1941 Front Sight pins

[oldfoneguy]

I believe he's referring to the front sight pins installed on M1917 rifles by the Danish. They should be a standard size of either English/American or Metric.
They are spring pins or sometimes incorrectly referred to as roll pins. Most industrial suppliers should have them such as Granger, MSC Supply and Fastenal. Your best bet is to go to a location with the pin or the sight base if it's missing so they can take a measurement to match it up. Odds are the replacement pin won't be the exactly correct length so it will need to be cut with a hacksaw or ground down with whatever method is available. Getting the pin height to a correct length can sight the rifle in to as close as 25 yards.

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[Low & Slow]

Might be he's referring to those on the 1941 Johnson semi-auto. If so, I don't believe they're tapered, and run about .125", at least on mine.

[1903Collector]

I believe he's referring to the front sight pins installed on M1917 rifles by the Danish. They should be a standard size of either English/American or Metric.
They are spring pins or sometimes incorrectly referred to as roll pins. Most industrial suppliers should have them such as Granger, MSC Supply and Fastenal. Your best bet is to go to a location with the pin or the sight base if it's missing so they can take a measurement to match it up. Odds are the replacement pin won't be the exactly correct length so it will need to be cut with a hacksaw or ground down with whatever method is available. Getting the pin height to a correct length can sight the rifle in to as close as 25 yards.

Being a Mech Design Engineer I recall learning years ago that the coiled spring pin was not invented until after WWII. It was invented by Herman Koehl while working for the U.S. Air Force on the early jets (being Air Force would make it about 1948-49??) The higher heat, high frequency vibration, and stress from Jet engines became the mother of invention of the coiled spring pin which solved a number of pin failure issues in early jets. He subsequently founded a company with his new invention as a product and that company ultimately became known as SPIROL!

---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:21 PM ----------

I found a source for the pins! My 1941 has one original pin remaining. It is a taper pin. Upon removal of the pin it measures at 0.141 at the large end and 0.131 at the small end and is exactly 0.500" long. Both holes measure 0.14" dia at the large end and 0.13" at the small end. The hole is 1/2" deep.

Odd that yours is a straight hole!?!? Are you sure the end of the holes werent peened so that a readily available and common 0.125" dowel pin could be used? Is it possible there were two versions...seems unlikely.

I was told of a reference to a Johnson parts list calling taper pins for the front sight. Jeff at Lee's Gun Parts in Irving, Texas had none, but also called them taper pins. After some digging and a great deal of luck Ive gotten my hands on a large number of these pins now and the first one fit perfectly in my Johnson finally replacing the pin I dropped in the garage years ago...happy, happy, joy, joy!

[Low & Slow]

Ah, probably the case. Mine's a semi restored Winfield sporter, so not really a good yardstick. Glad you found something correct.

[1903Collector]

Ah, probably the case. Mine's a semi restored Winfield sporter, so not really a good yardstick. Glad you found something correct.

Thanks! I wish you a happy and safe New Year!

---------- Post added at 10:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 PM ----------

This board has a wealth of information, is populated by 1941 JSAR collectors, and some of them have spare parts.

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