Great Find for a 1903 Springfield

[Scharfschuetze]

Back in the day, precision shooters adjusted their 1903 Springfield sights with a P.J. O'Hare tool. It is a click adjustable micrometer used to precisely set the rear sight via minutes of angle v. the coarse range markings on the standard 1903 rear sight. These were seen at all the big rifle matches of the day and probably not too many shooters at Camp Perry went there without one.

This original is in great condition with firm clicks and no abuse present on its body, knob or screw threads.

[madsenshooter]

Still being sold by: http://www.sbsdistributing.com/index.php?pr=Sight_Tools I think you can get some narrower feet for the 1901 Krag sight too. At least you used to be able to before the fellow at Ray-Vin retired. I'm told the Ray-Vin for the 1903 works fine with the Krag sight, as is though.

[Larry Gibson]

I use the Ray-Vin repo on my '03....excellent tool BTW. It also works very well on other rifles with slides like the Buffington rear sight on TDs and the Tang sight on my H&R OM TD.

Excellent find Scharfschuetzer!

Larry Gibson

[MtGun44]

Just curious, what do the old ones sell for these days?

Bill

[Scharfschuetze]

Bill,

I'm not sure what the replica goes for, but the originals are in the $200 range. I got this one for a fair price on the low end, but it still cost me more than the O3 that it's on! Course I bought the O3 something like 20 years ago.

I had it and this particular O3 (Springfield circa 1931-double heat treat) at the range a few days ago shooting M2 ball ammo. Using the PJ O'Hare micrometer, I was able to use my usual M1 Garand MOA come ups between 100 and 200 yards (+2 1/2 MOA) and stay in the middle all day. This particular 03 has never been much more than a 4 MOA rifle, but a friend had an unissued rear sight in the wrap which he kindly installed as a check and wa la! It's now a 2 MOA rifle off the bench at 200 yards. I guess the old sight had developed some slop from use causing it to shift slightly between shots.

With the new/old micrometer and the new rear sight I'm ready for some of the nostalgia matches at my shooting club.

[MtGun44]

Thanks for the info.

Bill

[Four Fingers of Death]

Neat accessory. I saw them years ago, but not in use, so I couldn't see how they were used. I also didn't have a Springfield at the time. I do now. I must have another go at learning how to use the sights. I couldn't figure them out when I used it before.

I have a large collection of terrific mil surp bolt guns, bulging safes and a cash flow problem. I need to sort out what suits me best / what performs the best and give the rest the flick.

I think the 1942 Remington will probably be the most accurate rifle I have. That, an M17 as a back up to the Springer, my smick No4 and the Steyer straight pull nasty boy would probably do me.

[Scharfschuetze]

FFOD,

Those 1903 sights look like they evolved from the Buffington sight on the 1884 and 1888 Trapdoors. Just a guess, but the sight base and slide are all very similar.

Here's some info that might help you get that 1903 sight operational for you shooting.

I've never figured out which bullet the elevation slides were calibrated for as in WWI the US Military used the M1 Cal 30 round which evolved into the M-72 match round with its 173 grain FMJBT bullet. Between the wars, the Military adopted the M2 round with its approximately 150 grain FMJ flat base bullet. It was seriously challenged at long range compared to the M1 round, but that was by design. It was adopted to stay within the range fans of many training ranges the National Guard used.

The O'Hare micrometer makes all the above moot as it bases its come ups on MOA like the M1 Garand and the M14.

The windage marks on the 1903 sight are in what the military called leads. I believe these were based on the infantry milradian, which was slightly different from the artillery mil. No matter though as its close enough to say that each mark represents about about 4 MOA. Artillery, mortars and machine guns all used milradians for adjustment, so it makes some sense that the Ordinance Corps would like a rifle sight that matched its crew served weapons. It is reported that a soldier should be able to break this down to increments of 1/4 and thus produce deflection adjustments down to 1 MOA.

My most accurate service rifle is a Remington produced US Model of 1917 (US Enfield), but I have an Enfield No 4T that will give it a run for its money.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have two M17 Remingtons, one standard and one with a Parker rear peep sight. The standard one is a bit of a war horse, but shoots like a dream, I haven't fired the one with the Parker target sight yet, but it has a 10/10 barrel and should deliver the goods. I found the sight the other night, it was hiding in a dark corner of the ammo cabinet in one of my gun safes, time to get it out to the range. I was worried as I thought I had lost the removable slide and peep and I knew finding another 30s vintage British Target sight would be impossible and if not impossible, bloodyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy expensive! Phew!