-.060 Blade, foresight on a Lee Enfield No 4 MK 2 rifle !

[Snowy Owl]

This is my first posting and here is the picture :

Rifle : Lee Enfield No 4 MK 2 (F)
11/53 (PF 309***

Blade, foresight, Mk 1 (solid base), -.060 (yes, -.060).
Block, band foresight (split), marked 1 H on the rear sloping surface (post 1949 - pre 1954).

If I understand well, that block, band foresight is a .490" tall, that is .030" taller than the original Mk 1 block, band foresight, at .460" and the total height of the block and the blade is exactly the same (.490"-.060"=.430") as the height of the original Mk 1 block and a -.030" blade (.460"-.030"=.430"), right ?

And here is the rub : I will try to "regulate" the rifle (174 gr. bullet at 2,400 f/s or thereabouts) and then, I can see three possible scenarios.
1) I decide to get lucky : the sights are dead on. All is well.
2) I'm not so lucky and the rifle shoots high; I can change the blade, foresight although I am not aware that there is a -.045 blade, foresight for the Lee Enfield No 4 rifle. There would be a gap between the -.060 blade and the -.030 blade.
3) I'm really unlucky and the rifle shoots low. Now, dead end. I have to change the block, band foresight and get an original Mk 1 block (.460" tall). So, back to square A, so to speak - and the -.045 blade, foresight is still missing from the equation.

Questions :

1) Am I right ?
2) Is there somebody out there who has seen a -.060 blade, foresight Mk 1 on a Lee Enfield No 4 MK 2 rifle before ?

Voilà !

Opinions and even facts are very much welcome.

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.

[Snowy Owl]

Administrator or moderator,

The way I see it now, I am not sure that I have sent my posting on the right forum.

Please, feel free to move it as you see fit.

Thanks,

Snowy Owl

[Peter Laidler]

Snowy owl, so as to not complicate things, I suggest that you go onto the Lee Enfield Forum and read up an article about foresight blocks and blades. It'll save a whole lot of re-writing..........

I don't know if it's a play on words, but you'd be better off ZEROING your rifle as opposed to regulating it. These foresight blocks and blades were made and designed for UK and Commonwealth spec .303" Mk7 ammunition. Not anything else that purports to be the same

[Snowy Owl]

Dear Mr Laidler,

You are absolutely right : my choice of words was not appropriate. I should have said (written) "zeroing" instead of "regulating". I was not trying to play on words. My mistake.

The fact is that I had already read and reread what I think is the very best article on the subject of foresight blocks and blades, that is your article : "FORESIGHTS and the No 4 rifle" (07-17-2009).
In that article, you mentioned the fact that there are eight sizes of blades, from -.030 to +.075 but still, I have a Lee Enfield No 4 MK 2 rifle with a -.060 blade, foresight, Mk 1. I was just trying to know more about it because I have not found any other article as good as yours.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Best regards,

Snowy Owl

[Peter Laidler]

I got that Snowy but I've had a search through all of the parts lists and EMER's and the LOWEST blade listed, and to my limited knowledge, is -.030". If you have a -.060" it means that there's a -.045" blade out there too!. I think that if you look at the size of your blade through a magnifier, you'll find that it's a .060" and the + looks like a -. Just my hunch............ Not all plus sizes were marked + either.

[Simon P]

I got that Snowy but I've had a search through all of the parts lists and EMER's and the LOWEST blade listed, and to my limited knowledge, is -.030". If you have a -.060" it means that there's a -.045" blade out there too!. I think that if you look at the size of your blade through a magnifier, you'll find that it's a .060" and the + looks like a -. Just my hunch............ Not all plus sizes were marked + either.

I have just checked out in the workshop I have some that are -0.45 & -0.60 they are still in the white and made by parker hale

[Snowy Owl]

I have just checked out in the workshop I have some that are -0.45 & -0.60 they are still in the white and made by parker hale

So, these -0.45" & -0.60" blades have presumably been made in England by Parker Hale. Does that mean that they are Military - or commercial ? Or maybe there is no way to know for sure ?

[RobD]

Snowy, if your rifle shoots low with military ammo, then you need not change your foresight block. You have the option of

1. raising your rear sight a few clicks, and make a note of the adjustment at each distance.
2. File down your sight blade a little more
3. Try other ammo. This can make a big difference to POI.

If it shoots high, get a selection of sight blades from Springfield Sporters and file down to suit.

[Snowy Owl]

RobD,

Now, this is very sensible advice. I must say that I was quite reluctant to file the sight blade because my rifle is - well - nice. Sometimes, I am prone to split hairs.

OTOH, Springfield Sporters does not accept International Orders. I live in Canada but I could get sight blades in Canada or from the U.K.

Many thanks,

Snowy Owl

[Beerhunter]

If it shoots high, get a selection of sight blades from Springfield Sporters and file down to suit.

Forgive me for contradicting but that is really not the way to do it. One should replace the foresight with a lower one, rather than hack away at the blade.

The reason is that the foresight blade height remains the same (0.140") no matter the height of the foresight above the bore line (1 inch with a zero sight.). Changes of height above the bore line is achieved by the foresights having differing bed heights rather than blade heights.

Source: an ex-REME Bloke who hangs around here.

When I return, I'll post the thickness of the beds on a sample of foresights.