Question re: Lyman 48 Installation

[NMC_EXP]

Greetings

When Lyman 48 sights were installed on the M1903 or 03-A4 were the mounting holes in the receiver blind holes or were they drilled through the receiver wall?

I'm considering an 03-A4 which had a Lyman installed and the mounting holes are drilled through. I do not know if this was standard procedure and if not, whether it is a safety concern.

The receiver still has WW2 Parkerizing so I asume it was not drawn and tempered to ease the drill and tap operation.

Thanks in advance

Jim

Information

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[Mike Haas]

Greetings

When Lyman 48 sights were installed on the M1903 or 03-A4 were the mounting holes in the receiver blind holes or were they drilled through the receiver wall?

I'm considering an 03-A4 which had a Lyman installed and the mounting holes are drilled through. I do not know if this was standard procedure and if not, whether it is a safety concern.

The receiver still has WW2 Parkerizing so I asume it was not drawn and tempered to ease the drill and tap operation.

Thanks in advance

Jim

Jim - I'm not going to read into your post to much but I would suggest you approach this issue carefully.
Let us know the Serial # of the Rifle and better yet a picture of the drilled mounting holes on the top and side of the receiver.
I'm not saying this because of a safty issue so much as preservation and curiousity.

[NMC_EXP]

Jim - I'm not going to read into your post to much but I would suggest you approach this issue carefully.
Let us know the Serial # of the Rifle and better yet a picture of the drilled mounting holes on the top and side of the receiver.
I'm not saying this because of a safty issue so much as preservation and curiousity.

Mike

Thanks for the reply and note of caution.

This rifle is being offered as a standard 03-A3 which was gunsmith modified by the addition of Lyman front and rear sights. It is not being represented as an original Springfield Armory NRA Target or other Armory variant.

It has interest for me only as a shooter, not a collector.

I like the '03. I'd enjoy it more with better sights. In this case the damage is already done so the preservation issue is a moot point.

Regards

Jim

[Jim Tarleton]

All 48 Lyman installations I have seen are drilled all the way through (I have 6 03's with 48's). There is no safety issue whatsoever.

Drilling a hole in a steel structure does not necessarily make it weaker. A steel bar with a small hole drilled through the center is stronger than the original solid bar.

Jim

[edlmann]

All 48 Lyman installations I have seen are drilled all the way through (I have 6 03's with 48's).

I can't imagine a blind hole in the side of the rear bridge of an '03 action having much more than one thread of contact - you'd want all the contact area you could get in any case. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a blind hole for a receiver-mounted aperture sight.

[Chuckindenver]

i agree with most of whats benn said....
other then a hole drilled doesnt weaken...yes,, it does...
next time you drive down the street...look at the sign post..at the base, youll see some holes.
thats so when its hit, it breaks off, at that point..
now.
a hole with chamfered edges, {rolled over} will tend to add strength, but only on a sheet metal, or flat steel type application.
example.
look at a high end mountain bike, BMX bike roll cage in a race car,ect. the gussets may have holes to lighten them, and are usually chamfered..
however.
holes drilled in the area for a rear target sight on a 1903. Mauser, ect, wont weaken it enough to be a safety issue.
you may, have an issue with a case head failure if the bolt sets back the safety lug into that part of the receiver, that being said, if that happens to 6-48 holes wont make much diffferance..
and any one who drills extra holes in a 1903A4 shoot be kicked in the biskets.

[NMC_EXP]

All 48 Lyman installations I have seen are drilled all the way through (I have 6 03's with 48's). There is no safety issue whatsoever.

Drilling a hole in a steel structure does not necessarily make it weaker. A steel bar with a small hole drilled through the center is stronger than the original solid bar.

Jim

Thanks for the info. This particular Lyman 48 has the slide with 105 minutes of elevation adjustment. I assume this is the "short" version?

Do you know how much windage adjustment this sight has?

I'm interested in this rifle for club H.P. matches and might give it a try at 1000 yds.

I like the old steel and walnut.

Regards

Jim

[NMC_EXP]

I can't imagine a blind hole in the side of the rear bridge of an '03 action having much more than one thread of contact - you'd want all the contact area you could get in any case. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a blind hole for a receiver-mounted aperture sight.

I've never examined an '03 with a Lyman installed so I was not sure. My frame of reference is Rem 40X and Rem 37 smallbores. Those have blind mounting holes but the receiver walls are probably thicker than the '03.

Regards

Jim

[NMC_EXP]

holes drilled in the area for a rear target sight on a 1903. Mauser, ect, wont weaken it enough to be a safety issue.
you may, have an issue with a case head failure if the bolt sets back the safety lug into that part of the receiver, that being said, if that happens to 6-48 holes wont make much diffferance..
and any one who drills extra holes in a 1903A4 shoot be kicked in the biskets.

Thanks for the reply.

I believe the the gun plumber who built this rifle assumed room temp some time ago.

The damage is done. Long as its safe, may as well punch some paper with it.

Regards

Jim

[Chuckindenver]

Remingtons have the hole through and through, from 722 to 700,
though they mount on the left side,
the 40x highpower is thicker in the reciever ring area then a standard 700 after 1975.
as for strength?? id say a Nickle steel 03 or A3 beats the 40x, 700, ect.
iv drill into all of them, and welded on all of them...
the strongest??by far the Smith Corona A3..they hardened them through and through.
Remington A3, 40x and 700,s were only surface hardend
pic is of a 68 vintage 700 im rebluing for a guy that left the rifle in a soft case. stored in his camper, with a leaky roof...yes, it was rusted to the case..
still to this day cant understand why anyone would store a firearm in a camper, let alone a cheap naugahide case... keeps my pockets full for sure.