Question on Tel Sight 32 production date...

[Darefield]

Looking for some info, i feel free to ask my question here...
About 22 years ago, i bought my first English Fazakerly N°4 Mk I. By the years i upgraded him to a sniper by searching original parts on gun shows, without put fake marks on it. One day at the range, an old shooter told me that i was using a seldom and very early Tel Sight 32 Mk I.
I'm not a Lee Enfield expert, only a funshooter at the range.
By reading the post "1933 Enfield No.4 Mk1(T) Trials Rifle " i learned a lot.
But now i stay with my question, when they began with production of these tel sights, and which manufacturers produced them?
Mine is Mk I dated 1941 without manufacturers mark.
At the forum he's marked Mk I 1943 WW, and another example on By Sword and Musket Tin is marked Mk I 1942 WW.
Hope to read and learn...

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Roger Payne]

Hi Darefield,
Welcome to the forum. The No32 was originally designed for the Bren Light Machine gun, but was never issued with it. Instead it was found to be ideally suited to be mounted onto the No4 rifle. A number of different factories made the No32, although not all factories made all of the different marks. The one shown in your photo's was made by Kodak Ltd., as evidenced by the KL on the tube. Other manufacturers were HBMCo (Houghton Butcher Manufacturing Company), WW (William Watson), REL (Research Enterprises Ltd of Canada), CT&S (Cooke Troughton & Simms), AKL (Alexander Kershaw Ltd), THCo (Taylor Hobson & Company).

There are three main marks of scope (Mk1, Mk2, & Mk3, surprise! surprise!), & two other minor variants known as the Mk1A & the Mk2/1. The Mk1A is a hybrid between the Mk1 & the Mk2 & the Mk2/1 is a hybrid between the Mk2 & the Mk3. The L1A1 scope as used on the L42A1 sniper's rifle is simply a No32 Mk3 scope re-engraved with it's NATO designation & the yards range scale substituted by a metric one graduated in meters.

Now copies of these scopes are also being made in the Far East, & whilst they bear spurious markings they may fool the newcomer.

There's an excellent little book on the No32 scopes & another book that deals with the rifles they were fitted to, written by a fellow forummer. I think they are stocked by Brian Dick in the US. Well worth their cost.

Hope this helps.

ATB

[Darefield]

Thank you very much Roger Payne, for this "to the point" info. This answer saved me reading google results for hours.

[CINDERS]

Brian has the latest No.32 booklet but better grab one now before they go I waited 3 months for mine as he only gets limited numbers printed each time.

[Brian Dick]

If in Europe, you can also source Peter's scope booklet from John and Sue Chapman at DS Solutions in England. They are great folks to deal with.

Brian

[Seaforth72]

Brian just had 100 copies of Laidler's book on the No. 32 scope printed in early 2014. 60 copies went to the UK. I can verify that at least one came to my home address in Canada.

Brian Dick is great to deal with. The book is highly recommended.

Colin

If in Europe, you can also source Peter's scope booklet from John and Sue Chapman at DS Solutions in England. They are great folks to deal with.

Brian