ERSATZ surprise.

:clap: Just received a couple of bits from Sarco. A clarke Central clone and an Emergency sight for a Lee Enfield.
I was surprised to see the Central stamp on this ersatz sight, when I ordered these bits I was thinking maybe some British or Canuk design.
Thats very pleasing, certainly fills a hole in my collection that I had'nt expected to fill so easily, Murphy must have had a day off when this order went in. Although a base for the Humphreys sight seemed to have suddenly disappeared, pity about that. If anyone out there has one I am willing to pay a good price for it.
So with the addition of the Clarke, my Central Drawer is fleshed out with Five different models of Central, plus an early clone, Clarke, TMac, Rawson and Ace, these all attach with the seperate sideplate.
I am still missing the Austral and Don, as fixed arm sights, and my Mues drawer is missing the Climax and Premier, so if you have these spare, guess who is very interested.
I have long since run out of room in my Parker and BSA storage, a new drawer chest is on it's way. Marvelous how a sideline suddenly blooms into a major show.
I am still seeking information on various sights, so the info tabs and timelines are correct. The Argyle, How many types made, Mues, same same. up to seven and still counting, Mottey-only two? The Regent, big question mark. and this is just a start.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wot! No Lane?

I'd consider the Lane superior to the Central in that the whole sight moves up and down so it isn't always sticking out like a sore thumb!

Yep, there is a Lane in my lot, along with a lot of other outlandish concepts, I've noticed your likeing for this particular sight in other posts.
Being a target rifle man I can honestly say that by todays standards the Lane is back in the '49s when it was patented.
If you ever get the chance, check out the new Canty sight, recently being trialed at the North Queensland Queens, I will try to pick one up to add to my modern TR drawer.

Not sure just what you are looking for, friend, but I have run into the occasional SMLE sight by Alex Martin of Glasgow. They made the Martin Ribless shotgun, they were agents for the Ross Rifle, they did sniper conversions during the Great War and they made very fine rifle-sights for many years.

.

... and just when I thought I'd got a decent line up of aperture sights now you've come along and added about 5 I've never even heard of, lol, here's my pic line up Aperture Sights | Lee Enfield Rifles Resource ...btw what does a Central No1 look like?

btw, I'm at Sarco often enough but I've never seen any aperture sights for sale, is there some place they hide them on a special page?

:wave:RJW NZ, just did a quick check of your site. I requested confirmation and information on Centrals when I first joined this forum and was told to look at previous posts, as this information had been released to the forum over the years. Did that, found a bit, but not what I was really chasing, so if you can add more light then good.
What you have listed as Central No. 2, I consider to be No. 1,Enfield vertical mount, windage scale on rear face, pat. applied for, shorter vertical stem than next two sights, No.2 has vertical mount, windage scale on top front, longer vertical stem, pat. 31.5.34/12.11.35.
No.3 Bisley model, vertical mount, same length as 2, central style ribbing for mounting.
No.4, Marked as such, horizontal mount, shorter vertical arm, several variants.
Please correct me if I have this all A-up.
Now for the good stuff, I'll trade my bad back for that Austral, Your Lyman is model 66a on Enfield plate, circa 1955, Your PREMIER, will give my lifes blood for that, Westley Richards, I certainly would like, I have the LSA type hockey stick, your Mues-unknown version, I will check my Photo library, it is a fixed arm version so should be KINGS or Climax, unless there are eight versions of Mues.(WOULD LIKE INFO ON THEM TO.)
As for Sarco, just pump in sights and scroll.

I've got a sight "The Regent" and havn't been able to fine out ANYTHING about it, not even what it fits! Looked like it'd go on a No4 when I bought it, but no dice. Can you tell me anything about it?

TBONE, has your regent got the sight base with it or just the bare sight?

Just checked, it's got the base, pictures to follow shortly.

