'03 Rear sight installation

[Isom]

Confused '03 newbie, first time on forum. Trying to bring back an '03. Remington, #3050xxx, (bbl RA, cartouche, 2-42). All the metal seems Remington, "R" stamps on everything; bolt, trigger guard, buttplate. I'm having to replace the sights, front & rear, rear sight collar and the upper barrel band. Everything's going together fine except the rear sight installation. Windage screw installed properly. Rear sight on stud, off to left and swiveled into the windage screw on left side and screwed on, turning screw clockwise. That's not working. Is there a trick or am I doing something wrong?? I don't want to force it on and ruin the threads on the sight or the screw. I have Poyer's book. I'm not trying for A-! perfection just a solid '03. Wood has no markings at all, all over check with magnifing glass. Strange ,,, yes?,,,,, no?
Thanks for listening,
Isom

[John Beard]

You're not doing anything wrong that I can discern. Frequently, I have to apply rotational pressure to the rear sight to get it started in the windage screw threads.

Absence of wood markings usually indicates that the stock has been sanded. It can also indicate a reproduction or replacement stock.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[chuckindenver]

if you forced the rear base on you may have bent the front the the base, closing the gap too much to get the sight to swing inside the base.
remove the windage knob, then see if you can swing the sight inside the base without a lot of issue..

[Isom]

Thanks guys for the help. I could get the sight on and off without the windage knob in ok. I reinstalled knob, pressed the sight hard against the screw, a little tap with a small brass mallet. I would tap and turn (with a pair of nylon faced pliers), tap and turn, gently until the rear of the sight started to engage, then I could turn it by hand. Everything's fine. 46 yrs around aircraft ,,, military and civilian ,,,,, "if it don't fit ,,, don't force it ,, message it and you won't break it" Thanks again for the help.
Isom