Wartime no4 sights

[aussiedave]

When the MkI sight became a production bottleneck and the MkII sight was introduced to speed up production . Did production of the MkI sight stop or did production continue and if a MkI sight was the next one in the parts bin that's what the rifle got.The MkII sight must have be introduced into production fairly early.
I have a 1941 Maltby with a SM41 MkII sight fitted that I am fairly certain is original as I have tried to fit a MkI sight and the sight won't fold down. The elevation wheel won't fit in the recess in the charger bridge , I have tried several sights. Has anyone else had a rifle that that will not take a MkI sight.

I am just doing a bit of thinking out loud so any help wil be greatly appreciated.

Dave

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

When the Mk1 sight won't fold down it's usually the bridge part of the charger guide (the BRIDGE, charger guide) that is faulty. Again, usually this is not because of a defect in the manufacturing but because the bridge part has had a bit of a battering, again, usually by being bounced upo and down on the floor in the back of a Bedford. The long steel anti-slip ribs running the length of the back decking were specifically designed and made to damage weapons.

We could get replacement charger guide bridges at Base workshops. We'd knock the old ones out from underneath. Then file a vee between the body and the bridge and weld.

There was an important modification to the original charger guide bridges fitted to Mk1* rifles if anyone is interested

Mk1 sights continued in production because the No4T had them fitted for the whole of production.

[Thunderbox]

Some charger bridges do appear to have a blob of weld that obstructs the adjustment wheel of a Mk1 sight. Other charger bridges - mostly on Savages for some reason - lack the two little metal ledges that support the adjusting wheel, so the folded Mk1 sight is just held horizontal by the plunger alone.

[Surpmil]

Some charger bridges do appear to have a blob of weld that obstructs the adjustment wheel of a Mk1 sight. Other charger bridges - mostly on Savages for some reason - lack the two little metal ledges that support the adjusting wheel, so the folded Mk1 sight is just held horizontal by the plunger alone.

Surely the sight is supposed to rest on the top left corner of the sight frame and the small recessed flat on the rear side of the charger bridge. Were the wheel to rest on those little projections it would damage the knurling over time.

Of course some of the wartime rifles may have done that.

What was the little modification Peter? I remember you mentioning many moons ago the removal of a small projecting "wedge" of metal under some bridges that was inclined to strip out the extractor springs under certain circumstances.