03A4 Restoration ???????

[RGC]

I have been fortunate enough to find a Remington 03A4. The rifle itself seems to be in very good condition. It is a real 03A4 because the U.S. Remington 03-A3 is far to the left, and the serial number is far to the right, leaving room for the scope base to not obstruct viewing the stampings. The parkerizing is believed to be original, the bands and bolt are blued, which is original and correct. I very much want to restore this rifle. (I collect mostly Garands)
These are my problems:
1) The rifle has a front sight and hood on it, why? How hard is it to remove?
2) Where can I find a Redfield scope base? I have heard/read that the
redfield jr/ will work well, if so which variation?
3) What is the most accurate/best scope to put on this rifle? I have heard
that the Weaver 330 or the Lyman Alaskan are most correct. What
should I expect to pay for these items and where can I find them.

Any help would be appreciated. I can be reached @ ryancasada@yahoo.com

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Chuckindenver]

the barrel is a replacement, and yes the front sight can be removed, however it will be bare steel under the sight, the A4 barrels also have a punch mark on the underside.
youll need a correct scope base, they can be found with some searching for around 200.00, the ONLY scope that was originaly used on an A4 is a Weaver 330C marked M73B1 on the data plate.
though the Lyman AK is a better scope and was aproved as a replacement for the A4. it wouldnt be correct.
a correct scope will cost you, 800.00 to 1.200.00 rings will set you back 100.00
if you contact me outside the forum, i do A4 restorations, however i have no parts available,

[RGC]

Thanks for the info. Do I have to take the rifle out of the stock to see the punch mark? The barrel is marked RA 12-43 with a ordnance bomb, and a punch mark in the center of the ordnance bomb. The serial # is 4992xxx
Thanks, Ryan

[Chuckindenver]

as i said, your rifle has a replaced barrel, A4,s had no front sight base, the bunch would be on the bottom of the barrel were the front sight would sit.

[RGC]

ChuckinDenver,
I took a piece of hickory floor plank and tapped/knocked the USGI front sight off. Underneath had parkerization, and it did have a punch on the bottom where the front site base was. I am fairly certain that the barrel is original. I think the rifle is worth restoring as the stock is original with strong cartouches, the bolt is correct and blued, the barrel bands are blued. The barrel seems to be pristine, I haven't gauged it yet though. Any further assistance on finding correct base,rings and scope (without breaking the bank) would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Ryan

[Chuckindenver]

sounds like your on the way..good luck in finding the scope parts, they can be tough, and pricey