SMLE Lattey sight

[stencollector]

I got mine for $25 bucks at a Saskatchewan gun show. I guess it was so cheap cause the front lense is missing. No box either. It is broad arrow marked.

[Valleysniper]

Nice set Stencollector

If you can find a willing forum member here who has a complete front set and persuade them to remove lens retaining D shaped ring and take out lens and get it 'read' for its optical properties at an optics shop, it shouldn't cost too much to have a replacement made. You will also need to have a thickish plasticard template made up of the lens shape so that their lens grinding machines can trace shape from glass blank just as if you were having a lens made to fit the frame of a pair of spectacles. I had a spare Gibbs Galilean lens made up (without reticle) and I think it only cost £25 from a friendly local optical shop. Unfortunately I have never found a Lattey sight set for my collection.

[Valleysniper]

And here is the even rarer Gibbs set for C.L.L.E.

Now anyone else got the B.S.A set so we have a full house?

[Peter Laidler]

If you're going to get a set of lenses ground up Taff, make it two sets and I'll machine myself up a set of the mounts. I don't quite understand the optical principle as yet..... without a separate inverter lens, but.......

[Surpmil]

While we're on the subject, does anyone recognize this one?

[Valleysniper]

Hi Rob

I think some enterprising person has taken a spare lens from a Gibbs set or bought one from them at the time (a spare lens from George Gibbs instructions was quoted at 10 s/6d) and cleverly made their own fitting for a particular rifle. What they did about a rearsight who knows?

Another thing I have noted with the GIbbs sets I have owned/seen is that front lens with graticule have been marked 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, presumably the magnification rating and finally a no marking lens. Furthermore, different dioptre rear lens also come with set as well as those listed per instructions . Every set I have had, as well as those lens listed in instructions, they also included a -2.25 lens and other values. Presumably other value rear lens were available to order suite a persons eyesight and achieve focus.

The Galilean lens system is better explained on the page here headed Galileo's telescope:

Refracting telescope - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jona]

Picked this up from a Canadian about 5 years ago.

[breakeyp]

Paul and Warren,

Mine came from Vermont in the early 1990's and it too had one end of the box off, but, at least the torn end was stuffed back inside the box. Perhaps these sets were originally from the same cache and received the same disrespectful handling upon arrival?

Thanks Gents, for providing a couple more pieces of the puzzle.


Regards,

Terry

My box and sight were purchased at the London Arms Fair and the box was torn going through Belgian customs. Grr!

[Surpmil]

Thanks Hugh, looking at the photo earlier in the thread a similar thought crossed my mind! Especially with the same colour ink/paint in the etching. The unit was a perfect fit on a Long Lee barrel and if it was home-made it was someone with some skill as the edge was rolled in to retain the glass and the barrel sleeve/insert was removeable.

[RobD]

Anyone making repro Lattey sights? I for one would love a set.
Come in, Roger Payne: Roger, how difficult / expensive would it be?