Springfield 1903a1 sight/scope options...

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Duncan71

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Calgary AB
Hey all,

Recently bought a 1903 Remington springfield, and lo and behold the rear sight is pretty sloppy. Its the old style with a sleeve over there barrel on which there is a stud and grooves into which the rear sight blade mount and can be adjusted for windage. There is however a lot of slop/play in the mount to sleeve connection. Ive shimmed it up, but used some brass sheet and tinfoil - not exactley a professional job. I guess Im wondering what my options are? Where can I get replacement parts? Is there a decent no gunsmith style scope mount? Aftermarket sights? Let me know the options boys!
 
Did you try a shim on top of the circular post that the base rotates on? This may tighten things up. Also, if the moveable base is a very loose fit on the post, the top edges of the post can be carefully peened to increase the diameter of the post. If the rear lip of the barrel sleeve which secures the rear of the rotating sight base is bent/ loose it can be carefully-carefully peened downwards.

Sometimes the teeth at the front of the rotating base are worn to a point where it needs to be replaced. Wear on the windage adjustment screw can also be an issue. The windage screw is spring loaded and applies tension to the roating base. It could either be worn or siezed with crud. Replacement parts are available from Sarco Inc and Numrich/GPC.

I recall that S&K used to make a no-drill scope mount. Actually, when properly set up, the peep in the issue rear sight allows some very fine shooting.
 
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Yup, I shimmed it with a brass circle made from a .22 case. I then used some tin foil, its clear that the problem is that there is too much clearance between the circular post and the rotating base sits on it.
 
Throw the tin foil and .22 case away. .22 cases are far too thin. Tin foil isn't tin and is for wrapping your lunch.
Gunparts lists '03A1 rear sight parts.
 
Tough to advise the best remedy w/o examining the piece. I'd replace the windage screw on spec. I'd also try peening the rear lip of the fixed sight base downwards using a wide face brass punch. Go carefully here as you don't want to deform it to a point where you need to remove metal from the bottom of the lip to get free movement of the rotating base.

There is also a possibility that the chamfers at the front of the fixed base might be worn to the point where the windage screw will not wedge tightly against the front of the rotating base. Replacing the windage screw will help with this. You might even try shimming the foreward edge of the chamfers with the idea of forcing the windage screw a bit further to the rear.

To try things in order:
1. shim the front edge of the chamfers
2. replace windage screw
3. peen rear lip of fixed sight base

The last thing you want to do is to remove the fixed base from the barrel with the idea of replacing it. This is one b*tch of a job. The fixed bases are expensive and they can be deformed quite easily when driven on. Also, it is veeery tough to expect the rotational alignment pin cut in the barrel to line up with where the cut was made in the replacement fixed base.
 
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