Mummified South African Marked Parker-Hale Sight

[1srelluc]

I picked-up this mummified SA marked P-H 5A rear sight today. Even the fixing screws/spring were secured on it with wire and sealed in. From what I can see of it the sight looks new.

I'm sorta hesitant to cut the plastic off till I find out if it was done at the factory, in SA, or some civilian did it.

Has anyone seen such a thing?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

It's factory sealing from SA. If you plan to use it, find the end of the wire and carefully pull while rotating the sight around. The wire will cut through the wax leaving easily removable chunks and exposing a brand new sight underneath.

[1srelluc]

It's factory sealing from SA. If you plan to use it, find the end of the wire and carefully pull while rotating the sight around. The wire will cut through the wax leaving easily removable chunks and exposing a brand new sight underneath.

I've no real plans for it right now, I bought another SA marked P-H 5A (new in box) a couple weeks back that I put on a #2 MK IV.

Perhaps I'll just wait till I find a SA marked #1 MK III and use it on it.

I bought the mummified sight and a SMLE #1 MK III battalion armorer's combo tool for $50.00 so it's not eating much.

The other SA marked P-H 5A on my #2 MK IV, it really helped to shrink group sizes.

[Peter Laidler]

We used to get gauges and tools covered in that 'stuff'. Always wondered what it was. Is it a hot dip that adheres, while the excess runs off and the rest cools and you get what you see? Generally, the item is covered in an oil that forms a barrer between the item and that 'stuff'

[Rumpelhardt]

Looks like the stuff that they use to protect the cutting edges of wood chisels.

[Peter Laidler]

Anyone know what it is?

From the arrow/U SA Military mark, can we assume that these sights were a SA military contract and on that basis, an official fitting. While we used them and the P-H 5's in service shoots and rifles, they were always a unit private purchase from the UPF (the unit private fund in NZ and Oz as I recall) or the PRI (the President of the Regimantal Institute fund) in the UK

[1srelluc]

Anyone know what it is?

From the arrow/U SA Military mark, can we assume that these sights were a SA military contract and on that basis, an official fitting. While we used them and the P-H 5's in service shoots and rifles, they were always a unit private purchase from the UPF (the unit private fund in NZ and Oz as I recall) or the PRI (the President of the Regimantal Institute fund) in the UK

I read somewhere (it may have been on this site) that the South African Military took their target shooting seriously. I wonder in what capacity the sights were issued/used.

I'm sure finding two such sights in one place is a oddity in and of itself but the place I bought them from was once a importer of British weapons so even though the sights are SA ownership marked they may have never left Britian till exported to the USA. My understanding is that his buyer in Britian would just ship cases of mixed sights (old and new) to him and he would sort them out.

I even found a P-H 5D for a #8 .22 trainer yesterday but it did not have the fitting screws with it.

[Simon P]

Didn't South Africa make their own copies of the Parker Hale sights due to trade sanctions from the late 1960s

[Mk VII]

They did make them, apparently well before the embargo, I think P-H licenced production to them.
I got one of these new South African ones some years ago, like this with all the accessories wired on. Sold it to someone.
When I worked for Flight Refuelling Ltd we had a hotpot of this liquid gunk in the shop to dip newly sharpened/repaired cutting tools in. Used to switch it on every morning. Still got some of the drills I sharpened back then protected inside this stuff.

[1srelluc]

They did make them, apparently well before the embargo, I think P-H licenced production to them.
I got one of these new South African ones some years ago, like this with all the accessories wired on. Sold it to someone.
.....

That might explain why the SA ownership markings were electro penciled on the sight I put on the #2 MK IV. The sight was new in the box and the box read Made in England.