1884 Springfield Trapdoor Front Sights

SgtJethro · Post by **SgtJethro** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 4:39 pm

I have two 1884 Springfield Trapdoor .45-70 rifles that I really love to shoot. Both are accurate for their age, but I am tired of having to aim two feet low to hit near the center of my target at 100 yards. I now have remedied that without irreparably altering my rifles.

http://img4.photobucket.com/albums/0603 ... FSight.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

This is the original front sight on the 1884 Trapdoor. The sight blade is held in place by a small pin.

I replaced the front sight blades on my Trapdoors with a front sight blades for an 1903 or 03A3 Springfield. The pins and the pin holes on them are exactly the same as those on the Trapdoor. I just punched the pin out, replaced the old blade with the new one, and reinserted the pin. Then I took my Dremel with a grindstone attachment and shorted the new blade until it was within fine handfile size for final adjustment at the range. Here is the finished product.

http://img4.photobucket.com/albums/0603 ... FSight.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Now I have these rifles sighted so that a six o'clock hold on a NRA TQ-4 at 100 yards has me right on the 'X'. Now these rifles are really fun to shoot.

The original front sight blades are nearly tucked into a well marked envelop and stored in a safe place. It will take me about 10 minutes each to return these rifles to their original, authentic configuration.

Hey, if I can do this, anyone can. I just wish that the same sort of adjustments were as easy with a lot of my other old milsurps.

Jethro

Sgt, MAH

<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub4.ezboard.com/bmilsurpafterho ... tJethro</A>

http://img4.photobucket.com/albums/0603 ... 101ABN.jpg[/pic] at: 3/27/04 1:46 pm

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