anyone recognize this 1903 drift slide? USMC #10?

[mtykim]

i pulled this drift slide from an RIA that i recently picked up. from the lack of the triangle field of view, i suspect it is an original USMC #10 but honestly i don't know that much about it. anyone recognize it? what is it worth? with the patina on it, it is definitely vintage. thanks.

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[Chuckindenver]

yup, thats a #10 sight.

[mtykim]

thanks for the help. i love the experience of buying old rifles, every so often you get a nice surprise in the package that no one knew was there. had no idea when i bought the rifle that there was even such a thing as special USMC sight parts until i started trying to ID them, just thought it was strange that the triange cutout was missing. neither i or the seller made any issue out of it.

i just checked the front sight that was pulled from the same rifle and the blade on it is near twice as wide at the top as the area that fits into the stud. i guess that makes it a matching USMC front and rear set. unfortunately, someone shaped the sides of the sight blade a little to give it kind of a bead look at top.

i'm gonna put back standard sights on the rifle so i don't have a use for them. anyhow, anyone know about how much i should ask for the set? are they rare? i wasn't able to find a single ad anywhere for these things.

[RETREAD]

Is the profile of the front sight blade similar to the original type, or is it swept back to the rear. The USMC type blades were thicker as well.. Is the front sight cover still present ??

[Lancebear]

Hey mtykim,

If the top of the front sight blade hasn't been filed, those sights will give ya' a 200 yard battle zero. Something to think about as far as shootin' goes. Have a set, will shoot with them when I get a chance. They appeared in the early twenties and were discontinued in '28 or so. What does the rifle look like? Does it have a hatcher hole and scrubbed stock (No markings), serialized bolt? Stippled buttplate? What kind of stock? "C" or maybe grasping groove?

Lancebear

[Lancebear]

Hey mtykim,

The questions I asked you are about Marine rifle characteristics, so if you have a Marine rifle, would keep the sights even with the filing. Photos would be nice. What are the barrel markings and serial range of the rifle?

LB

[mtykim]

lucky, but not quite that lucky. the rifle had a USMC front sight blade (slightly modified as mentioned above) and the USMC rear sight drift but that was all. no USMC front sight cover and the rest of the rifle is not USMC, so i'm changing the sights back to the standard variation. trying to figure out what they are worth to trade or sell to fund the other parts that the rifle needs replaced.

[Mike D]

There one on GB that a guy wants $200 for. Been trying to sell it for a couple months with no luck. Bill Bentz (dcm450shtr@comcast.net) evidently sells repro sets for around $75, so you should be able to get between $100-150. Just my 2 cents worth.