Short treatise on M1 Garand front sights
About six months ago, I ordered a year of vintage NRA American Rifleman magazines off of ebay. The year I ordered was 1960, all twelve issues. I was not born yet when those came out. The reason I ordered those 1960 American Rifleman magazines was, I wanted to read them and get a feel for the gun politics vibes and tones and thoughts of NRA members from that era. And compare it to that of ten years later, around 1968 when the LBJ Gun Control Act was passed. Which is what the NICS background check system is based off of (questions on the NICS are based on the 1968 GCA law). I also wanted to view the ads from way back then.
But when reading those old NRA American Rifleman mags, I came across multiple gems of info that had nothing to do with encroaching gun control. One is a small "Dope Bag" Q & A on "M1 Target Sights" in the May 1960 American Rifleman. It was answered by E.H. Harrison, a tech advisor/writer in the then American Rifleman magazine. I found it interesting since I own an M1 Garand and I thought it might be interesting for some others to read.
"M1 TARGET SIGHTS
A member of our rifle club who attended the 1957 National Matches tells me that some of the M1 rifles used in the matches were equipped with front sights different from standard. I remember that about 30 years ago there was a stir about what was called the Marine Corps front sight for the Springfield rifle. Is this new M1 front sight the same thing? D.N.Y.
Answer: This front sight for the M1 rifle was worked up in a series of tests by the U.S. Army Rifle Team during the summer of 1956. The "Marine Corps" front sight of the 1920's, to which you refer, was materially wider than the standard Springfield sight, being used in widths of .1"or sometimes more. It was considered by its users to afford more uniform sight alignment, especially in elevation. The merits of this wide front sight were strongly praised by some of the leading big bore shooters of the time.
The new target front sight for the M1 rifle is exactly opposite. While the standard sight blade is .084" wide, the special sight of 1957 was made .062". It is considered to have the advantages of covering less of the target, and allowing the shooter to see wider white portions of the target on each side of the blade. This narrow sight or its equivalent was used by Service teams generally during the 1957 National Matches. Also the Ordnance Officer of the National Matches had a supply for attachment to the rifles of other competitors who requested it.
Both Army and Marine Corps have made careful tests of front sight width for target purposes. The Army concluded that, while a width of .060" could often be used to advantage, it was too narrow for best seeing under certain light conditions, and the sight should be manufactured .065". The Marine Corps, testing in a different part of the country, preferred .060". The target sight, therefore, will be manufactured to .062" width to meet all conditions, and it can be slightly narrowed if desired. Regulations now permit the use in competition of M1 front sights between .055" and .084" wide.
The special dimensions of front sights are for target shooting only. There is no change in the Service sights, which are intended for use under all Service conditions.-E.H.H."
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Originally Posted by JGW
