Thread: Great Grandfathers Short Lee 303

Great grandfather Roger Renall shot a cracking 50+ inch Wapiti in the Stillwater with this in 1925. Need to show the old girl some love. Any idea if a rear sight assembly for a SMLE No 1 Mk111 will fit the Sht Le No 1 ?
I don't think so ? Anyone have any idea on where to find one...imagine it's a case of google being your friend and lots of phone calls....

@gundoc

Greetings Mangle,
116 years old and likely served in WW1. It would have been sighted for the Mk VI ammunition originally. It may have been at some of the major battles as early as 1915. It looks as though it has had a rough life but well worth bringing back to reasonable condition.
Best of luck with it.
Regards Grandpamac.

I wish these rifles could tell their stories...Roger Renall hunted a lot with his brother in law Brigadier General Sir Herbert Hart who was wounded at Gallipoli....I wonder if he hooked him up with this rifle upon his return to Carterton...well I do love to daydream !

If forum member private joker can’t help, ask this TM vendor if he can help.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/search?member_listing=56551

Cheers Dogmatix....really appreciate the heads up...

There was a really good website that had pictorial with a shit ton of sporting open peep and target sights.
If I can find that I'll post it.
I have a funny feeling the open sights will have the same settings until they changed ammo and went to the fatter barrels

Apologies. Doesn't mention short lee only smle
Same vintage though @Scout what do you reckon?
Early rifles used the round nose projectile with sights to suit.
Later ones were modified for pointy bullets with better feed ramps and appropriate sights for the flatter trajectory. They have an asterisk beside the 1?
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/tc...enfield-sights

That rifle was probably issued to the Otago Mounted Rifles as they were one of the first to get No1 Mk1. The Mk III rear sight will fit, although as Grandpamac has mentioned, they were originally sighted for the Mk VI ammo and the base, though similar, has a different elevation cam. Many were converted to the Mk VII sights after WW1. The original rear sight slide had ivory release buttons and the blade was adjustable for windage.

Is that the model with the clip loader on the bolt head ?

I think I have a couple of each of the rear sights but not moving them on just yet .

Just watching a full on review of the Short Lee on youtube C&Rsenal channel....I have another Sht Le in sporter format ...might see if I can take off the rear sight base if I can't find a spare.....a lot of work went into making those original rear sights....

Yours has been FTR & updated so later rear sight plate will fit yours, plenty of them around !

Cheers Scout....my uncle is still looking for the bolt...should have it soon enough...

There is a bolt in it in the photo, was it misplaced after the photos & was it the later SMLE bolt fitted ?