Adjustable rear sights

[69 Stang]

Talked with another WW2 vet today. He was a Marine in the Pacific. His first battle was Feb 1944 at the Enewetok Atoll islands. He said his issued carbine was one with the adjustable rear sights. My dad was also at this battle and he too said his carbine was issued with adjustable rear sights. I know the books say this is too early but one of these two men was my dad. I know that he knew what type sight was on his carbine....now I have another man that was there and he is saying his carbine had the early adjustable sight too.No matter what the books say I will always believe some of the carbines back then were issued with the adjustable rear sight.I think I will believe the people that were there over the books.

Information

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[Smokehouse69]

Wouldn't be the first time the "book" was wrong.

[Bill Hollinger]

No disrespect here 6th but it would not be the first time an 85 year old was wrong either. My dad was in WWII Army Air Corps and swears to God he never wore leggings or a dough boy tin hat. Even when I showed him a photo of him in 1942 wearing leggings and a dough boy tin hat. He could remember the eight digit USA number on the hood of his jeep up to the day he died though!

February, 1944 was too early for adjustable sights.

[imarangemaster]

The March 1944 TM shows the Type II sight, and refers to it as the current issue, and that the flip sights were older sights. It is not just one picture, but a couple pages.

[shadycon]

I'm a firm believer that nothing is 100% , their is always room for error/change.

[69 Stang]

Its getting harder to find the old vets that were in the Enewetok battle but there are two now that say they were issued the adjustable rear sight on their carbins right before Feb of 1944. I don't care what the books say I am sticking to what these two told me. I just wonder how many carbines in the late January and very early Feb of 1944 serial range that had the adjustable rear sights were replaced by collectors to "make them as the books say". and by the way when I find one in the serial range with the adjustable rear sight I'm buying it.

[BrianQ]

Yep adjustable for two ranges, 150 yards and 300 yards.

[69 Stang]

Yep and dad said they sighted theirs in at 200 yards

[INLAND44]

Fortunately there were pictures and film taken of most all major actions, so possibly there would be a way to tell for sure, although there's not really any doubt that it was too early.

[DaveHH]

"The US Army in WW2" "Seizure of the Gilberts and Marshalls" These are genuine Army volumes with specific photos of the operations. I see a few carbines being used by Marines and Army personnel. No bayonet lugs and no adjustable sights indicated. This book covers the taking of Makin, Eniwetok, Kwajalein, Tarawa (Betio) and lesser islands. Later operations such as Iwo Jima, appear to show a much larger percentage of carbines.