Receiver sights for an 03A3

[mustanggt]

I am new to 1903 Springfields. I am thinking of a Lyman receiver sights for it. Will the Lyman 57 screw right into it or will it need to be retapped to accept it? Thanks

[Bull Shoals]

The Lyman 57 on my Springfield is mounted on the right rear of the rear reciever bridge and the bridge needed to be drilled and tapped.

[Bret4207]

I think all the modern sights require drill and tap. Decades back there were some that fit various holes on some rifles, not sure if the 03 had them, but they'd be tough to find theses days.

[mustanggt]

Thanks for the replies. If it screwed into the receiver without tapping into it I'd do it. I'll just keep it with the as issued sights.

[Shooter]

There was an article in the NRA gunsmithing guide about making issue sights more precise and repeatable.
I think it was back in the 70's.

[Char-Gar]

Adding an aftermarket receiver sight like a Lyman or Redfield to an 03A3 presents some issues. Nothing you can't get round, but you should know up front.

1. You do have to drill and tap the right side of the rear receiver ring, which pretty much screws up collector's value.

2. When you remove the issue rear sight, there is a large dovetail left on the top of the rear receiver ring. When you place a Lyman or Redfield the arm rests on top of that dovetail and limits how far down you can adjust the sight. It is about right for cast bullets, but too high for most jacketed bullet loads. You can compensate with a different height front sight or do as I did and grind off the dovetail.

When you remove the dovetail two things happen..

a. collector's value of the rifle is gone for sure and for certain.
b. standard 03A3 scope mounts will no longer fit, although you can use flat bottom base with the proper height riser block.

The best notion is to use the existing GI rear sight, unless you are building up a high grade sporter on an 03A3 action. 03A3 actions will make a nice sporter, but it requires hand polishing off allot of machine tool marks and dealting with the rear receiver ringt dovetail. You can after removing the rear sight dovetail reshape the rear ring to 03 configuration. If all of this is done with care, a fellow will have to check the front ring for the maker to tell it apart from an original 03 action.

[RU shooter]

I believe Bob S. posted a picture in the past of a way to mount a receiver sight on a bracket that was attached to the top dovetail so that if the issue sight was put back on the holes were not seen.



Tim

[Char-Gar]

I don't remember that pic., but it sure would be a neat thing.

[wmitty]

I just installed a Willams WGRS receiver sight which mounts on the dovetail of the

rear receiver with no drilling/tapping. Seems to work fine, but requires a front site

height of .840" to .850". Might be an option to consider.

[Patrick L]

I drilled and tapped an 03A3 for a Lyman 57 several years ago.

In addition to everything everyone else has said about collector value, etc. there is one other thing to consider. Those receivers are hard. I went thru about 3 or 4 bits and 2 or 3 taps in order to get the job done. There are articles on spot annealing, but I didn't feel comfortable trying that. Just go slow, use lots of lubricant, and swap out the tool when it dulls.

[mustanggt]

Thanks for the replies fellas. It is a Smith Corona, barrel and receiver match to 6/43. Bolt is also SC. The stock is however a Red River Arsenal refurb. So I think the collector value is there more so than with a mix master rifle. If it were one of those I would be more inclined to go with the Lyman. http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9889/1903a3001.jpg http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/8749/1903a3002.jpg

[Char-Gar]

I always use a carbide drill bit for 03 Springfields, 03A3 Springfields and Krags. They drill like butter with a carbide bit. I never had trouble tapping. Carbide bits cost over 10 times what a HHS bit costs, but worth every penny.

[docone31]

That darned hard reciever!
I set my punch to make a mark. I then take a diamond burr, a round ball burr to go through the hardening. I use a small burr. I then take an .032 drill, HHS, and drill into the reciever untill I hit the hardening on the other side. From that point, I go to a larger drill.
What I am doing here is making certain my drill runs correctly. I then get a diamond burr that just fits into the drill hole. This burr cuts through the other side of the hardening. I repeat this for the other side.
I then advance in diameter untill I get to the drill size that fits the tap. I ball burr the hardening on the hole, on both sides so the tap does not get either stuck and break off, or chip teeth.
I go to that trouble as I do not want to really grind away the hardening, and I do not want to spot detemper. The last burr only removes enough of the hardening to allow the tap to cut threads.
That way works for me. I have only done two. I never forgot the first one.
Yup, I got a tap stuck in the reciever. Took forever to remove.

[Bob S]

I believe Bob S. posted a picture in the past of a way to mount a receiver sight on a bracket that was attached to the top dovetail so that if the issue sight was put back on the holes were not seen.

Tim

It's not necessary to drill any holes in the receiver. The bracket is made from a spare issue rear sight base and is drifted onto the male dovetail of the 03A3 receiver like the issue sight. The Lyman/Redfield/Williams is drilled so it can be attached to the bracket. I used a Williams sight to prove the concept, but you could use a Lyman 48 or 57, or a Redfield 70S.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Mounted2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Mountedtopfront.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Mountedtopback.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Mountedback.jpg

More pix to follow ...

