front sight question

[awq134]

i have a 1931 1903 and i was curious if those were came with the front sight hood like i have seen on a few other rifles? Or were they only designed for the later variants, such as the 03-A1's and 03-A3's?

if it would fit a 1903 where would i find a good deal on one. The only reason i ask is because i had one on my Model 94 winchester and i liked it because it protected the front sight from bending/moving and it took the glare off the relatively shiny front sight post/blade.

Information

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[vintage hunter]

The hoods will fit all variants of the 1903. But, if you take it off and on more than a time or two they'll scuff up the finish on the front sight base so if you get one put a dab of grease on it where it clamps around the sight and leave it be. They can be found on ebay and most parts dealers have them. They don't cost much but beware of the cheap non USGI fakes.

[awq134]

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The hoods will fit all variants of the 1903. But, if you take it off and on more than a time or two they'll scuff up the finish on the front sight base so if you get one put a dab of grease on it where it clamps around the sight and leave it be. They can be found on ebay and most parts dealers have them. They don't cost much but beware of the cheap non USGI fakes.

thanks for the info... guess i will start browsing and see what i can come up with[COLOR="black"]

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Actually, they aren't sight hoods like on a Mauser K98, etc. They're called sight protectors and they're meant to be removed when shooting.

When installed they leave very little room above the sight post and the inside of the protector, so the sight picture is terrible. That's why vintage hunter said to remove and install a protector each time you want to shoot it wears off the finish. If you don't intend to shooting it and want a cover for display you can find them on ebay, but beware of the fakes. Don't buy one if you can't see the marking closely. The fakes have the markings done with laser etching and they're easy to see - the marking looks almost like a bunch of dots and not straight like originals. Originals sell for about $20.

[awq134]

Actually, they aren't sight hoods like on a Mauser K98, etc. They're called sight protectors and they're meant to be removed when shooting.

When installed they leave very little room above the sight post and the inside of the protector, so the sight picture is terrible. That's why vintage hunter said to remove and install a protector each time you want to shoot it wears off the finish. If you don't intend to shooting it and want a cover for display you can find them on ebay, but beware of the fakes. Don't buy one if you can't see the marking closely. The fakes have the markings done with laser etching and they're easy to see - the marking looks almost like a bunch of dots and not straight like originals. Originals sell for about $20.

thanks, i was unaware that it was only a protector, not meant to be installed all the time. I do plan on shooting it so i guess i will not be looking for one.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

PS - Welcome to the site! Best group of knowledgeable guys you'll find on the net.

[Johnny Peppers]

When shooting with the sight leaf down on the 1903 the sight protector doesn't present too much of a problem, but when shooting with the sight leaf up, the eye gets a confusing message. The eye has the ability to seek out the center of a circle, and it will automatically do that when shooting through an aperture. The eye wants to center the front aperture formed by the protector and the rear sight aperture with the black circle of the target whether the front sight blade is centered in the protector or not.

This is especially true of the 03-A3 which has a taller front sight blade. The front sight is nearly touching the top of the protector.