No1 Mk3* HB Rear Sight

[RJW NZ]

That inner band you're talking about I've seen once or twice on sporterized rifles and it was there to hold the for end in place if they don't have a top guard and use the usual outer/mid (your brass one) band around the outside, sportered rifles could almost get away with a floating fore end from the main screw forward except that they often have a sling and that puts a lot of side twisting on it, so the extra support of that band is required.
Otherwise I think I read someplace that they're not required for H barrels, they were a harmonic damping device for the thin whippy flexy stock barrel, ergo, not needed on the non flexy H if for no other reason than the harmonics will be in different places. If you're putting original wood on and can't find a mid band with the larger hole, don't sweat it, leave it off, most target no 1 mk3 H rifles do.

Most aperture sights, mounted properly and square to the bore and gun axis, will fit no1 mk3's without cutting the wood back, so its really possible yours had one that required no new holes like a ph5a and mounted on the safety post and short screw and trigger guard.
Take a look at the trigger guard screw and see if its extra long, the threaded end will hang out in space by like one extra 1/8th, if so there you have your answer, you did have an aperture sight once.
The few rifles I've seen that required wood to be removed either had a PH5a with the steel platform on the back totally ground away, so that the sight now sits lower against the gun, either by installation error or the sight came from another rifle, or, the rifles wood has been more rounded in that area than most other enfield woods and the high spots have to come down a tad. The rifles I've see that do have contact required only a small amount to be removed to gain clearance, and imho I think way too much wood is removed on most enfields that have had this done.,

My suggestion is to avoid aperture sights that require wood off because you can just as easy find them that won't require marring the gun. The one plate that often causes problems is the large square Central one, with gun owners drawing a line around and excavating 1/4 inch deepor more clean off the rifle, awful and unnecessary. Put it back on ebay and if you're determined to use Centrals use the plate that looks like a corner shape, or the one that is rounded to the curve of the wood. If you want to use a PH5a make sure to get one with no steel ground away on the back where the short middle screw comes through, .

good onya for the restoration, well done

[tbonesmith]

I've never seen a centre band an a H barrel SMLE. Very often the hole is plugged from the outside with wood or cork.

[xa-coupe]

It did have a central sight as the screw is quite long. I thought about this after my initial post and went and had a look at the 7.62 no4 and then my no1 and both had a substantial amount of thread hanging out.
The stock I have has the band hole plugged so I am going to take the hint and leave it be. Somehow I am going to get the regular rear sight reamed out to H size installed and lined up and just use that.
I need to sort out some new hardware to finish it off. The wood is all oiled up and ready so I might just borrow the other hardware from the other no1 I have for the moment.. that is once I get the rear sight sorted. I am itching to shoot it now.

[RJW NZ]

... re itching, I know that feeling ... its like being a kid trapped inside on a rainy day ...

If you have a dremel I found it easy enough to ream the stock sight base out to fit, just takes a few wheels, a little time and patience ... or you could go the other route I've seen often enough. The wrap around is simply cut away and the sight base sits on top of th H barrel, held in place with a few short screws, and also, apparently araldite was popular too, cos I keep finding that under the sight base/s well, lol.

[xa-coupe]

I think Peter might get on a plane and come kill me if I resort to doing bubba stuff like gluing it on I will wait and see what turns up in the mail soon and see what I can make from that. There is also another Gun Show here in july ... might look to get some spares from there to help me out.
On the itching subject .. I scratched today .... I took my no4 out for a spin. It kind of shoots like a shotgun ( well, maybe I do ! ), 4 or so inch patterns at 100. Those targets sure look little with iron sights. I found I could shoot better by using my left eye ( I am right handed ) but this presented a problem with my thumb getting hit by the bolt which in turn made my thumb thump into my cheek .... so I decided not to do that. Even with not so happy results, it was a lot of fun.