Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing '03 Springfield Sight Base Removal.

A friend has asked if I will help him get his new backup rifle modified a bit more.

This will include removing the rear sight base on this '03 Springfield. It would allow him to lower his existing scope, reduce overall weight, match the inletting on a nice used stock I gave him and allow installation of a conventional open rear sight as a backup.

The rifle has been lightly sporterized and whoever did the work did a good job on the metal work they performed. It is drilled and tapped and has a leupold base and rings.The bolt handle was cut and rewelded and will allow a truly low scope mount.

Unfortunately, the scope is mounted high as the front "hook" on the sight base interferes with the bell.

The sight base has no pin as I was told exists on an 03-A3. I assume it is soldered on like a Mauser.

Have any of you done this task and how is it done? Are there any tricks to it and what is the level of difficulty?

Thanks for the help.

Gary

ttt

Heat the base until the solder starts to flow, then tap the base forward.

Are you sure there's no transverse pin through the bottom of the sleeve? Sometimes hard to see.

I'm pretty sure there's a pin there that fits a groove on the bottom of the barrel. Real hard to see as it's blended in to the sight sleeve.

I don't think the sight base is soldered, it's been quite some time since I removed one but don't think I ever needed heat once the pin was out a few taps usually gets it moving but then you need the front sight off too to allow the sleeve to be removed. The front is also pinned and has a key to align it so if you plan to reuse it save all the parts and remember how it came off. Springfields look good with the original front sight.

You are correct. I forgot, Mausers are soldered, Springfields aren't. From NRA reprint Springfield Rifles, "The fixed base may be removed from the barrel by drifting out the fixed base pin and driving the fixed base forward off of the barrel and fixed base spline."

Thanks for all the help guys.

I had to polish up the sight base to find the pin-it is truly difficult to see.

Hang on to that sight base. Plenty of collectors out there looking for them!