It looks to be very similar to a system used with Aldis scopes fitted to sporterised P'14's. Never seen such a mount on the Model 1918, but I've seen several Aldis scopes with what looked to be the equivalent mount system in 1" scope diameter. Never seen any formal reference to it, & it could be a rare previously unknown sniping mount, but I think the former explanation is more likely. Thank you for showing it to me last Sunday. It is certainly unusual. I presume it rotated as it was fitted & then locked into place on the rear mount........same general principle as the turret mount on the Kar98k.
A bolt with no knob; that's a first! And the sling loop on the guard as well.
The mounts are certainly an advance on what was the current at the time, but the funny thing is there is no way of taking up any slop. The Goerz "semi-turret" design which seems to have inspired the front mount, was spring loaded and pivoted up and down. Here, if the user was not careful to keep things aligned when pivoting the scope tube to the right it would not be hard to strain the front mount. The rear dovetail is certainly strong enough to absorb recoil forces and demonstrates a knowledge that they operate in both directions, but there is no means of adjustment for wear.
The folding peep sights are clever; inspired by the Porter on the Ross M10?
So these were presumably the inspiration for the Remington Model 30 that appeared about 1926?
Skiprat, your scope's rear mount has apparently been designed to sit the scope farther forward than the example in Nigel's photos or is that just the length difference between the No.4 Aldis and Patt.18; I forget!?
Last edited by Surpmil; 02-07-2025 at 11:58 AM.
Reason: Typos
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
this scope has BSA provenance,
I wonder if BSA "tried it out " so they could use the pattern 1918 as well as the Aldis, but due to the low numbers of rifles produced it came to naught , the mount is a lot of machining to fit to the eye piece belling out, a lot more when compared with the Aldis mount
I have a BSA Mk111 rifle with an Aldis 4 scope and the same mount system.
I got it at the Bisley arms fair about 12 years ago.
I have often wondered about its history.
Is it a genuine BSA made rifle/scope system?
Or a later put together from parts?
Availability may also have been a factor here in the decision between fitting an Aldis or a Model 1918. The latter was still current military issue at the time, whereas most of the Aldis scopes would have been recently (then) stripped from SMLE's when they were returned to Weedon circa 1921. They were one of the better British scopes of the era & they would also have been up for grabs on the surplus market. Aldis also continued production of the 4th pattern military type scope for the civilian market for a while after WW1, though I do not know for exactly how long. It has been suggested that they may have been using up leftovers from the WW1 military contracts.
Eric, it is more likely that your rifle was made up at sometime, but if you could tell us your scope serial number (approx would do), what the range grads are, & whether the scope has any signs of previous military acceptance/use, such as a broad arrow mark or engraved rifle serial, that would all help to give you a little more information about it.
Last edited by Roger Payne; 02-07-2025 at 11:33 AM.
Reason: addendum
303 Collector I would think you have a genuine BSA scope & rings there which has been grafted onto a SMLE, whether someone "making do" in the past or as an attempt to pass it off as a WWI sniper rifle who can say? The base is a bit on the crude side compared to the rings, you'd agree?
If we knew how many of these rifles were made up in the early 20s it would go some way towards answering where all the Aldis scopes that were supposed to remain in store for future use, actually ended up.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
PM
Originally Posted by Surpmil
