Hey J.B., '03 sight leaf polishing, not NM.

[Lancebear]

Hey J.B.,

Brought my RIA Marine rifle out to the Peaceshack for a little look tonight, think you know it well.

You never know what you might have missed over the years of owning a firearm. You look it over real good just after you buy it and think you know everything about it.....well many times later you notice something new. Maybe interesting or not, anyway.....

Was lookin' at the rear sight leaf tonight. Noticed that the top with numbers and graduations looks worn, as in no finish, but maybe not. The markings are very sharp and the original blue is still in the grooves. It is a 2,850 yard leaf and the rest of the leaf has full blueing. Wonder if it was a common practice to polish off the blueing or park on a sight leaf to make the markings easier to see, as it certainly does. Was that something peculiar to the USMC or did every branch of the services maybe practice this?

Have an Oneida sight leaf on one of my rifles. That is the finest leaf I think, the white paint in the markings with a dark park background makes everything easy to see in daylight. Have only seen a couple on rifles listed in the usual places.

Regards,

Robert/LB

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[John Beard]

Hey J.B.,

Brought my RIA Marine rifle out to the Peaceshack for a little look tonight, think you know it well.

You never know what you might have missed over the years of owning a firearm. You look it over real good just after you buy it and think you know everything about it.....well many times later you notice something new. Maybe interesting or not, anyway.....

Was lookin' at the rear sight leaf tonight. Noticed that the top with numbers and graduations looks worn, as in no finish, but maybe not. The markings are very sharp and the original blue is still in the grooves. It is a 2,850 yard leaf and the rest of the leaf has full blueing. Wonder if it was a common practice to polish off the blueing or park on a sight leaf to make the markings easier to see, as it certainly does. Was that something peculiar to the USMC or did every branch of the services maybe practice this?

Have an Oneida sight leaf on one of my rifles. That is the finest leaf I think, the white paint in the markings with a dark park background makes everything easy to see in daylight. Have only seen a couple on rifles listed in the usual places.

Regards,

Robert/LB

All sight leaves were polished until sometime in the 1930's. Your sight leaf is quite normal.

J.B.