Rear sight slide platinum line?

[Rick the Librarian]

I've seen the platinum line on a number of earlier M1903 rear sights - anyone see this before on the slide? Have a time period? I "borrowed" this from another forum.

29758

[Fred]

.Rick, it looks to me to have been made by somebody with a scratch awl.

[RCS]

Rick, I found one too, on slide, looks like a faint white line after I cleaned the dirt out.29759


Photo is before I cleaned it

[Fred]

See my idea of it all in the 1903 forum on Milsurps Forum

[John Beard]

Rick,

I do not believe the inscribed sight line in your picture is an authorized sight modification. It looks more like something an individual shooter did to enhance his sight picture. I have seen such lines before, but have detected no consistency in appearance.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[Rick the Librarian]

Yes, that seems to be the consensus. I had never seen one before and was curious.

[Fred]

The rifle's owner says that he thinks the line isn't just a scratch because it remains bright as if there is something inlaid in it. Maybe it IS a Platinum line that somebody put on the sight. Interesting...

[Highpower]

The rifle's owner says that he thinks the line isn't just a scratch because it remains bright as if there is something inlaid in it. Maybe it IS a Platinum line that somebody put on the sight. Interesting...

I am the owner of the rifle with the line on the sight. As I mentioned on the other forum, whoever did the work, did a very professional job. It certainly wasn't done on at the kitchen table. Here is a better closeup of it. The material in the line looks to me like it could be platinum as there is no tarnishing at all. Unfortunately I can't get a better closeup as The pic starts to loose resolution.

Interestingly the rifle is a M1903 serial number 1461633 with a 7-34 dated barrel which looks to be original to the rifle. There is a ton of finish wear to the outside, but the bore is in excellent condition with sharp groves and shiny bore. I wonder if it might have been a civilian sales rifle and was used as a target gun.

http://highpower.smugmug.com/Firearms/US-Springfield/1934-Springfield-03/i-PZzGr9H/2/XL/IMG_3671-XL.jpg

[pmclaine]

The second one looks like the notch was also opened up some.

I imagine it made for more user friendly mod for anyone over 30.

[Southron]

Well, it would be a simple thing for a dedicated target shooter to send his rear sight slide to a talented jeweler or engraver to have a platinum line inlaid in the slide. I have known competitive target shooters to do a lot of things to their sights to "improve their sights."

[John Beard]

While evaluating the authenticity of such inscribed white lines, one must ask and answer what purpose the line served. I can find none.

On the other hand, the inscribed white lines on the aperture sight served to guide the shooter's eye to the aperture. In that case, a definite purpose was served.

J.B.

[Southron]

Especially if the shooter participated in "Rapid Fire" Matches that were timed. The white line would help the eye "pick up" the aperture sight much faster.

[Fred]

With the sight leaf in the UP position and with the slide at its Lowest Setting, that particular sight notch would only be good for 1400 yards. Would anyone be shooting in a match at 1400 yards or even More?
I don't think any bright line would be visible in that area while the battle sight was being used (down position) at what...547 feet or something close to that?
Without studying it first hand up close with my own eyes, I have to think that what it still might be, and I say might because in all fairness, I'd want to inspect it myself, is just a fine cut that somebody made to allow them to lay the front sight down a little deeper in that shallow but narrow groove of the battle sight. Maybe what the shooter considered to be an advantage for him.
Maybe the shooter wanted to adjust his battle sight down to an even 500 yards...?

[cnjcomp]

Page 456 Brophy, Springfield 1903 rifles "first type leaf graduated to 2,400 yards has first type drift slide with a vertical platinum line running through the peep-hole". Guess you have a type 1 slide.

[Fred Pillot]

Could it be that the line was to reflect light to "brighten up" the battle V notch in low light conditions?

[Fred]

Page 456 Brophy, Springfield 1903 rifles "first type leaf graduated to 2,400 yards has first type drift slide with a vertical platinum line running through the peep-hole". Guess you have a type 1 slide.
Sorry, that refers to the slide with the peep sight on it, not the battle sight notch. Two different things.

[RCS]

Here are some additional photos of my sight with the white line2986529866

[cervid]

I have one that I found at a gun show in South Dakota.

[cervid]

I should have mentioned that I tried to hunt elk with mine and the white line made it difficult to sight through the peep. I assume that's why they were discontinued.

[kb466]

The second one looks like the notch was also opened up some.

I imagine it made for more user friendly mod for anyone over 30.

I think that the reason this particular sight notch was opened up is that it is the USMC rear sight which would have been "opened up" to accommodate the wider USMC front sight. It is that way on my Marine Corps rifle. Also the area of my widened notch is all filed down to expose a wide "line"-- certainly not platinum. If you want to see pictures of the rear sight on my USMC rifle to see what I'm talking about, search this site with the number 1009445. You will come up wth a thread containing a link to photos of my rifle and its rear sight.
Bill M.
Bill M.