Rear peep sight on SC 1903A3

[Gus]

Is there a difference in the heights of the rear peep type sights on the SC 1903A3? Am having difficulty sightin it in. History of rifle was that it was purchased thru NRA in 1947. It looks like new as far as wood and metal. The original rear sight was removed to put a scope on it. I bought a new peep sight and installed it on the dovetail. Cannot even get on paper at 100 yds! Found another new peep but it is not as high as the other. Which one is correct? Any help appreciated.

[1mark]

Check the front sight. Is there a letter on the front sight. Also has the front sight been filed?

[kcw]

Is there a difference in the heights of the rear peep type sights on the SC 1903A3? Am having difficulty sightin it in. History of rifle was that it was purchased thru NRA in 1947. It looks like new as far as wood and metal. The original rear sight was removed to put a scope on it. I bought a new peep sight and installed it on the dovetail. Cannot even get on paper at 100 yds! Found another new peep but it is not as high as the other. Which one is correct? Any help appreciated.

You're referring to the U.S.G.I. rear sight, not some sort of commercial replacement such as that made by Williams? How is it that you can't get on paper? Shoots high with the aperture all the way down, or shoots into the dirt with the ap all the way up? I've never heard of there being more than one GI rear aperture, but there were (are) several different front sight blade heights. Does the rifle have an "SC" marked barrel and a GI front sight assembly?

[Allen Humphrey]

Welcome Gus!

As the others indicated and to the best of my knowledge there is only one size rear app. that travels on a ramp with detents for various elevations. There is a series of front sight blades of different heights that are intended to zero the rifle. You may find the following document helpful.-- Good luck

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3vgQuY3vA0FQlNaaXl1eE51S3M/edit?pli=1

[Southron]

Well, you can always get a large piece of cardboard, place a target on it and shoot to see where your bullet goes. A good place to obtain a large piece of cardboard for FREE is to go to your locally owned, friendly furniture store as large pieces of furniture are often shipped in cardboard boxes.

If you ask politely, they will give you an old box or several of them if you request because they often throw the old boxes away.

Using a Box Cutter knife, you can cut the box into several pieces of usable, flat cardboard, one of which, you can use as your target's backer board.

Say you end up with a 4' x 6' of cardboard, unless your rifle is wildly, wildly inaccurate, you should be able to hit that, even if your Point of Aim and Point Impact are way off.

Here are some other things you also need to check:

1. Are your sights secure to the rifle? A loose rear sight could actually make your Point of Impact change with every shot.

2. Are your screws that hold the action in the stock screwed in snug? Loose screws could account for the rifle shifting its Point of Impact with every shot. You have to be sure that your action is secure in the stock.

3. What shape is the bore of your rifle's barrel in? While I have known pitted barrels to shoot accurately, if your the throat of your barrel is too eroded from firing too many rounds over the years-then it is time to replace it. Armorers in the services had a "Throat Erosion Gauge" where they could quickly check to determine if a barrel was "shot out" and needed to be replaced. A competent gunsmith should have a similar instrument.

Ask a competent gunsmith to check out your barrel's throat erosion, also the muzzle wear on your rifle..

If your barrel is "shot out" then you are in luck because original, World War II surplus 03A3 barrels, still in the factory wrap, are available from either Sarco or Numrich Gun Parts Corporation. Usually they have both two groove and four groove barrels in stock. Also, there are companies that make modern made replacement barrels for your 03A3.

Contrary to what many believe, the two groove barrels shoot just as accurately (if not more so) than the higher priced four groove barrels!

Here are some other questions I have:

When you have been shooting your rifle, have you shot if "Off the Bench" with the forearm resting on a solidly supported sandbag or some other type of solid support?

Are you sure you are not flinching?

About 20 years ago I had a friend with an original Smith Civil War Carbine come by my house, complaining that his carbine could not shoot accurately.

So, we went to the range and I "benched" his Smith. I COULD NOT GET EVEN ONE BULLET TO HIT A 4' x 8' Cardboard Backer Board the target was taped to in the center of the board!!!

After firing three shots, I opened his action and ran several wet patches followed by a couple of dry ones and looked closely at his bore.

I could see only faint traces of rifling in the barrel.

So, then I took a bullet out one of his cartridges and dropped it in the breech, with the muzzle of the rifle pointed towards the ground.

The bullet fell all the way through the barrel, only hitting the sides of the bore a few times!!!

My friend looked at me after I did that test and asked "Have you found the problem?"

My reply was a simply one: "Yep, you definitely need a new barrel!"

This is the most extreme case of a "shot out barrel" I have ever experienced-but consider yourself a detective and it is up to you (with the possible help of your local gunsmit) to solve they mystery of why your 03A3 is shooting so poorly.

GOOD LUCK

[kcw]

Gus, Adding to Southron's suggestions, try to start your initial sight-in MUCH closer than 100yds. 25yds, with the BIG piece of cardboard suggested by Southron, is optimum for starters. That will save ammo, time & most importantly, AGGRAVATION. At 25yds, shooting off a bench at the mid point on the BIG piece of cardboard with any decent commercial ammo you should be able to put five rounds within a 1" group someplace on the cardboard. If your rifle will hold 1" (or so) @ 25yds, and there's no evidence of bullets "key holing", then you can be fairly confident that your barrel is good and the seating between the barreled receiver and stock are at least adequate for starters. If these initial things check out OK then you can progress with some confidence on to matters related to properly fitting sights. You'll want to stay @ 25yds until you figure out how to regulate the sight issue so that you hit near the center of the cardboard @ 25yds, then move out to greater yardages in increments.