Singer Manufacturing Mark I Backsights

[Lance]

Success!

After searching and searching I finally found the last example for the collection.

The Rifle No. 4 Mark I machined backsight was quickly replaced in 1941 by the Mark II, "L" shaped flip sight as the Mark I backsight was extremely labour intensive.

Singer Manufacturing was the only British company manufacturing them during World War II and switched over the Mark II backsight production in 1941 leaving examples already manufactured available for use on "common" Rifles No. 4 Mark I.

The Rifle No. 4 T conversion program at Holland & Holland saw the need for the Mark I backsight resulting in Stevens-Savage examples being liberated from some rifles to be used on British Rifle No. 4 T conversions due to the lack of examples from Singer. Singer appears to have been contracted for a limited manufacturing run of the Mark I backsight in 1942, 1943, and possibly 1944. This results in Singer Manufacturing Mark I backsights to have "SM41", "SM42", "SM43", and "N67" marked leafs.

As all examples from 1942 onward were intended for Rifle No. 4 T use most all are found with the battle aperture removed for telescope clearance. Finding SM42, SM43, and N67 marked backsights with the battle aperture intact is a challenge.

The easiest to find is the SM41 as many were installed in early Rifle No. 4 production. The final "N67" is not easy but can be found leaving SM42 and for me, SM43, being the hardest to find. While showing some pitting it is the first SM43 I have come across with the battle aperture intact.

Note: As Singer Manufacturing only manufactured the Mark I backsight during World War II all of their production has the 0.01-inch battle aperture hole size.