WTB Lyman 48-C

[clintonhater]

Will pay $200 for a nice one with early-style adjustment knobs, & notch in base for stripper-clip guide; not the variant, in other words, made for the M1922.

[lyman]

I would say call Garry Fellers but I hear he is either retired completely, or passed, not sure which

you could also try Ken Bean, also known as The Sight Man,
he may have one,

google will get you his number

[clintonhater]

I would say call Garry Fellers but I hear he is either retired completely, or passed, not sure which

you could also try Ken Bean, also known as The Sight Man,

I knew them both--Gary (if anybody was "The Sight Man," it was him, not latecomer Bean), but he croaked long ago. Today, neither one of them can compete with ebay. There are two 48 Cs on ebay right now, but neither are "right" for my particular application. Eventually, one will show up on ebay, but I'm tired of waiting.

[springfield3]

Hello
PM sent
Bob

[Mike]

Hi, I have one let me find it and I will get back to you, regards, Mike

[Mike]

Hi, I have the 48 S. So I can't help you I think the 48 S is for the 1922 and the 48 C is for the 1903. Your reference to the 1922 confused me, my standard state of affairs. Good Luck in your search ,regards, Mike

[Tom in N.J.]

The 48S has a short base and the stock need not be cut to mount the base. The 48C requires a notched stock, and comes with or without the clip guide notch (for '03), also used on the M1922 series rifles without the notch. :icon_lol:

[clintonhater]

Hi, I have the 48 S. So I can't help you I think the 48 S is for the 1922 and the 48 C is for the 1903.

No, the 48S was Lyman's "standard" 48 for Spfd. receivers, inc. the 1922, but the "C" variant differed in including an aperture disk, which the "S" did not have as standard eqpt., even though the aperture hood was threaded for one. The disk, if installed, made reading the windage scale difficult, so on the "C" variants, the scale was installed in front of, rather than behind, the aperture. A trivial difference, it seems, but if a disk is installed, you have to remove it before adjusting windage on the "S," which is a nuisance I know all too well! The "S" included Lyman's famous "turn-down" peep (his first patent), which the "C" lacked, presumably because the disk served the same purpose.

Springfield's "issue" 48 for both 1922s & special '03s was the "C" variant, so trivial as the difference between the two sights is, it's immediately obvious if the sight isn't "right," as was the case with my NRA Sporter; when I bought it 40+ yrs ago, I had no idea the "S" sight on it was a replacement, though why someone did this remains a mystery.

If all this isn't complicated enough, Lyman made TWO variants of the 48C!!! One with & one without the grooves in the base to match the '03 clip guides. The ones "without" were intended for the 1922, the ones "with" for '03s, such as NMs & NRA Sporters; far as I know, these two different "Cs" weren't marked differently, but the visual difference is obvious. 48Cs without the clip guides milled in the base, intended for 1922s, are more common than the ones with these grooves.

I found one 48C with clip guides, but also need a "plain" 48C without the guides to install on a 1922, if anyone has one surplus to their needs.

[Herschel]

clintonhater,
If your Springfield .22 is a Model of 1922, the correct Lyman sight for it is the Lyman 48B. According to an old Lyman catalog, the 48C was
designed for the 1922M1. The difference in the two was that the 48B had one minute clicks on the windage and elevation and the 48C had half minute
clicks. The 48B will have 5 index marks per revolution on the elevation knob and the 48C has 10 ondex marks per revolution.
Good luck if you are in need of the 48B as they are scarcer than the 48C.

This might be considered trivia to some but significant to some of us who want our rifle parts correct. I checked on two Models of 1922 that I have
in my collection and both had the 48B sight. I collect the 1903 NRA Sporters and they came with the Lyman 48 with the turn down peep. I believe they
were called the 48S back in the 1920's and 1930's. The shallow based 48S that does not require inletting the stock came into production
in 1947. I will look through my spare sights to see if I have a 48C but believe all my spares have the turn down peep.
Some of 1922M1 rifles have 48C with the clip slot in the base and some do not. I think both are correct. If you a stickler for detail
I will see which serial numbers of the 1922M1 has clip slotted base and which do not.

[clintonhater]

clintonhater,
I collect the 1903 NRA Sporters and they came with the Lyman 48 with the turn down peep. I believe they
were called the 48S back in the 1920's and 1930's. The shallow based 48S that does not require inletting the stock came into production
in 1947.

Herschel, I know you're better informed about both Sporters & 1922s than myself, but check out what Brophy says about the 48S on P. 479, 5th para., which was what I was going by; he specifically says the S was not issue, but Lyman's commercial model for sporterized '03s. I'd like to believe the S on my Sporter could be original, because it's like new, whereas the C I just bought as a replacement is a good deal less nice.

I only WISH I had a 1922, & I'd take it with any sight! What I really meant was 1922M1.

[Herschel]

clintonhater,
From my observation and study I am convinced that the NRA Sporters came with the hinged peep on the front of the aperture hole. My opinion
does not make it true. Brophy contains some errors, as do all gun books, but he is not around to defend himself so I will not
mention that further. The only mention I can find about 48C sights being used on NRA Sporters is a mention in Campbell's The '03 Springfields' Era. On page 80 he mentions that the 29 NRA Sporters built for the Dept. of Justice in 1938 and some Navy trophy rifles "must have used Lyman 48C receiver sights from those in inventory for the Cal.22, M2 rifles then in production." The Lyman 48 with hinged peep on your NRA Sporter is correct. I will do more research tomorrow and cite some references about the issue.

[clintonhater]

The only mention I can find about 48C sights being used on NRA Sporters is a mention in Campbell's The '03 Springfields' Era.

I found it, & am more inclined to believe it than Brophy's assertion, because Campbell's research is later, & also because there's more logic in using a "sporting" sight on a Sporter, rather than a more narrowly intended target sight. (Even though the only difference is the turn-down peep!) So I'll reinstall my original 48S on the Sporter, & use the 48C on the 1922M1! I wasted about 20 rounds re-adjusting the 48C on the Sporter, & will probably waste the same after reinstalling the 48S, because while it was off & took it apart & cleaned it!

[Herschel]

Perhaps I am beating a dead horse but just looked at some SRS listed NRA Sporters in my safe. The are #1344309, 1317767, 1277716 and 12773560.
The Lyman sight on every one of them had the turn down peep. I am self quarantined and this project gave me something to do for a few hours.

[clintonhater]

Perhaps I am beating a dead horse but just looked at some SRS listed NRA Sporters in my safe. The are #1344309, 1317767, 1277716 and 12773560.
The Lyman sight on every one of them had the turn down peep. I am self quarantined and this project gave me something to do for a few hours.

Three for three doesn't sound like a coincidence to me! Glad I didn't sell my "S," which I had been thinking of doing! But I'm still surprised that Brophy expressed himself with such confidence, as if he had absolutely no doubt about the matter. While reading his comments about the Sporter, I found another discrepancy with Campbell--his statement that all Sporters were blued, whereas Campbell wrote that in or after 1926, they were carbonia blacked, which seems to be the finish on my 1927 Sporter.