Military Training Aid - Massive Unknown Rear Sight Model

[rcathey]

Hi all,

Another auction mystery for you. It's HUGE. 48" overall length.
I haven't been able to find the sight it's meant to replicate. Any thoughts?

It feels like a military training aid but the workmanship makes me think it's not actually military.

Either way, it's neat! I paid very little for it...and then three times that much to ship it to me haha.

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Information

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[RCS]

It is a M60 machine gun rear sight

[browningautorifle]

M60 machine gun

Right...I just couldn't place it. I carried one in 1977 and couldn't quite place it.

[rcathey]

Hmm...well now I’m back to thinking it might actually be military.

That era matches the workmanship better. Nothing wrong with the era...I just wouldn’t expect the beautiful cast aluminum cutaways you see from around WW2.

Thanks, guys!

---------- Post added at 07:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:42 PM ----------

And here it is! What do ya know.

Bill Ricca's Military Training Aids - Double Size Trainers (2X)

[browningautorifle]

well now I’m back to thinking it might actually be military.

So, the picture of the M60 showing the rear sight didn't do it?

[rcathey]

I meant to say now I think the *model* is of original military manufacture/use.

If this model ended up being a representation of a sight from the ‘30s or ‘40s, I would not feel it was a genuine military use article. The construction and quality just wouldn’t match up with the era.

Thanks to you and RCS pointing out it’s meant to be an M60 rear sight, now I’m back to thinking the model may indeed be military. The late ‘60s or early ‘70s match up better with what I’m seeing in terms of build technique/quality.

Long winded way of saying, “thanks for the good news!”

[browningautorifle]

Yes, this is an example of what would be at the front of the class to teach sight manipulation to a very large room full of gunners. Hard to imagine how many in the room unless you see it, thus the over large models.

[Bob Womack]

Yeah, for years a local vintage firearms dealer had a Rifle Training Aid M24, PN 7268243 (US Rifle Cal. .30 M1) hanging up for everyone to enjoy.

Bob

[rcathey]

Yeah, for years a local vintage firearms dealer had a Rifle Training Aid M24, PN 7268243 (US Rifle Cal. .30 M1....

I have pieces of two of these. Not enough parts between the two of them to make one whole display.

No idea what I'll do with those...or this sight model for that matter haha

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[RCS]

For every military oversize model that was used as a training aid there is a manual to go with it.

I have a manual for the oversized M1 Rifle printed in 1951 by the US Navy for the Army National Guard. These are difficult to locate as years ago there was not much interest in these manualsAttachment 113655Attachment 113656Attachment 113657Attachment 113658