Re: m1a aperture to file or not to file?
As stated on Fulton's link, the purpose of beveling the bottom end of the rear sight aperture 'gears' is to prevent it from bottoming out on the receiver, not ease of disassembly. Early Springfield M1As, at least, were a little too tall in that area so this was a necessary step in fitting the rear sight. I'm not sure if this was ever corrected or not, but most folks still do the mod as a matter of course.