PH sight on Longbranch

[Ridolpho]

For fun I set up my No. 4 Mk I* with Parker Hale vernier peep sight and front tunnel. For some strange reason my eyes seem to prefer the Rifle No. 1 blade sight to the Rifle No. 4 peep (even at 300-400m) so I thought I'd see how I like the target sight. Don't have a lot of tunnel inserts yet but with the 6 position peep set at it's largest and a drilled lexan insert up front my second 5 shot group went into a 1.5 x 1.75 inch rectangle (100m). Normally I'm hard pressed to shoot this well with a scope so I think I may be playing with this setup quite a bit. The rifle is a '43 that was, apparently, re-barreled in '58 with one of the 6 groove barrels made on Bren barrel equipment. Looks like it was barely used post refurb as the bore is like a mirror. The wood is unnumbered Longbranch and someone did a marvelous job of setting the rifle up- excellent fit in the draws and very nice up-pressure at the forend tip. Only negative is that it's got the biggest (longest) bolt head I've yet run into and I hope that doesn't mean the action body is shot.

Ridolpho

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

If it's got a No3 bolt head then try a selection of No2's before you dispair. We all know that the bolt head sizes vary. So a No2 bolt head may well come within the CHS, lift and overturn specs. Problem solved....... But a No3 bolthead at a Base workshops is a reject for the chop!

[Ridolpho]

Peter: The headspace is currently fine but the dimensions of this No. 3 head is right at the upper end of the range and finding one longer would be very tough. It appears that the rifle was used very little after installation of the barrel which leaves me wondering why Longbranch would have installed a new barrel on a out of spec, well used body? Is there possibly something out of whack with the 6 groove barrels? I've read a bunch of older posts regarding the "art" of fitting new barrels to old No. 4's but I'm afraid my understanding is limited.

Ridolpho

[Peter Laidler]

What I am suggesting is TRY a load of No2 boltheads. Several of them might might still bring the rifle into CHS spec and you are quids in! We also used to have another saying. NEVER OVER-CHS. If the No4 or L1A1 rifle or Bren or whatever is is within the CHS limit regardless of whether your pal tells you that it could be tighter with a longer locking shoulder or bolt head ignore them and tell them that it's within the spec. I say better to be within spec on a No2 than with a No3. And the EMER agrees with me (or I agree with the EMER!!!!). If it's tight CHS on a 3 and loose CHS on a 2 that's all that counts.

The criteria for CHS is this. If the bolt closes part/most of the way on the NO-GO gauge then squeeze the trigger. If the cocking piece falls into the half cock position when fired, as it MUST when the bolt is not fully closed, that simple test it tells you that a) the mechanical safety is functioning and b) the rifle fails the NO go test.

I know the shooting experts out there will disagree and will faff and fart around getting the tightest CHS they can for reasons best known to themselves but........

At Base workshop the In-inspector would CHS a rifle and if it had a No3 bolt head he would (actually, he wouldn't but would tell the Armourer to......) try a bolt gauge that we've seen on the forum with different bolt heads. If it came into CHS on a 2 or 1 bolt head on the gauge bolt, he'd tell the Armourer to replace the bolt body

It's a bit like the wheel bearings on your MGB. If the workshop manual states that up to 5mm of side float on the rim of your wheel is perfectly acceptable and does not indicate anything untoward or excess wear on the wheel bearings then if yours shows 4mm on the DTI, then leave 'em alone!

Sorry to go off at a tangent...........

[ssj]

I have 2 "range guns", No4 mk2s, one has a Parker hale front tunnel and 3mm dia ring and the other a std (or hand made wide) blade, both use a PH5c. I find I am far more accurate with the tunnel sight. You can get blade inserts if you want to go in the PH front sight but make sure you know what size OD as there are a few different sizes.

[ssj]

BTW (By the way) you can get a modern dipler peep sight that has a PH thread on it (and even an adapter) , way nicer to use and given how much sellers on ebay etc try and ask for the old peep sights not a bad buy.

this is quite interesting on the enfield target sights.

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