Hi Muffet, re Central, I suspect you're right about those numbers, I was working backwards from the No4 models, the ones with the slot for the 4 hole plate and ball/spring detent, that would make a no3 a similar sight but with out the slot or detent, the no2 becomes the vertical mount with rear facing scale. All this was purely conjecture on my part, as I tried to create a sensible stream that worked backwards from that no4 with the slot. Its a shame that rear facing scales are such a pain to shoot with because the Central vertical, on the bowed mounting plate with the dumbell spring that moved along the holes was a great looking sight, but not easy to work with, too bad.
I also hadn't realized how many Central there were, but you're right, I have heard rumors about 1/4 MOA and 1/3 MOA yaw adjust, but I never saw a sight so stamped. My knowledge is very much just as an enthusiastic amateur, and the best I've been able to do is buy these sights on the cheap, restore them, get a good picture profile and then sell them on to new owners, and then look for another model. I wish I had the dosh to own a collection of these sights, its a great branch to focus on, and one sure to be increasingly valuable as time goes by.
If you ever feel like contributing some pic profiles ... lol, that'd be awesome.

What I would love to do if you can help is get dates for when they first appeared, or duration of sale, ie 1922-1945 etc, attached to the sights, I know one or two but thats all, 1922 for the 5a, 1944? for the Premier.

Have a picture in front of me as I type, it's one on my photo collection, as my sight is missing the base.
The windage adjuster goes through a solid base plate that looks like it might mount to one of the smallbore rifles, there appears to be two vertical screws a the rear of this mount either side of a central hole, the main sight body can be folded back on this mount, just tried flicking back thru a few early books to see if I could spot it, but I'm juggling far to much at the moment, will look later, still have'nt found that original article.

It's a bit of an odd one. Must go on something with a flat top receiver, as the bottom of the base is flat, with holes for metal threads. Looks like far too much adjustment in windage smallbore rifle, mind you the range scale is 0-60 so it could be yards...

RJW NZ, They tell me swede is the man for this, he has written a book on these sights, but he has not responded to my request to buy a copy.
In reference to the No.5a, all my Parker books tell me that it came out in 1925, the No. 5 in 1924. A follow up on the Mues, I a look back through my photo file and counted 10 different sights, your folder is similar to the fourth example as I list them, not having definate time lines to go on, I noticed that the very early models were the only ones with patent numbers circa 1910, your fixed arm model is one that I have not got on my list, but looks like it may be before the Climax, as similar in appearance.
Regarding Centrals, THE CAME OUT IN 1/2, 1/3 AND 1/4. I have these, also left hand as I used to shoot that way until I damaged an eye, so made the change, before I changed my sights to TMAC, I was using 1/4 sights, on the new value targets anything else is a wasted space.

TBONE, you sparked my interest enough to go and look at mine, 1/4 minute sight, 70 points elevation scale, 100yd scale, definately smallbore.
Just spotted your pictures, it is a later model than mine, the plot thickens, but definately smallbore, maybe 50's-60's I will look there first.

Humpheries was Canadian, and I have a few of his hand made prototypes. Drop me an email and I can pop you some pictures...when I find them
Cheers

Thanks WHEATY, mine is a handmade one, very nice, I managed to pick it up cheap because the seller had no idea as to it's collectability, the mount plate to suit the p14 was on sarco but got lost when I ordered it.

It's really amazing to consider what sport Enfield shooting must have been, to have spawned such a rich field of designs. I can't help feeling that there is the makings of a Skennerton quality book here, about the sights, the contests, the international component etc. its not for me, too much knowledge to be dug up, but it would be a shame to lose the knowledge some of our older shooters have, it should be put down. Imagine having a retrospective by James Sweet for instance.

Here's a recent discovery, they're a huge and very interesting business, want to buy a tank?, and they have a page of aperture sights too,
Helson Gun Smiths

Any idea why the name Yateley is attached to the Clarke/Central sight they have posted?

RJW NZ "Yaterley" is a town name, like A.J. PARKER, BIRMINGHAM, it simply distinguishes A.E. Clarke (the business/individual) from all the countless other A.E. Clarkes in G.Britain. Will flick on to your site and have a look.