No32 SCOPE QUESTIONS

[Lee Enfield]

I've yet to see in person a rear sight modification done on a No.4 Mk.I(T) or L42a1 that allows the bolt to be removed whilst the scope is on the rifle. (And have been looking since the little book that has a description of such mod came out last century...) Have thought about doing one myself just for giggles, but hate the thought of cutting up a perfectly good rear sight!

Yeah, I had a good laugh when a (fellow) internet "ExPurT" said that he's "seen many No4T rifles" which have had the rear sight modified for bolt removal.

I asked him to send me or post a picture of one as in looking at well over 100 No4 T rifles in person, and several hundred more in photos, I've never seen a single one which had a (properly) modified rear sight. Strangely not a single picture was forthcoming...

I HAVE in fact seen several which were modified by grinding the rear sight slide...obviously home done....and wrong.

The perfectly good rear sight IS perfectly good for the No4 rifle JM. But will be a perfectly BETTER sight for a No4T and an L42. I bet that you've never seen a No4T ot L42 with a Bren sling as part of the CES either JM. That's because when the rifles are returned to Ordnance they have to go back 'as issued'.

And of course, most of the No4 T rifles I've physically had in my hands were sold out of the British system by the late 1960s, so it's quite possible that none ever received the modification...especially as most have early manufacturer codes (SM41 Singer manufactured ect.) rear sights....arguably likely original to the sniping rifle.