Question concerning PH5A

[Wiley99]

I recently acquired a 1916 Enfield SMLE. It does not have the asterisk following the Mark III designation. It is a parts gun. The bolt does not match, the butt plate is steel with a brass door, the matching nos are on the receiver, barrel, rear sight and nose cap. The butt is walnut the fore end is walnut that has been scrubbed and the hand guards don't match and have no legs. The barrel is very good and marked on the knox form with a circular stamping that reflects its use by the Austrian police. I acquired a PH5A sight for it that has the eye piece under the windage arm. I can zero it at 200 yards ok but don't have much elevation left. Is it possible to reverse the eye piece to put it on top of the arm? I don't think so but have to ask. The chance of getting an eye piece that will fit on top seems slight, since parts for these sights don't seem to be available except when one can find a damaged one and cannibalize it. I can't find much in reference material on disassembly of these sight except for one post on here. Any help available?

Information

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[Alan de Enfield]

I think you may have a mismatched (bodged) PH5A.

I have not seen 'hundreds' but all the ones I have seen have the eye-piece above the windage arm.

Here is the one I currently have an a No1 Mk3*

[Gnr527]

Wiley99

See the following:-
Aperture sights

Parker hale - 'PH5a',1925, for No1 Mk3. Good reliable sight with several variations such as large body and small body. Status; Usually available, some body sizes are less common. Be careful not to buy a used one with the eyepiece mount below the cross arm, these are for the P14 enfield 303 and will not adjust under 400 meters on a No1 Mk3 SMLE .

Sights/Bits do come up on e-bay and there is a Bisley fair coming up - someone might be able to help you there - Fultons?

John

[Wiley99]

Thanks for the reply. I have noted all that I find in references to have the eye piece located above the arm. Mine is marked PH5A and has matching assembly numbers.

---------- Post added at 07:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 PM ----------

I had read the warning and forgot it in the excitement of finding one in such good condition for a reasonable price. Now I know why it got no more bidders.

[Kiwi]

Mine is marked PH5A and has matching assembly numbers.

Any chance of a few pictures of the offending windage arm? Sounds like a PH5B elevation/windage arm has been installed instead of the proper PH5A part - although you state that the parts have matching numbers so that's a bit odd.

[ssj]

P14s are good guns...what parts go for depends on the day and who else is interested....most ppl I think shy away from a PH if its 1/2moa clicks and fight over 1/4moa click sights. I have seen brand new un-used ph5a's on ebay so keep looking!

[muffett.2008]

I have both types, the arms are a different length to the other sights and are matched, so getting an arm into them from another sight would be pure luck.
I even checked a 6A, but it's arm is longer again.
Attachment 51710

[Peter Laidler]

Just looking at the problem via muffers photos but if you needed the threaded hole BELOW the arm (or vice verca it for that matter.....) couldn't you just rotate it radially through 180 degrees and reassemble?

[Robert303]

Peter that's what I thought but I can see no way of getting the scale to be the right way up. I have found to my cost that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing esp when buying Parker Hale Sights on ebay. I now have quite a collection of 5Cs which are not too bad. I sold my last decent all matching PH5A and am left with a PH5 and a PH5A base with P14 windage arm plus a couple of PH5B bases.I also have a load of unidentified bits. I will try to add pictures in case they are of any help to people.
Attachment 51728Attachment 51729Attachment 51730Attachment 51731Attachment 51732Attachment 51733Attachment 51734Attachment 51735Attachment 51736Attachment 51737Attachment 51738Attachment 51739Attachment 51740

From the Left: Parker Hale 5A: Parker Hale 5 3 pics from 2nd to 4th from left:
5th, 6th and 7th from the left marked Parker Hale 5A BUT the windage arm has the eyepiece below the arm. Does anyone know if they were made in 2 parts and joined or machined in one part?
8th, 9th and 10th from left are of a Parker Hale 5A with a P14 windage arm
The last 3 are two different PH 5B bases one with an incorrect SMLE marked vernier scale. Neither will accept the PH5B arm that I have!

[Robert303]

These I acquired and have no idea what they are, can anyone help?Attachment 51741Attachment 51742Attachment 51743Attachment 51744

The first 2 I think might be off a .22 Vickers target rifle. The last two have what I belive to be South African marks.