CENTRAL FRONT sight for SMLE, lots of info on the REAR

But several searches turned up nothing on the front.
I hear there's a globe type front sight designed specifically for the SMLE's existing dovetail. Can anyone share info or a picture of this beast as I seem to be looking for one now.

I have seen a few but not one that was made commercially.

They all appear to be made by gunsmiths who specialised in the target side of the business. The late John Light who was the NRA armourer at Bisley made a few by simply filing a commercial globe (he made these as well) to make it fit into the gap between the foresight ears and bending the ears out to make more room for it to sit comfortably and then brazing it into place.

I have also seen a Canadian made example, (on here I think) but not an Aussie one, which I suspect are down to the regulations of shooting in Australia at the time. Can anybody from down under confirm this?

Thanks, I'm asking about the Central because I heard it existed as a standard, if rare item. That would make sense as the Aussies continued much longer with the SMLE.

I have a Globe base that fits the SMLE. I bought it out of Australia years ago, as I needed the Globe sight to put on my L39. When I get home from work this evening, I'll dig it out of the parts box and post a pic.

Thanks, I really appreciate the effort.

OK, I dug around the parts box, and the cobwebs in my brain cleared out (a little). Here is the base I have, but I do not believe it is what you were looking for. I bought this 5-6 years ago from a gentleman in Australia. He said it came off an SMLE with target sights. I saw he was also selling an Australian rear target sight (I don't remember if it was a Lane or Rawson). I only needed the front because it had a Matchmaker sight, and I needed it for my L39A1. After the Matchmaker went on the L39, this went into the parts box.

My guess is this is a more contemporary fixture, as evidenced by the Allen set screws. Inside diameter measures .605".

Hope this helped.

I think that's for a No4?
The SMLE one would need to have the forend cap removed for that type.
Thanks for trying though.

Not Central, but I found a couple of these John Wilkes sights some time ago. The dovetail is angled correctly for a Lee-Enfield, presumably to fit the Mk.1 type base on a No.4 rifle judging by the solid vs. split dovetail. If the things were modified rather than manufactured this way, someone did an excellent job. I sliced this base with a hacksaw and installed a squeezy screw. It works fine. Where is muffet, our resident sight expert?
Attachment 100465


No matching nose caps were harmed during this operation.

In Australia front sights were to be blades in fullbore shooting till around the late 50's 60's when No4 's came into use and they started using rings on the front sights. I don't think you will find a Central NoIMKII front tunnel/ring.
There were those rare crucifix and tumbler front foresights but I don't know who made them.

Thanks, Steve.