Help with scoping a No1 MkIII

[Peter Laidler]

The real answer to this is laid bare by threads 7, 8, 9 and 10. Your mounts ain't going to fit.
My answer in thread 5, paragraph 1 and 2 weren't aimed at you at all but to Max in thread 4. But you can see from this that fitting a telescope to a rifle ain't something that should be undertaken lightly.

I can't suggest a mount because we don't know which rifle you're going to fix it to yet. Apologies if I come across as a bit abrupt but it's the facts in the answer that count

[tsquared82]

Hmm.... ok. I can understand, although I'm still a novice as to the differences between the two receivers. Here are some pictures of two receivers, one of which will be utilized for my build.

Hope this helps shed a little light on the subject. I one is a SHTLE and the other a Lithgow SMLE.

Thanks
Attachment 71177Attachment 71178Attachment 71179

[Peter Laidler]

It's a start. Those bodies belong to a .303" Lee Enfield..., the No1 Mk3. The scope mounts you showed us belong to another type of rifle and they won't fit the body shown above.

[Sentryduty]

I think the confusion is based on the mounts you have purchased are from this rifle, a P14:


And you are trying to place an optic on this rifle, a No.1: (also called a SMLE, No.1 Mark 3 etc.)

[Roger Payne]

I didn't help matters by mis-reading the OP's original question. I did indeed quote the page showing the fitting of the over head P'14 mounts, as the mounts shown by the OP are indeed for the P'14. I am afraid I didn't notice that his question was aimed at fitting claw mounts to the No1 rifle. Of course the P'14 mounts are similar to both those used by Lithgow on the No1 MkIII H T & on the little known SMLE snipers produced by Periscopic Prism Company in 1918/19, but they are not the same. Another brain fXXt on my part! I need another holiday.....

[tsquared82]

Ahh... Now I'm picking up what you're putting down. The image below is what has been throwing me off and was assuming that I could find a way to machine my receiver to accept those claw mounts. These mounts look very much similar to me. SO, the ones that I had originally displayed are designated for the older rifle, not the MkIII, and instead of buying those aftermarket mounts... I would somehow need to get my mits on some "HT" claw mounts? Just trying to get a halfway period looking rifle out of this whole deal.

I have stumbled across a similar thread just now and it seams that to try to achieve this goal is somewhat of a pipe dream without the factory jigs and know-how. Looks like I might have to square with a screw and clamp type scope mount if i'm really bent on it. That's a bugger. Just hate the idea of drilling and tapping a permanent scope base on the top of the receiver is all... that was the appeal to me with the claw mount setup.

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=17543

Attachment 71180

[Aragorn243]

If you just want to mount a scope on it without drilling and tapping, B-square used to make a mount that fit very nicely over the rear bridge. Very simple to install and only required a screwdriver and an allen wrench. Take out the ejector screw, fit the mount over the bridge, install the new mount screw in the hole where the ejector screw was and tighten three set screws onto the bridge. I had one on my SMLE for years until I took it off to be "correct" Killed two deer with it. I still have it in case I ever want to go hunting with it again.

[Peter Laidler]

Before you set about drilling and tapping and machining your No1 rifle body, have a quick read regarding the actual clamping of a No1 rifle body by TBone. Mechanically speaking, drilling the breeching up ring to mount a scope is a poor idea. There is insufficient thread to sustain a reliable hold. I know the experts will disagree but they need to read up the maths and physics of it.

[harry mac]

Am I the only one who's noticed that the action body he has in mind Bubba-ing is an LSA?
I'm sure that this puts a premium on the value of it, no?

[bigduke6]

Am I the only one who's noticed that the action body he has in mind Bubba-ing is an LSA?
I'm sure that this puts a premium on the value of it, no?

Not sure on the value of just the body Harry, at least its not a full rifle, think the main problem to start with is the misleading description of the mounts that are sold on ebay,

It states "British Lee Enfield SMLE 303 P14 Pattern 1914 1918 P '14 sniper scope mount"

The OP did state he was a novice too...... so can understand the confusion, (Just wish folk would stop calling a P14 an Enfield) One thing he never stated was what he intended to do, was it to build up a replica Sniper or just add a scope to a SMLE.....

I,ve been looking for the Parker Hale mount for a long time myself to back engineer etc, would be a good seller........