Lyman sight on 03A3 Springfield???

L

Ledbetter

New member
To those who know,

Is it necessary to make any holes in the receiver to install a Lyman or other peep sight on a Springfield 03A3?

Thanks and regards,

Ledbetter
 
Dunno if anybody's sight will fit the dovetail of an 03A3's rear sight (IIRC), but for any of those with the leaf sight mounted on the barrel, ya gotta drill and tap.

Art
 
odd you ask.. a local shop here has two sporterized '03s, both with rear peep sights. (one had the "guts" of the peep pulled to make room for the scope, the other was iron sights only)

Anyhow.. I've no idea whether drilling was involved, but it looks like it was a common thing to do once upon a time. These folks had the rifles in question, and could take a closer look and tell you --


Shooting World: 11655 W. Executive Drive, Boise,
(208) 321-1288


hope this helps --

-K
 
Thanks for the responses

I see these sights on lots of sporterized 03's. I don't want to drill the receiver, so if a better aftermarket sight won't fit otherwise, I'll stick with the regular aperture sight, which isn't too bad for me.

Maybe I could get another 03A3 sight and modify it with parts from an after market? I met a guy at the range last week who described for me how to carefully use a file to convert the 03A3 sight to 1/2 minute of angle adjustments.

Anybody else care to weigh in?

Thanks and regards,

Ledbetter
 
I looked around. I could not find an aftermarket sight to fit an '03-A3 without drilling and tapping. What's wrong with the GI sight? Especially if you add detents to get finer adjustment.
 
Hi Jim

I'm about done looking too. 1/2 minute adjustments are fine enough for my eyes, if I can make the conversion. The only other thing that could stand improvement for me is I want a smaller hole in the aperture. I bought an extra 03A3 rear sight to experiment with.

Regards.
 
Back in the old days, the Lyman Model 48 was mounted onto the bridge of the receiver. It required two holes to be drilled into the side of the receiver. The base was then installed and the sight could then be lowered into place. It's a wonderful sight and very adjustable. You have to go to the gunshows to find the sight and a base that is compatible with the Springfield.

BTW, when Springfield Armory made some NM guns for the public, they often used that Lyman sight. I have a M-2 Springfield (O3 customized to 22 LR) which features that sight.
 
The GI sight will work, fine, Led, unless it's 1000 yard competition you're going after.

I've had a couple of 03s and 03A3s. The peep will do well, and getting better accuracy is more a case of bedding, trigger and load work.

I've seen, but not used, a GI peep with the aperture threaded, and a hollow screw in it of a smaller ID. Bet it can be done with a Williams or Lyman aperture also.

I'd leave it alone...
 
Sporters

Greetings,

The Lyman 48 is the sight that was used on the NMs and on the semi-famous NRA Springfield "Sporter." I shot a sporterized Springfield about two months ago and just loved it.

So much so that I bought two. One is in perfectly untouched condition, the stock lightly sanded and oiled but the cartouches still plainly visible and a bore that looked dark in places in the store. Once I cleaned the bore and used some Shooters' Choice copper remover, it is bright and shiny. It shoots like a dream.

The other is a barrelled action that should arrive Friday or Saturday. Bought from Don in Lake Havasu City AZ via Auction Arms. I have a semi-inletted thumbhole laminate stock to install it into and a Timney trigger that should drop right in. The barrelled action is supposed to be all-Remington and "legit." But we'll see. If it is, I am loathe to be the one to chop it.

I will be bedding it into the stock with Marine-Tex and free-floating the barrel (after bedding the first two or three inches).

The thing is, my vision in my right eye makes it much better for me to have a very small rear aperture. It makes it easier for me to keep the sighting consistent. I'm going to experiment with the "extra" GI sight I bought and see what I can come up with.

Regards to all,

Ledbetter
 
Brownell's carries the Merchant AR sight aperture set. They just insert into the short range GI sight and are retained by an O-ring. All you would have to do to a spare A3 sight is ream the hole to the same size as an AR and for $20 have apertures of .046", .052" and .059". No threading required as for a regular Lyman disc.
 
That's just the ticket

Jim,

That's just the kind of tip I needed. Thanks to the man from the State of Alabam'.

Regards,

Mike Ledbetter
 
Help! Lyman 48S 03A3 Sight

New to the forum; just picked up a 1903 that came with a Lyman 48S 03A3 rear sight. The serial# puts it at a 1918 but the barrel is a '37. I did a google search on the Lyman but nothing came up in the way of youtube videos or manuals. This forum was the first link that popped up so I joined; any information would be helpful.

Thanks.
 
Looking for any information on how to install it (receiver is tapped); I can't tell how to screw it in or how to use the sight.I can post pics tomorrow night if it helps.
 
Hopefully you have the screws for the base.

Remove the bridge
[the part that slides up and down. If there isn't a spring loaded button on the front edge of the base, you'll just have to screw the elevation sight screw "up" until the bridge is out of the base and exposes the rear mounting screw of the base.]
NOTE!!! Just went back and looked at your pics. You do have the Quick release. Un screw that knurled button on the front of the base. Just unscrew until it stops, it won't come off. It is spring loaded and if you've unscrewed it all the way, you can just PUSH it in all the way and the sight bridge [slidey part] will lift right out of the base without having to turn the elevation screw. Reverse the process to reinstall the bridge to the base after mountain the base on the action.

If the receiver is indeed drilled and tapped [just forward of the bolt handle an the rear bridge of the action… right side, a touch of medium loctite on the screws and screw them into the holes… about the same torque you would use on scope bases.

Reinstall the bridge in the base by pushing in the "quick release button" and then then screw the "button" back in to lock it.

back out the elevation stop screw [tiny screw in the horizontal portion of the bridge that protrudes below] until it is flush with the bottom surface of the bridge.

Go to the range… suggest starting at 25 yards. Adjust the sights as you would any other [windage/elevation]…

Once you're on the bull and happy at 25 go to 100yards and fine tune W/E.

When you're happy with the elevation at 100yards [or what ever distance you want to be your shortest "zero yardage"] , screw that tiny elevation stop screw in until it just touches the receiver. This is especially helpful if you do have a sight that has that spring loaded bridge release on the front of the base. It allows for quick return to "zero elevation" if you remove the bridge or a wound up the elevation for longer distance shooting.

You can adjust the elevation scale index pointer on the side of the bridge by loosening the little screws and sliding it up and down so the hash marks are where you want them.

Fine elevation adjustments are done with the elevation [up/down] screw. You can use the "quick release button" to make larger changes after you have found your "zero" [ie: 100 Yards] and have then tried at an greater distance noting what the hash marks on the scale show [ie: 200 300 400….yards] when you're on at those distances. Always able to return quickly to your base zero because of that little "stop screw" in the horizontal portion of the bridge.

Good luck…. I have these sight on all of my bolt guns and wouldn't be without them, even when I've scoped the rifle. Always good to have a backup.

AND>>>> Iron Sight Shooting is just cool.

Mike
 
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There ya go!!

Have fun.

Not sure what front sight you have but for your first range trip you might want to lower the bridge quite a ways from your photo. Better to have the first rounds in the dirt in front of the target than over the berm and into the next county.

Enjoy

Mike
 
Front Sight Pics

Yes; I'll post front sight pics tonight; will also lower the rear sight. Just wanted to show that I mounted it, but I appreciate your observation. I am really excited to shoot this rifle; while I appreciate and own "black rifles" as a relatively new shooter to the sport in only the last 5-6 years or so, I never thought I would love bolt guns as much as I have come to. Thank you all for the comments and feedback.
 
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