Swap between Buffington and ramp backsights?

[Dick Hosmer]

ALL of the "ramp" type sights (M1873, M1877, M1879) were originally shipped from the Armory with slotless screws, except for the long-range rifles which had a slightly different (more pronounced dome) form to the head. Any other such sights now found with slotted screws had them changed - most by sources unknown. The Buffington was the only TD sight originally issued with slotted screws. A number of slotted screws on ramp sights will show signs off being hand-slotted. Slotless screws offered for sale today frequently have little stab marks at the edge where they were grabbed with a sharp-edged tool to extract them in a hurry, or where the preferred collet tool proved ineffective, when replacing sights en masse.