Aperture sights and lenses

[RJW NZ]

I'm getting more and more informed about aperture sights, I have a couple of rifles that own them, and I've recently heard about lenses that attached to the eyepiece, presumably to increase the size of the viewed aperture hole. Has anyone here used lenses, have bits for sale, any valuable advice? I've heard that a glass lens will break under 303 recoil eg. thanks Rog

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[Mk VII]

You can get lenses that go inside the eyepiece, to correct defective vision. If you have astigmatism, as most people in that situation do, then it will require something to stop the lens rotating. In spectacles this is, of course, controlled by the lens frames. Lenses which magnify the field of view are a different thing, and require another (inverting) lens at the front end of the rifle. This forms a Galilean telescope - probably better than nothing but very fragile and much inferior to proper modern telescopes.

[Peter Laidler]

Can anyone out there identify a commercial BSA aperture sight for the SMLE. Fits under the locking bolt/safety catch spring.
Is marked with the following patents
26943/07
29844/10
30337/10 followed by the registered design number 575536

The range scale is read from the side and the sight rolls forward and an aperture arm is permitted to fold out when the......., phew, what a complicated set-up! The range and deflectionadjustments are graduated to 10 clicks per revolution. Beautifully made but might be described as '.... not exactly squaddy proof' or in Australia, we'd say '....not something for a Nasho (As we called the National Servicemen....with apologies to them!)

Any ideas chaps? Value? Rarity? Identifying type?

[Alan de Enfield]

Can anyone out there identify a commercial BSA aperture sight for the SMLE. Fits under the locking bolt/safety catch spring.
Is marked with the following patents
26943/07
29844/10
30337/10 followed by the registered design number 575536

The range scale is read from the side and the sight rolls forward and an aperture arm is permitted to fold out when the......., phew, what a complicated set-up! The range and deflectionadjustments are graduated to 10 clicks per revolution. Beautifully made but might be described as '.... not exactly squaddy proof' or in Australia, we'd say '....not something for a Nasho (As we called the National Servicemen....with apologies to them!)

Any ideas chaps? Value? Rarity? Identifying type?

Is it anything like this shown on the link :

http://www.rifleman.org.uk/BSA_sight...sories.htm#No9

If its this one they fetch £100-£150 on ebay (with the mounting bracket)

[Mk VII]

I've got one of those here - think it's a BSA9G, though there are some confusing variations out there. Somebody has removed/lost the little ball bearing in the elevating screw and I'm not looking forward to driving out the taper pin that holds the milled head on.
One needs the appropriate bracket to fit it to whichever rifle one is using.

[Peter Laidler]

You're dead right! It's the BSA No9 (1912 pattern) sight. I must be a wally, I gave my friend £3 for this and they're only 18s 6d in the catalogue!

But the good news Mk7 is that the milled range head clicker is a knibbed spring and not a ball/plunger and coil spring.

No adaptor plate with mine as it'd been fitted to something else, but the sheer quality......................

Thanks all

[KimW]

Yes, I have 2 of these and 3 different bases for them. As for lenses, no problems - they certainly can handle .303 recoil - virtually every optician in the known universe made the lenses and holders - OK, a little bit exaggerated but all the sight makers made lens holders for the sights. You do have to have little fibre rings to give a little cushion to stop glass/metal contact - I cut mine out of thin cardboard with Laboratary cork cutters. The lenses are for correction of eye defects - just try shooting in the rain with glasses on - shooters don't just wear hats for keeping the sights shaded - and for insertion of coloured filters to aid in seeing the bull in bright sunlight and haze. The classic ParkerHale 6 hole peeps allow selection of rear aperature size according to light conditions - most just left it on one size.

[Peter Laidler]

Morning Kim, from the B.EME passing through, the EME, ASM and all down to the newest under pressure Craftsman here at the LAD REME workshops

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Then there are the different colour lenses for different lighting conditions.
Have smoke, blue, green, and yellow ones

[KimW]

Modern shooters still use the filters though there are many more colours and much more expensive. Older types, well, I have a PH iris adjustable peep, with 4 different filter colours and the ability to put on a prescription lens - lots of fiddly bits.

Peter, glad to hear from you and the rest of St Eligius's empire. I am doing well and in remission at the moment so I have much to do with my LE's.