No1 MkIII Target sight installation.

[yellowhousejake]

My Lane sight arrived, a few minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner after soaking in Simple Green and it was clean as a whistle and in excellent shape. I re-oiled, re assembled, and started to fit to my rifle.

I ordered a set of screws for a PH 5a sight from Evans Custom Screws and More, wonderful things they are, well made. They also fit and worked with my Lane sight.

Question, I need to shim the lower screw that goes through the trigger guard to get the proper alignment so my elevation changes do not induce windage.

I would like to mount up the rifle level and square, then install the sight and shim the lower screw so the sight is also level and square. How do I do that? I can't seem to figure out what my reference point on the action would be.

Thanks,

DAve

Information

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[RJW NZ]

Enfields are a tough one to locate a level and square spot to put the ol bubble level onto. I've tried the charger bridge top, it turned out to be square on one rifle and not on others. I've put a level across the top rear portion of the bolt channel, as well as standing on the flat at the bottom of that area, both turned out to be different on different rifles. Ditto with the barrel flat by the knox form.
In the end I used a stiff barrel cleaner rod of 1/4" stainless, slid a clear plastic tube over it in two spots so I could center it in the barrel once on the rifle, (although I imagine rolling even paper tape around the rod or dowel to build it up would be sufficient too) and put the bubble on its protruding ends, that gave me a fore and aft level.
A vertical line has less reference points but end the end the most reliable method I use is a small weight on a cotton thread, set it up dead center at the top of the butt stock so the thread hangs past the butt plate screws. I usually twist the screws first so the slots are vertically in line with a steel rule, and then when the rifle is vertical the thread will hang exactly down the center of both the screw head slots. (potential drawback is obvious but so far this has been reliable)
Good onya for squaring up the sight, this is an oft forgotten part of using an aperture sight.

ps I haven't heard of using simple green for cleaning, do you use that as a degreaser or something else?

[newbieDAN]

I fixed a seized PH5a by using a automatic transmission fluid and acetone mix, soak in a bath. Acetone degreases, and carries the light oil as a penetrator.

I used the charger bridge as a reference, but agree, it's not an easy task. I also clamped the butt stock to the bench, achieved level with a small spirit level on the charger bridge, confirmed on the ramp sight, installed the PH5A sight and replicated the level bubble on the windage arm. Maybe not perfect but pretty close (well as close as I could get it)

[yellowhousejake]

Thank you all. I will check my butt and my charger bridge and see where they lead me.

I used Simple Green as a degreaser on Motorcycle parts and it always worked well, so I tried it on the sight and it worked fine. Once plopped in the ultrasonic cleaner everything broke free. I liked it on MC parts because it does not hurt finishes, paint, or aluminum.

DAve

[Son]

Dave- the mounting plate for the Lane should have a tiny grub screw in it just above the hole for the rear trigger guard screw. This is the adjustment for leveling the windage arm to the action, no shimming. If the tapped hole is there and no grubscrew, I think it would be a standard size, probably a UNC or Whitworth thread form.

As to what to take your level off, all options mentioned above are fine, it's probably a case of whatever is easiest for you. One other to consider is the rear sight block (the pivot hole for the sight leaf?) It should be on the same plain as the front sight

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

Some disassembly required, but what about using a level across the bottom of the magazine well? Seems to me this would eliminate errors caused by a crooked bridge or an imperfectly indexed barrel.

[yellowhousejake]

Dave- the mounting plate for the Lane should have a tiny grub screw in it just above the hole for the rear trigger guard screw. This is the adjustment for leveling the windage arm to the action, no shimming. If the tapped hole is there and no grubscrew, I think it would be a standard size, probably a UNC or Whitworth thread form.

As to what to take your level off, all options mentioned above are fine, it's probably a case of whatever is easiest for you. One other to consider is the rear sight block (the pivot hole for the sight leaf?) It should be on the same plain as the front sight

No grub screw, no threaded hole.

DAve

---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 PM ----------

Some disassembly required, but what about using a level across the bottom of the magazine well? Seems to me this would eliminate errors caused by a crooked bridge or an imperfectly indexed barrel.

My wife, bless her heart, simply looked at the rifle and asked why I didn't just hang it upside down from the bayonet lug and the trigger guard. Use a magnetic level on the windage arm and a plumb bob off the butt plate screws. Hang it up, check it, take it down to adjust, hang it back up to recheck. Simple and easy, sounds like it is worth a try.

Might even be able to use one level on the mag well and one on the windage arm.

DAve

[RJW NZ]

... I can just see Parker Hale doing this for each of their regulated enfield target rifles, lol, the only thing missing is hanging it on the Hills hoist first ...

which is actually a good question ... what did the pros do?

Ta daa, Son has the answer ...

OK, its now 30 minutes later and I've been down in the man cave checking something. This whole business of getting enfields square has been a long time question, and in the absence of original armorers tools and jigs, just what is a home shooter supposed to do? Its bugged me for scope track, scope reticle levels and aperture sights for a long time.

The idea of using the rear sight base as Son suggested led me to ... I have a no1mk3 thats been blessed by their holinesses Fulton and also Parker Hale, it has 'Fultons' on the (stock) barrel flat, and Parker Hale next to it on the knox flat. It was once a tool of the RNZN shooting team, and as a result of its past, and present very very good condition with no buggered or scratched screws ie not often dismantled, I'm assuming the rifle's set up, with PH5a, is pretty darn close to being un messed with.

In a stand and with a bubble level across the horns of the rear sight base, the only other area on the rifle that is also level, is the flat across the top of the PH5a main body, ie the rear sight is level and the aperture sight is level.
The front sight ears, rear sight leaf surface, the rear sight protector, the barrel flat, the knox flat, the top of the charger bridge and the top of the rear bolt channel, none of these are the same as each other or match the level of the rear sight base horns.
But the two crucial parts of the rifle match each other, nice.
(I was currently unable to check the level of the front sight, or that deep slot in the rear of the bolt channel. I'll create some tools and report back.)

What else also does appear to fit the picture is the butt plate screws. When the bubble is level on the rifle, a plumb bob is also vertical in the slots. Nice.

So that sets me up very nicely to get my other rifles sorted ...

We accept these blessings oh gods of Lee and Enfield and shall shoot in thy name every sunday ...