Enfield front sights and target rear sights

[yellowhousejake]

Good evening everyone,

My work on my Enfield continues. After much test firing with reloads I have discovered that my eyes are not what they used to be. I cringe at the thought of mounting a scope and my shooting with peep sights is still quite good. So as luck would have it, I won a Lane rear sight on Ebay. I liked the Lane sight better than the PH sights I had been watching.

My question, how do others use the target rear sights without removing the rear battle sight? It seems to me the rear sight leaf would interfere with the sight picture. Is the target sight only used at longer distances or do shooters normally remove the rear battle sight?

After seeing some of the comments I realize I should be clear in that my rifle is a No 1 MK III. So when I add a target sight, I am adding a third sight to the rifle. A No 4 MK I would be a different situation.

Thanks,

DAve

Information

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[RJW NZ]

Good question, I like the sight leaf to be on the rifle so I leave it on and shoot by lining up the front/leaf and rear peep, all three, more must be better, right?. It does seem that most of the time I end up shooting over the top edge of the rear leaf.
I have seen plenty of range pattern rifles in original order with the sight leaf taken off. I'd like to hear from shooters who know how it was done back in the day ...

[Peter Laidler]

If you're not shooting at ranges over 500 yards, then you CAN keep the bog standard Mk1 aperture rear sight by attaching one of those little Parker Hale - I think they're called 53 sights- to it.

If you are REALLY clever, once you've got it fitted, you could recalibrate the leaf to reflect the fact that the ranges will now show higher up the leaf

[tbonesmith]

All rifles fitted with Lanes, centrals or parker hales except the one peter refers to, that I see have the original rear sight removed. One of the advantages of the target sights is that they are adjustable forward and backward to better suit you eye and hold, also you get adjustable peep diameter for light conditions, and windage on the rear sight.
Why compromise all the advantages of the sight, to keep on something redundant, that will without fail get in the way, and is easily and readily replaceable?

[Beerhunter]

If you're not shooting at ranges over 500 yards, then you CAN keep the bog standard Mk1 aperture rear sight by attaching one of those little Parker Hale - I think they're called 53 sights- to it.

A J Parker 8/53 IF you can get mortgage on it. It was really for the No.8 but fits a No.4/5. (Not enough adjustment for the .303s really.)

I had one years ago and lost it. This was made worse when I saw how much they go for these days.

[Alan de Enfield]

PH 8/53

I know the wherabouts of the odd one if you decide thats the way to go.

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

Removing just the rear sight cap and slide should be enough to give a clean sight picture. If it becomes necessary to remove the leaf, the spring may need to go with it as it might stick up too far once it's not compressed. Another possibility is fitting a taller front blade. That would raise your new line of sight but of course the rifle's original zero wouldn't be ...um...zeroed.

[yellowhousejake]

I was actually looking at the possibility of a snap on front sight. But then the issue of cheek weld raises it's ugly head as the front sight gets taller and taller. I am now thinking the best solution is to remove the rear sight leaf and only shoot with the Lane sight installed.

YHJ