03-A3 rear sight aperture

[GunnSmokeer]

I have a 1903-A3 Springfield rifle, made by Remington with a two-groove barrel, and it's been sporteruzed. The barrel is cut to 18 1/2 inches the stock has been shortened and recon toured with the top wood removed, and the bolt has been chromed.


PROBLEM: The rear sight's aperture slides under the rifles recoil. Because this rifle has been sporterized and the barrel bobbed, it is lighter than a standard World War II issue rifle.

That little metal tab that goes over the sliding peep sight directly in front of the aperture, which is held down by a single tiny screw and presses the sides of that little flat spring steel tab against the left and right sides of the rear sight assembly, just doesn't generate enough friction to hold it in place.

If that little flat metal tab had a tooth built into it of substantial size, then the tooth could engage the notches milled into the left side of the rear side assembly but my little tab is basically flat. There's a line or crease put in it, but it doesn't even feel like a projection .
If it protrudes out at all, it's probably only one or two thousandths of an inch.

 

[density1]

Try Sarco:

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/spfa3slideaperturespring.aspx

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/1903a3rearsightusedgi.aspx

 

[Jester896]

Numrich has them too
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/717750

 

[rayjay]

You ain't got a hammer and chisel? Actually I would use a piece of aluminum stock instead of a chisel. Reform the detent on the spring. Or, could you use a longer screw and have it extend down and bear against the slanted base under the aperture ? Basically you would be locking the aperture in one spot.

 

[rayjay]

If you decide to reform your detent I would recommend a piece of hard dense wood as the anvil under the spring when you tap tap it with your small tap tap gunsmith's hammer.

 

[GunnSmokeer]

rayjay, I like your idea the best, to re-press that dimple in the middle of the tab.
But, the first thing I tried was just bending the entire spring (after I removed it from the sight) with a needle-nose pliers. I made the bend a sharper angle pressing the entire unsupported half of the spring down to scrape across the teeth that are supposed to hold it.

It worked. 55 rounds fired during the Rifeman's Weekend, in the Vintage Fun Match up at Riverbend Gun Club in Dawsonville, and the sight stayed where I set it. And yet it moved easily enough by hand when I changed my elevation one click down midway through the match (which might have been necessary due to the weapon heating up, or maybe mirage distorting my view of the target).

Thanks for the replies, all.