Making Up a Useable No.1 MkIII HT Sniper

[newbieDAN]

What the fark? Seriously, who would do such a thing

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Here we go:

EMEI WPN D 114-1 Issue 3, Jan 76.

Yep! That's 1976 Field Workshop instructions for the HT.


It says:

3. Fitting and Adjusting the Telescope.

Fit the telescope to the rifle. With 200 yards elevation set on the drum, the tip of the graticule should be laying on the same point of aim. (The rifle has been previously sighted in and set at 200yds on the iron sights)

If not, adjust as follows:

a. Elevation. Turn the elevating drum until the tip of the vertical graticule is laid on the point of aim.

b. Lateral. Remove the shade form the front of the telescope, slacken the three grub screws securing the deflection window and rotate the window using the special tools supplied with the telescope. (You have those tools, don't you???) Check the position of the vertical graticule after making this adjustment. When lateral adjustments are completed and the deflection window is being secured, the grub screws are to be tightened evenly and without undue tension.

etc., etc.....

4. Accuracy Tests after Fitting and Adjustment of the Telescope. (NOTE: This is ALL done on a 100Ft range)

a. Aiming points for 400 yards and 600 yards are to be inscribed on the target frame 6.22 in. and 9.77 in. below the normal point of aim, so that the MPI will be contained within the black area of the target.

b. Blah, blah etc. firing tests.

1. Sight Setting 200 Yards. Fire a group of five rounds, all of which are to be within a rectangle 1-1/2 inches high by 1 inch wide. The MPI is to be within 0.35 inch up, down, left or right of the point of aim.

3. Sight Setting 600 Yards. A five shot group is to be within a circle 1-1/2 inches high by 1 inch wide. The MPI is to be within 0.35 inch up, down, left or right of the point of aim.

Remember, ALL the groups were fired on a 100Ft range.


Final note (d) The telescope is to be removed and refitted at least once during the series of tests.


I have very fuzzy multi-generation photocopies of small parts of the HT maintenance instruction. Some of it is just plain unreadable, but I will persevere.

If anyone has more good stuff, I can trade Rwandan tech manuals if anyone desperately needs those.

[Peter Laidler]

Rawandan Technical manuals................ I'll swop them for some Afghanistan Army weapon cleaning and oil regime manuals

A couple of years ago, the people running the Mine clearance groups in Rwanda offered us some Long Banch Mk2 Sten guns which we'd have liked. Well, we WOULD have liked until we saw the photos and we politely declined...........

[terryinvictoria]

Newbie Dan, also try to find a Heavy No1 barrel that will make all the difference setup right.

Some years ago I managed to get -----
a) 1- heavy Aussie barrel new in the plastic factory bag
b) 1- factory H lower foreend
c) 1- factory H upper handguards

They are around so keep ypur peepers peeled for these other parts and after you get the rifle shooting you might find these parts and be able to add them on later.
Have a great build
Regards
Terry in Victoria

[RJW NZ]

Someone beat me to the comment... great project.

[newbieDAN]

Terry, thanks for the reply...I already have a fresh H barrel, a factory 'H' mark on the wrist, a proper HT repro cheek piece, and the T of the HT...and as I side note, just returned from a trip to Lithgow Factory

[Bruce_in_Oz]

So, what is the real demand for mountings for No 1 Mk3 HT kits?

You will need a new barrel, mounts and scope, and then there are the bedding mods to the woodwork.

I have copies of partial drawings for "proposed" mounts and bases. I think I know where there is a set of drawings for the "real thing" but "softly, softly" and all that. However, I have NO data on any mods to the receiver that would be done in the collimation process. Nor do I know anyone who has any hard-core information on the subject.

The whole idea was to collimate the optics to the open sights that had previously been zeroed as noted previously. Thus, there had to be some set procedure to adjust the seating surfaces to which the scope bases were attached. Not only that, but the scope had to be collimated to the rings and bases, because the tubes had to be finally assembled AFTER the rings were fitted. Note that, unlike "modern" sight systems, the rings are ONE piece and have ONE locking screw, not a removable half-ring as we see today.

Basically, even if someone were to cough up the cash for a thousand CNC-made base and ring kits, the issues of barrels, optics, woodwork mods etc., etc. and collimation remain.

I recall that there were some chaps bent on reproducing the Patt 18 scope; any further news?

I love an interesting challenge!

[Son]

Bruce, the plan was to do modern manufacturing diagrams of the components so the original scopes could be maintained. Parts could be made if needed to keep them working. It was never the intent to reproduce scopes... we'd end up like the Russian snipers where it seems 10,000,000 of the 200,000 made survived the war

[paulseamus]

And I thought I was just a canny collector to keep finding "original issue" Russian sniping scopes listed on ebay.

Son, you have burst my bubble.

[terryinvictoria]

Funny you mention the russian snipers.

I just bought a all numbers m,atching 91/30 sniper dated 1943.

All the numbers match-----

a) the barrel to receiver number and also are on the butt plate, magazine floorplate and bolt.
b) the 1943 scope stamped serial number ( on the scope) are stamped in the barrel, and are on the mounting plate and bracket.

The optics on the old scope are pretty clear. The wood as we expect is a bit worn.
I was able to compare two others at time of purchase that were not numbers matching.

The ruissian shipping box and paperwork were included --exported as "sporting rifle"
Regards
TerryinVictoria