Redsetter wrote Quote:

Redsetter,

Stapled into the middle of my LYMAN SIGHTS Catalog No. 18 is a bluish tinted "CHART OF LYMAN SIGHTS" , that when opened measures about 10" by about 14.5"

On this fold-out chart, under the column for the 103 tang sight and its applications, and in the Marlin section for three Marlin rifles is shown the 103 application code H with an *

At the bottom of the Marlin section is noted:     * No. 103 requires drilling and tapping new mounting screw hole.

Directly below the Marlin section, in the last section the page, are more sight applications that were generally regarded as specials.
The Ballard is listed on the very first line in this section, and the 103 is listed for the Ballard as " Spec. "

The chart as a whole also shows that Lyman continued using the same sight base codes for the 103 as they had previously used with their earlier tang sights.
Lyman did not re-invent the wheel in regards to their sight base code system with the 103.

As to why Lyman decided to use a base with the Stevens screw spacing for Marlin firearms (though it should become fairly obvious by measuring the base of the 103), you will need to track down a former employee who worked at Lyman during the 103 production era to ask them why Lyman chose to do it that way. 
That's part of the fun of solving a mystery!
Enjoy the hunt!
      

LYMAN BASE CODE APPLICATIONS, 1878 - 1955 
**************************************** 
AT - Remington Autoloading Rifles, Models 8 & 81 
B - Marlin Model '92, .32 caliber, Hopkins & Allen, Ballard 
C - Colt, .22 caliber, Remington No. 6 
D - Winchester Model '94, .32/40, .38/55 calibers, Winchester Model '92 
DA - Winchester Model '94, .25/35, .30/30 & .32 Special calibers, Model 53, .25/20 & .32/20 calibers, Model 55, .30/30 caliber, Models 64 & 65 
DE - Standard Repeating Rifle 
E - Marlin Model '89, Marlin Model '94, .25/20, .32/20, .38/40 & .44/40 calibers 
F - Stevens Favorite, No. 418 & No. 418 1/2 
G - Stevens Models 65 & 66 
H - Marlin Model '92, .22 caliber, & Marlin Models '97, 39 & 39A 
HP - Stevens No. 425 
I - Winchester Model '76 
J - Marlin Model '93, .32/40 & .38/55 calibers 
JA - Marlin Model '93, .25/36, .30/30, .32 H.P.S., .32/40 H.P.S. & .38/55 H.P.S. calibers 
JB - Marlin Model 27 
JM - Marlin Model '95 
K - Marlin Models 18 & 25 
KM - Marlin Models 20, 29, 37, 47 
L - Iver Johnson Models X & 2X 
N - Winchester Model '86, all calibers except .33 
NI - Winchester Model '86, .33 caliber 
NP - Stevens New Model Pocket Rifle 
P - Stevens Ideal, Marksman, No. 414, No. 417 & No. 417 1/2 
PC - Stevens Crack Shot 
Q - Quackenbush 
R - Remington No. 3, all calibers except .22 
RA - Remington No. 2, Remington No. 3, .22 caliber & Remington No. 5 
RP - Stevens Reliable Pocket Rifle 
RS - Remington No. 7 
R12 - Remington Repeater, Models 12 & 121 
R14 - Remington Repeater, Models 14 & 141 
R16 - Remington Autoloading Rifle, Model 16, .22 caliber 
R24 - Remington Autoloading Rifle, Models 24 & 241, .22 caliber 
R25 - Remington Repeater, Model 25 
S - Winchester Single Shot (Model 1885), all calibers except .22 and .30/40 
SA - Savage Model '99, .25/35, .30/30, .300, .303, .32/40, .32/40 H.P.S., .22 H.P. & .250/3000 calibers 
SB - Winchester Single Shot (Model 1885), .22 & .30/40 calibers 
SC - Winchester Model 87 Winder Musket 
SE - Savage Model 1905 
SH - Sav

Hope that helps

Kurt,

According to this particular chart, Lyman did not produce a 103 for the Hepburn, or the rolling blocks. 

The computer that my SCSI scanner is tied to is down right now, and needs a new motherboard before I will be able to scan anything. Don't know when I'll be able to get it back up and running.
      

Slumlord44,

Glad the info helped.
Finding the correct elevation assembly for the early 103 will be harder than for the later 103 variation, and Lyman did do some hand-fitting on all their sights.
You'll need to keep your fingers crossed!

BP, the code for the Hepburn (Remington #3) is there - R or RA depending on the caliber.

If anyone finds stems for the 103's PLEASE let me know.
Thanks
A. J. Palik

marlinguy wrote on Mar 29^th, 2014 at 12:04pm:


Neither have I--getting that spacing would require drilling an extra hole.  Very few Marlin or Ballard owners, I'm willing to bet, wanted a 103 badly enough to do that.  Those who just HAD to have a tang sight with windage adjustment could buy a #1 with the special windage stem, making it a #52, or if they already had a #1 or 2, buy that same stem (#47) alone--Lyman aimed to please.  However, damned few elected to do that either, or sights with that windage stem wouldn't be so rare--much rarer than 103s in fact.