Practical improvement or unpardonable faux paux

[mart]

I have a GECO 10.75x57 with a full rib barrel in beautiful condition. I really like the rifle and have been working up loads for it with Hawk 350 grain bullets and am waiting on some Woodleigh 347 grain. It has a two blade sight with a U rather than a V. My question is would it be unconscionable to have it drilled and tapped for a Lyman 48 receiver sight. That sight would be period correct for the rifle though not necessarily genre correct. I've thought about filing the rear sight to a V as I shoot them better but I really shoot receiver sights better. This rifle won't see a lot of hunting but it's not a safe queen either. I know it's my rifle and I am free to do with it as I please but is some future generation going to cast aspersions upon my name and spit on my grave for modifying this rifle in this manner. Thanks for any input.

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[Dan Patch]

I wouldn't modify the rifle by adding a Lyman 48. You could have a peep rear sight made to fit the dovetail in the barrel and would have the improved sight picture of the Lyman at the price of a slight loss of sight radius. It would take some fiddling to get the aperture where you want it, but it would avoid marring the rifle. Dan

[sharps4590]

If that rifle is as good as it looks I wouldn't touch it with a drill bit. If the rear sight U notch is like most of the German rifles I have it is too small for good work. What I have done is simply make the U notch bigger, wider but not much deeper, so as to get enough light around the front bead. By doing so I've been able to shoot some pretty good open sight groups. I suppose in the strictest sense it is altering the rifle but one is staying true to the original. To me it beats drilling holes in it. We all see differently and for me a V notch has never worked very well with a bead unless it is the wide, flat V with the platinum line in the center of British sights....but that could hardly be called a notch and is a completely different concept, at least in my mind.

[mart]

Whether I change it to a V or use the U notch I do need to carefully deepen the rear sight. With the traditional load of a 347-350 grain bullet at 2000-2050 fps it's shooting 5 inches high at 100 yards. I'll have to do some careful filing. I have some nice micro round files if I decide to leave it a U notch. Whether I add a Lyman 48 or not, I will still zero it to the sight blades.

[Axel E]

Instead of filing the original open sights, I would remove them by carefully driving them out of the dovetail notches, label them and store them away for maybe future "restoration". Then I would buy a replacement standing open rear sight that's to my liking, maybe a front sight too, fit them into the existing dovetail notches and file them to my liking. Such parts are availble from Recknagel, Germany, http://www.recknagel.de/Joomla/image..._Korrektur.pdf
Recknagel parts may be ordered in the USA through NECG http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/

[sharps4590]

That's an even better idea.

[Büchsemann]

As a collector, besides being a shooter and avid hunter, I couldn't agree more with Axel's advice.

[mike ford]

Mart,
There are at least two other alternatives that can leave you with aperture rear sight, without drilling your rifle. If you can find a Lyman mod.35 rear sight, it will attach to the bolt stop( or an extra one). These are expensive, but will add rather than detract value to the rifle. The same can be said about an aperture sight dovetailed to the cocking piece(nut)( or an extra one). These have been made by Lyman and Parker Hale. You could even have one fabricated that would attach to an extra bolt shroud. The original parts could then be stored as Axel suggested. With regard to the current rear sight being sighted 5 inches high, it is my unsupported opinion that it is a newer replacement(based on the finish),that was not properly sighted in. BTW, these sights are installed from right to left, so should be removed from left to right (they usually have a very slight taper on the base).
Mike

[Diz]

For my two cents I agree and always try to make a change that can be reversed without showing. I see the Lyman #35 on eBay occasionally and at the larger gun shows. Thanks, Diz

[mart]

Thanks guys for the good advice. I'll keep an eye out for a cocking piece or bolt shroud sight but both are nearly as rare as an honest politician. Oh, who am I kidding? They're nowhere near that rare. Rare yes, but honest politician rare? Nothing comes close to that rare.

Is the Lyman 35 very similar to the 36 but fixed and not pivoting? If so I had one in my hands not too long ago and can get it from the owner. He sent it to me thinking it was a 36 as that's what was marked on the box. I sent it back to him but we work together on the north slope of Alaska. Here's a couple of pictures of the sight.

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[mike ford]

Mart,
The Mod 35 pivots with the bolt stop, but the arm doesn't pivot to allow passage of the bolt handle( like a Mod 36 does to clear a MS bolt handle). If you can get it back for a decent price, do so. I would install it on an extra bolt stop.
Mike

[mart]

He's here with me on the slope right now. I'll twist his arm a little. He'll sell it to me. It will be considerably less than I've seen cocking piece or bolt shroud peeps going for. You recommend getting an extra bolt stop to mount it on, I assume to keep the original unmarked? That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

[mike ford]

He's here with me on the slope right now. I'll twist his arm a little. He'll sell it to me. It will be considerably less than I've seen cocking piece or bolt shroud peeps going for. You recommend getting an extra bolt stop to mount it on, I assume to keep the original unmarked? That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

That's correct. BTY, you might have to buy a new front sight bead as well. The aperture is likely to be higher than the original rear sight( a higher front sight will bring the POI with it down anyway). Axel's source for sight parts is where you should check for this.
Mike

[mart]

Thanks guys for all the input. I'll check on the sights when I get home. I'm on the north slope of Alaska working in a remote oilfield. I get home Wednesday night.

[Nathaniel Myers]

A number of excellent suggestions. There are a plethora of options NOT drilling and tapping the rear bridge. I cannot tell you how many mausers I have TIG welded those two holes up.

Before you call NECG, have a good idea the dimensions of the existing sights. You *may* struggle to find an exact fit, but buy the next size up to be filed down to fit.

I am personally fond of the cocking piece peep sights. (Lyman #1A?) A firing pin and cocking piece are fairly inexpensive and the sight is fairly inexpensive to install. They are RARE, but not as rare as an honest politician. I have two sights in the safe awaiting projects and I have yet to find an honest politician.

edited to add: after looking at the pictures more, I think I agree with Mr. Ford. That rear sight is not original.