Correct rear sight for 1898 rifle?

[GBEAR1]

What is the correct rear sight for an 1898 rifle in the 198000 serial number range. Would it be the 1898 rear sight with the slide up peep sight or with out the slide up peep sight? Thanks in advance.

[Dick Hosmer]

I believe you have confused the 1898 and 1902 sights. The 1898 has three sighting notches, while the 1902 has but one. It is the 1902 which first did not have, but later added, the pivoting peep sight. Both 1898 and 1902 sights used the same handguard. Do you have a rifle totally without handguard and sight? Sights were changed so frequently on the 1898 rifle, that there is no hard and fast rule as to what wound up, officially on which rifle.

[GBEAR1]

Thanks Dick. I was confused. The rifle was made in 1899 and it does have the 3 notch 1898 rear sight on it which I now believe is the correct and original sight for it. Thanks again.

[Fred]

Some of the 1898 rifles that were assembled in 1899 were mounted with the 1896 rear sight and hand guard and of course the front sight would've been the shorter 1896 sight as well.

[Dick Hosmer]

If you have the 1898, and it looks like it has always been there, then you have a pretty scarce assembly, and should leave it just as it is.

[Kragrifle]

Very early 1899 rifles could have the small knob style 1896 rifle sight. I have not seen an 1898 cartouched rifle with anything other than an early style 1896 rear sight. I also have never seen an 1899 dated rifle with the early 1896 rear sight. However, the transition was made at some point, unless Springfield immediately decided to switch rear sights with the very first 1899 dated rifle. From there the 1898 rear sight was used until early 1900 production. At this point there was a switch back to the 1896 style rear sight, though the binding knob will be the later, larger style used up until early 1901.

[Kragrifle]

Oops! OK, so you should never speak in absolutes. I just remembered and found one of my latest additions. It is an 1899 dated rifle with the early 1896 sight. Also happens to be an SRS listed rifle with the SN 172811 so is a fairly early 1899 production piece. And now, the rest of the story......

[Fred]

Was that rifle issued in July of 1899 to the 26th US Volunteer Infantry?

[Kragrifle]

Yes. I bought this rifle from Wayne at the Baltimore show a few years ago. I now remember that the main reason I bought it was the 1896 rear sight on an 1899 dated rifle. Nice condition, the letter was lagniappe!

[Fred]

I once owned 172986 and 171117. Both are recorded as having been shipped within the same numbered case from Springfield Armory on I believe it was July 15, 1899 to the unit. Frank Mallory sent me a copy of the units weekly diary or record or report that some Captain had written down over the months that they were in the Philippines fighting Inserecto's. He also sent me photocopies of the original handwritten list of every rifle by serial number and of what case of rifles each was shipped in. I don't believe I remember a single instance of two consecutively numbered rifles in the same case. There were a few rifles within the unit that were consecutive though. Just a very few.
I believe that each of those rifles were originally mounted with 1896 sights.