1903 Drift Slide Collection

[M1903Guy]

Just finished one of my on-again off-again collecting projects. Wife thinks I'm a bit of a nerd, but I plan to clean it up a bit and get it framed.
Attachment 100546

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Very interesting, we'll keep that in mind hen the bunfight starts here about what's what...

[RCS]

Very nice collection and difficult to find, I would consider the off-set National Match is the most difficult to find.

Do you also collect 1903 leaf sights ?

[M1903Guy]

Do you also collect 1903 leaf sights ?

To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it. I've got 7 or 8 in the parts box. That's how I found the hard (or expensive ones - Nat'l Match, USMC, & Platinum) they were on sight assembles in piles at gunshows over the years - or in the case of the Platinum, a leaf sight on ebay. Shiny leaf sights seem to be a indicator of a real shooter/marksman and thus non-standard drift sight. The numbered drift slides were generally loose for $2-$3 each. I'll have make a list of the leaf sight variations and go check and see how far along I am. I've been working on collecting Uncut (WWII) M1905 bayonets from each year of production (1942, 1943) from each producer (UFH, AFH, WT, OL, UC, PAL). Down to one, Utica Cutlery 1943.

[usabaker]

Awesome collection and idea...

[browningautorifle]

I've been working on collecting Uncut (WWII) M1905 bayonets from each year of production (1942, 1943) from each producer (UFH, AFH, WT, OL, UC, PAL). Down to one, Utica Cutlery 1943.

We'd be interested in seeing that work in progress too...on the edged weapons forum.

[cplstevennorton]

You know I'm curious now, have you seen info on what you call the type 4 with the NM ad the offset aperature left or right?

The Marines actually used these and I guess I didn't think the Army might have had them too. I'm just curious now how common they are.

[Chuckindenver]

any info on the modified ones, that have been opened up and renumbered?

[M1903Guy]

"We'd be interested in seeing that work in progress too...on the edged weapons forum."

I will try to get some photos up this weekend.

---------- Post added at 08:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 PM ----------

"You know I'm curious now, have you seen info on what you call the type 4 with the NM ad the offset aperature left or right?"

For good or ill I just copied the list of drift sights from Joe Poyer's book "The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations". The off-set aperture seems to be the hardest to find. I ran across my first Platinum line on my Hoffer-Thompson (which I left in place of course) but have seen others, and other USMC ones, for sale. This is the only off-set I've run across. Of course, they look so similar to regular sights they'd be easy to miss at a glance (add poor gunshow hall lighting and old eyes too)

---------- Post added at 08:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------

"any info on the modified ones, that have been opened up and renumbered?" I've run across more than a few. Mostly an "X" stamp over the old number and the new one stamped on the other side of the aperture. I will try to get a picture of one up soon.

[M1903Guy]

Attachment 100578Attachment 100579This is a Drift Sight where the aperature was enlarged from a "5" to a "7" (and a straight "7" for comparison).