M1 NM Rear Sight

[Cosine26]

I do not know how rare it is, but I have a standard M1 rear sight that has been "bushed" and redrilled. It is labeled "NM 059". Probably for the early NM M1.
FWIW

Information

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[Calif-Steve]

Hooded Rear Sight. Nice and not rare, they are made today.

[Cosine26]

The sight is not hooded. It is a standard rear sight modified-by SA I would guess.
FWIW

[Cosine26]

The sight aperture is not hooded. It is a standard rear sight aperture modified-by SA I would guess. Originally the rear face of the aperture was knurled, but the "plug" is not. The entire sight came off an early NM because the sight base is marked "NM" not "NM/2" or "NM/2A" of the later sights with the hooded aperture. The windage know is marked "NM" and does have the fine thread of the NM knob. I have tried to take a close up picture with no success. It came with a bunch of M1 parts that a team armorer gave me when his team switched to the M14.
FWIW

[Bob Seijas]

Yes, have seen them before. They are uncommon but just a curiosity.

[Tom in N.J.]

Don't understand why the 'team armorer' gave away M1 NM rear sight parts, they are also used on the M14....

[Cosine26]

Tom
A young 2nd Lt "bean counter" (who had no interest in shooting) was assigned the additional duty of overseeing the post range and post rifle team. During an inspection, the armorer indicated that the team had recently converted to the M14. The Lt saw a box and asked "What is that?" When the armorer answered "M1 parts". The Lt directed that he send them to salvage( as no longer required), where they would be sold for one cent a pound. I knew the team leader/armorer and shot with him quite frequently. He called me and offered me all the M1 parts I wanted before he sent them to salvage. The local military teams did a lot for the civilian shooters. I indicated that I would take them all. He indicated that he had to send some to salvage so I picked all he would let me have. I got a lot of M! internal parts, five or six new NM gas cylinders with NM sights, a coupe of NM rear sight some issue rear sights, two NM M1 trigger guard assemblies, a half dozen NM Op rods and a couple of NM stocks. Most of the parts were new and still in the wraps.
The armorer cannot now be held accountable for he was killed in Nam a couple of years later.

[Calif-Steve]

When I was on a USAR MTU team our armorer had a footlocker full of NM parts. He would pick up new parts from other units and keep them for us. He could build an entire NM rifle in 2 days. Those were the days.

[Joe W]

While in the Marine Corps I was stationed TAD at the Camp Lejeune Rifle Range armory for about 6 months. There was a WW2 veteran M/Sgt in charge and he had told us that if we came across any parts that appeared a bit different to us than the norm, to let him know. Sometimes he would be shown a part and after looking at it, he would give it back without comment. Other times he would put the part in a box he had, again without comment. I often think about what may have been in that box and just what he was saving. This was in the mid 1950's, long before the M1 Garand became a "collectable". My guess would be early G.T. era parts.