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Bob S]

Some shots of the bracket under construction:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Unalteredbase.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Baseflattened.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Basesquared.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3%20rear%20sights/Basenotched.jpg

That's all there is to it. Pretty simply.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Bob S]

And for the front sight ... I use a Lipski clamp-on base. They come in the two common sizes for target rifles, .750" and .812" in diameter. I use pieces of copper water pipe to make split bushings so it will clamp on to the issue 03A3 barrel after the issue fron sight and front sight key have been removed. You can then install your favorite clamp-on target style sight. The one shown is a Parker-Hale.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3LipskibaseP-Hsight.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3Lipskibase.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Springfield%2003s/03A3Lipskibasefront.jpg

Now go shoot 'em all in the middle.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[mustanggt]

Thanks BobS. That was very informative. Something for me to chew over.

[Ben]

My 1903 is a sporter model. I have a Lyman 48 on mine. A real joy to shoot this rifle !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Springfield%201903%20-%20308%20Win/9006.jpg

[Char-Gar]

As long as it it show and tell, here is my 03A3 Sporter finished up about three years ago. I took a good SC action, slicked it up, installed a new SC barrel and stocked it as a NRA Sporter of years gone by. The rear sight is a long slide Lyman 48 and the front is a Redfield Sourdough in an 03 band. The stock is a good grade of fiddleback claro walnut. The 400 brushed blue finish was done by Accuracy Weaponry and Plating, all other work by yours truly.

This rifle shoots as pretty as it looks.

[Ben]

Chargar :

How does she shoot ?

Ben

[Bob S]

As long as it it show and tell, here is my 03A3 Sporter finished up ... as a NRA Sporter of years gone by.

That's gorgeous!

I have all the pieces to do the same except for A Round Tuit.:sad: I think I am favoring a commercial barrel that is just a lttle heavier than the issue barrel, though.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Char-Gar]

Bob... The barrel on the original NRA Sporter was slightly heavier than the issue barrel. What started my whole project going was that I had a new in grease SC barrel and a good milled 03A3 triggerguard and floor plate. I hated to see those parts go to waste, so the parts started to accuimulate. The real booger was the front barrel band. They are hard to find. I ended up using one from an 03 T-Model. There were modified at the Springfield Arsenal from 1917 Enfield bands and the same size as the NRA Sporter and M-2 barrel bands.

The stock is the same as the M-2 but without the finger grooves. The butt plate and barrel band are also the same as the M-2.

I did make the stock with a 14.5" LOP, so it will fit me should I choose to bear the pain and get down on the ground in prone position and draw a tight sling again.

[Bret4207]

That's gorgeous!

I have all the pieces to do the same except for A Round Tuit.:sad: I think I am favoring a commercial barrel that is just a lttle heavier than the issue barrel, though.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

Bob, I've been looking for a source of Round Tuit's myself. Neither Grainger, McMaster-Carr, Brownells, MSC or any if the internet supply places seem to have them. The closest I came was a Harbor Freight "Roun Twit", but it was square, not round, and made of recycled "hopesndreams". Not quite what I wanted.

[Bob S]

The closest I came was a Harbor Freight "Roun Twit", but it was square, not round, and made of recycled "hopesndreams". Not quite what I wanted.

That's a good one, I'll have to remember it.

P.S. You forgot "Made in China" :smile:

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[tomon]

Shoot the SC barrel first! Mine shot 1 1/4" groups at 200 yards with my Handloads. LC69 brass, IMR4895, and 173 Military match bullets. I'm trying it this year with some Cast Boolits. I found an old Redfield mount that fit over the rear sight dovetail, and first had a Lyman 17ANXB(I think) which was a one piece that pinned into the stock front sight notches on the barrel. I later had a gunsmith make me a barrel band and mounted an International and/or a Tompkins front sight on it.

[Scharfschuetze]

I haven't seen these sights for a while, but one might be available at a gun show or on E-Bay. Of course it's for the 1903A3 and wouldn't work on a 1903. I've never put it on a rifle, but it was too cool to pass up when I bought it years ago. I've got a good 03A3 action in the garage that someday will get the sight along with a shortened 03A3 barrel and a Manlicher style stock.

I put together a 1903 parts gun from a receiver that had already been drilled and tapped. I used a C stock and an 03A3 barrel and handguard so it is sans the big sight base of a 1903 barrel and looks a bit sporty. Shoots pretty well and the Lyman front and rear sights really help keep groups small.

[Rich/WIS]

What are you going to use it for? If a full out target rifle then micrometer adjustable sights are needed. If a straight have fun cast bullet shooter then the original sights are fine. Have a Remington (2 groove) A3 that performs flawlessly with cast and the original sights, only issue is rear adjustments are limited to one MOA per click, and elevation changes are also somewhat crude as the slide is designed for a 200 yard zero and the clicks correspond to range changes (not MOA) If you remove the windage knob and file additional lines into knob you can get it finer. You can replace the front blade or file it down if you want. I didn't bother, I simply set elevation to the range that corresponds to where I want POI and make a note on my ammo box labels where to set it. The A3, despite its rapid wartime production, is capable of fine accuracy as it comes from the factory.