfaces are the back of the sight base and the face of the Battle Sight – you are looking at both of them. OK, put the rifle back down with the muzzle to the left.

Now look at your dial calipers. Ignore the normal outside and inside measurement edges, you won’t use these. The top edge/square should be to the left and the part with the dial on it that you slide open with your right thumb is to the right. Take a look at the back side and see the top edge of the slide that moves open. Place this back top edge against the back edge of the sight base and slide the top/square edge up against the face of the Battle Sight. Keep it centered on the leaf and square with the face of the Battle Sight. Make sure both edges of the caliper are up against and square with the Battle Sight face and the rear of the sight base. Practice this a few times and before long you will get consistent readings, within .001. When you get a consistent reading then record that in your record/score book as it is your 200 yard zero.

My 200 yard zero with the peep sight is .857. Let’s say I want to go up 2.5 MOA for a 300 yard zero. Remember that .006 equals one MOA with ‘A1 sights. Multiply 2.5 x .006 and I must “come up” .015". I then set the dial caliper to .872 (.857+.015) and lock the slide. There should be a little knob to tighten which will lock the slide of the caliper. Loosen the sight leaf and slide the sight to the left (or up). Put the caliper on the leaf sight the same as before and slide the battle sight back down until it is square and tight up against the top edge/square of the caliper. Tighten it down. Consistency of placing the caliper and adjusting or tightening the battle sight slide will pay off in accuracy. Practice a few times, it comes easily. I have found I am accurate to within .002 or 1/3 MOA.

Once you have a base zero it is easy to compute and “come up” for other ranges. For instance with my 200 yard zero (it is also a good point of aim/point of impact zero for M72 though with ½ MK right) if I wanted to shoot a 600 yard “belly match” tomorrow I would add 13 MOA for normal come up (M72 200 to 600 yards). Plus 2 MOA to move me into the black from point of aim (6’oclock hold) for 15 MOA total. That is an increase of .09 (15x.006) added to .857 for .947. I would set the dial caliper to .947 and adjust the sight. As it turns out when I make that adjustment the new reference line is touching the “6” range mark of the leaf. Anyone want to bet I wouldn’t be on target, if not “in the black”?

That’s it!

Larry Gibson

[Larry Gibson]

You can also get a very good micrometer sight tool from Ray-Vin.com. Kind of spendy but worth every penny if you like to shoot the M1903 accurately, especially at longer range on target for score. Very well made tools.

Larry Gibson

[leadman]

I tried my caliper before I read Larry's post. Not sure I did it the same, but am going to try it at the range to see how it works. I am left handed though! LOL.

[madsenshooter]

You can also get a very good micrometer sight tool from Ray-Vin.com. Kind of spendy but worth every penny if you like to shoot the M1903 accurately, especially at longer range on target for score. Very well made tools.

Larry Gibson

That's the fellow that retired last year, the link above is to the guy that handles them now. When it was Ray-Vin, you could also get a narrower foot that will work on the 1901 Krag sight. Since the Springfield and Vintage match shooting is done at 200yds, didn't see much sense in getting one.

[saltydog452]

Wow!

Many thanks to all.

Posts, past and present, appreciated.

salty

[c3d4b2]

The '03 sight mike has a good following. I think they are (or were?) being made so that you could use them on Trap Door rifles also

[schutzen-jager]

original's were made by P.J. O'HARE in maplewood , n.j. - seen a few for sale on ebay + gunbroker at times -

[Shiloh]

You can also get a very good micrometer sight tool from Ray-Vin.com. Kind of spendy but worth every penny if you like to shoot the M1903 accurately, especially at longer range on target for score. Very well made tools.

Larry Gibson

He doesn't make them anymore. He retired. Good to see that someone still makes the. I have used the poor mans adjustment tool, the micrometer.

Shiloh

[Larry Gibson]

He doesn't make them anymore. He retired. Good to see that someone still makes the. I have used the poor mans adjustment tool, the micrometer.

Shiloh

Do we have current contact info on who makes the tool now?

Larry Gibson

[Shiloh]

http://www.sbsdistributing.com/

It is in post #2 as well. I found it from an different gunboard sight related to Springfield rifles.
I'd love to have the tool, but it is spendy. A $10 caliper does it also but with a bit more fiddling.
It is a quality tool, the Ray-Vin reproduction, just not in my budget.

Once you are dialed in and take some notes, it is easily repeatable.

Shiloh

[Larry Gibson]

Thanks for posting, I skipped over it in the other post. That is spendy, a lot more than I paid for mine. I notice the scale goes all the way up so it should be better for other sights such as the M1884 "Buffington" and the friction adjustable tang sights such as on the H&R US M1873 OM "Trapdoor". The micrometer worked for me for many years before I got a Ray-Vin and is actually pretty fast to use once you get the hang of it and have known zeroes.

Neither the Ray-Vin tool or a micrometer is all that fast to use in a "feild" environment so I've put a taller front sight on my shooter '03A1 to get a 200 yard zero with the BS, remarked the slide for actual zero a marked ranges and developed a load with 147 - 150 gr bullets that is regulated to the slide range markings to 1000 yards. In the open high desert country it is a lot of fun to shoot a various distances while on a "walk about". The M1903A1 with the slide sight makes for some pretty decent and enjoyable shooting.

Larry Gibson

[leadman]

I was shooting the military matches with my 1903a3 and thought the 1903 with its sight would be better.

Never got a chance to try it before the Doc said to quite shooting. I did not exactly follow his advice as I shoot from a Leadsled FCX now.
Once I get my load established with the new stock I will mark my sight also.

[NuJudge]

Even with the copy of the PJ O'Hare micrometer made by Ray-Vin, I still find myself over-correcting. It is very frustrating.

I do well at Camp Perry in the Springfield match with a M1903, but its because I have really good zeros with the ammo to be used before I go to Camp Perry.