doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Lyman 48 for Mauser

Can someone educate me as to the approximate vintage of this sight?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Lyman-4...=item336c9b762e

Were there Lyman sights available for Mausers in the pre-war period? I don't think I've seen one on a Hoffman or other Mauser action rifle - they usually went with either cocking piece sights or more commonly barrel sights, or am I wrong?

Looks 50s vintage. This particular variation was made from 1947 to 1974.

Ryan, that is a postwar 48 with Target knobs as opposed to Hunter/Stayset knobs.

Please notice the small cutout/scallop running along the inside bottom of the base block; the prewar sights had what's called a 'full block' i.e. no cutout. The prewar full block required that a large unsightly notch be cut into the side of the stock for clearance as well as another further narrower notch cut for the prewar elevaton slide. The postwar elevaton slide didn't require any additional notch, so Lyman initiated the postwar base block with the inside cutout/scallop for stock clearance so that no notch need be cut. Here's a pic of a late prewar full block 48 for a Mauser.

The prewar 48s are more expensive than the postwar ones but believe it or not IMO the postwar ones are far better sights except in looks. They are tighter and are capable of much finer adjustment than the prewar ones but they don't carry the same braggin' rights.
Regards, Joe

Great info for those of us who buy old sights. And then "have" to find an old gun for them.... I purely HATE those stock notches!

Yes, thanks very much. Also, I was suspecting it to be post war because the bid was still under $100. (That's REALLY how you know...)

Just paid $175 to a dealer for a really nice prewar 48C but that was way too high even for a 48C (made for the 1922, identical to the 48S except no stripper clip groove). The last prewar Mauser 48M I had is the one in the pic, I sold it a few mos ago for $125.

The disparity in the above buy-vs-sell prices is pretty much the story of my life....
Regards, Joe

I like to think I buy high, sell low and tell them what's wrong with it??? Or, as my friend Steve Bodio used to say, "I could turn an H&H into a Mossberg in three trades..."

I do have a bunch of NIB Lyman and Marbles sights that I will be offering on Ebay in the winter. Nothing for Mauser or Springfield but one 48WJS M-70. The best part of ebay is the buyer get to set the price.