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Did the Germans at some point eliminate the hole through the front of the rear sight leaf where the retaining pin would go? I just came across a leaf without the hole and have never previouisly seen that. If this was intentional, does anyone know when this change was implemented and if it was done by all manufacturers? Thanks!
Law says that "in the middle war years, a large number of K.98k's were issued without the rear sight leaf pin; however, use of this part was later reinstated following numerous reports of lost rear sights." In that period, sight leaves without the hole might have been used.
It seems unlikely that sight leaves without the pin would have just been "lost". I suspect that pin was intended to eliminate the "fiddle factor", soldiers fooling around with their rifles getting the leaf off then not being able to get it back on.
Jim
It was done, like many other changes, to speed up production. I have had rifles in the past w/o these pins, but the two 1944's and 43 I have now do have them. These are the only "late" rifles I have.