S&K 1370 scope mount on #1 Mk.III

[Surpmil]

This prompted me to fit one of the NOS S&Ks I have here.

Well, it's reasonably solid, but fortunately no metal needed to be removed from the "recoil lug" on the mount. The machined steel ring that goes around the receiver ring just ahead of the front guard screw hole does not fit closely over the ring, so it relies on the tightness of the rather small front screw to pull it up tight against the bottom of the barrel ring and simultaneously pull the concave front foot of the mount down against the top of the receiver ring. Only the tension of that one screw of about 5/32" (IIRC) keeps the mount stable and aligneda at the front.

A flexible spring steel loop would be better and would require less or no modification to the wood. As it happened I just wanted to assess the accuracy of the rifle with a scope rather than using iron sights, and the forend is a roughly sporterized piece of post-war beech anyway so a little further gouging out didn't matter.

We'll see if it stays put when pin meets primer.

[xlman]

Surpmil, let me know when you fire it. Also could you post a pic of it mounted? Thanks for your participation in helping me out!

[Peter Laidler]

This discussion reminds me of several years ago when the Army were in the process of formulating a plan to convert old No1 Mk3 rifles from serviceable to DP L60A1 spec (they eventually settled on L59A2 by default.....). The problems that they had, even with the 6 rifles that they'd got in to standardise the 'plan'. There were so many small variables/variations among the bodies and manufacturers that just making up jigs so that every rifle was machined to exactly the same form became a nightmare.

And that was using just 6x body/barrel/bolts! Eventually the Officer running the project pulled the plug and said enough was enough!

You can imaging the never ending nightmares trying to formulate a 'standard' for a No1 Mk3 optical sight rail

[Surpmil]

Parker Hale came up with the best idea for scoping a SMLE in WWI:Attachment 29242

If they'd made up a ring of some kind to clamp onto the barrel where the backsight protector normally goes, or a spring steel clamp around the Nock's Form, they really would have had something. And a windage screw somewhere would have put them decades ahead.

[Peter Laidler]

Rob, just the accumulative error from the axis pin along the optical axis of the telescope to the ocular lens would make any form of 'accuracy' impossible once that barrel whipped. Any other variables would compound the problem in my opinion. A mediocre idea from PH.......... It's one of those ideas that takes ones breath away - for all the wrong reasons. Has anyone actually got one of these mounts incidentally?

[Surpmil]

Peter, never seen one and they must be rare as there can't have been mcuh demand for such a setup after WWI. It would be interesting to try one out though. I assume PH did at the time.

[gsimmons]

I saw a one off repro. on eBay earlier this year. It went for good money as well.

[Peter Laidler]

As a bit of an aside, I think it would make an absolutely superb student project as it'd incorporate a load of different thoughts, ideas and problems into any project. Just the harmonics of the barrel and the effect of.............. It's a shame that they don't do much of this now. Having laughed off the original idea I be that there'd be some interesting feedback from the end of course notes