The ones being made now are using the 2nd-gen replica scope - as I posted above - as the first ones were, er, craplapua338 wrote:Before purchasing one of these I suggest you read the following article;
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.tvg/G ... Sniper.pdf
I saw the original rifle before it was rebuilt and it was very poorly finished. The Chinese manufactured scope was equally appalling.
Interesting article, hadn't seen it before, HOWEVER, I guess that the reviewer had also never seen a genuine M1903A4 either - as some of the "faults" he points out are also present on genuine WW2 sniper rifles
Plus, he says the scope is 2.75 & doesn't magnify. The CORRECT magnification is 2.25x - and they bloody dont magnify and ARE junk (by comparison to the other commercial products of the same era)
Back-story on the how the M1903A4 scope model was decided on in WW2.
When the US Army trawled the commercial market in the early 40's looking for a scope for the M1904A4 project, the only one they found in sufficient quantity was the Weaver 330C
NOTE:
My opinion of WHY the 330C was the only one in sufficient quantity = all the better scopes were sitting on Winchester 54's & 70's & in the woods bowling deer over!...in sufficient quantity...
The Lyman Alaskan = a much MUCH better scope: lovely optics, choice of post, dot or cross-hair reticles. WAS later designated as a Limited Standard scope for the M1903A4 and the Garand M1C & M1D (Alaskan scope had a military desigation of M81 or M82 depending on whether it had the crrosshair or post type reticle)
Hey, even Steven Spielberg went with the Lyman Alaskan for Saving Private Ryan as he couldn't find a correct A4 in the UK to use (...if only he'd asked me, I'd have worked out a good daily rate!!
)As for the Gibbs Rifle Co & Val Forgett III - well, they owe me money for 330C scope caps & several promises of payment have resulted in no funds being sent more than a year later....NOT good business ethics for a major international company!!
Advice to anyone after a repro. M1903A4?
Get a good sporterised M1903A3 - convert it back to mil-spec - add Lyman Jr bases - add 7/8" vertical rings - get the same repro 330C scope as Gibbs now use, but buy it from the UK importer (RifleCraft) - have the bolt turned down or use one of the Ma903A4 bolts offered in the US now....
RESULT = a cheaper end result with the satisfaction of doing it yourself. You can also substitute a genuine 1940's Alaskan for the 330C if you want a REAL shooter!!
