Thread: SMLE No 1 Mk3* Front sight adjustment tool where to get?

Hi everyone,

I own a No1 Mk3* that I occasionally shoot.
The front sight post of the gun is shifted noticeably to the left and as a result my shots end up hitting about 3 inches right.
I have in the past remedied this by aiming about 3 inches to the left of what I want to hit.
But, I shot my SMLE over the weekend a bit and I guess it finally got to me.

I have done a little research and found that they do make adjustments tools for the windage called a cramp tool, but I cannot for the sake of me find somewhere that sells it.

I only managed to find this
https://www.magnumimports.co.nz/prod...29556150501462
But it’s now out of stock

Does anyone happen to have one lying around that I can borrow or buy?

Thanks

You can borrow mine.
Mine is from Magnum.
I hope to be at Clevedon Range on the 17th, or Auckland NZDA on the 23rd. Both with ASRA shooting.

No need for these, just buy some brass bolts from bunnings to use as a drift. Take the nose cap off, draw a pencil line between blade and base, give it a few taps. Try and guess how many sight blade widths the rifle is shooting to the left or right. If it shoots right, hit the blade right etc. Pretty easy job, doubt a tool would make it that much easier. Can put some crc on a few hours prior if its a bit rusted up in there.

Originally Posted by Juicy

No need for these, just buy some brass bolts from bunnings to use as a drift. Take the nose cap off, draw a pencil line between blade and base, give it a few taps. Try and guess how many sight blade widths the rifle is shooting to the left or right. If it shoots right, hit the blade right etc. Pretty easy job, doubt a tool would make it that much easier. Can put some crc on a few hours prior if its a bit rusted up in there.

I get what you mean I’m sure it’ll be effective, to be fair my rifle was a cadet training rifle so it’s probably been through hell and then some, but something about smacking my WW2 era rifle with a hammer makes me incredibly uncomfortable

It was designed to handle more than that

Even get a proper brass punch

I own several rather expensive milsurps and I have adjusted all of them by smacking them with hammers haha. As long as you use a brass drift with something soft as a back stop, like wood it wont damage it at all. Its how the armorers used to adjust them.

Originally Posted by Lazyafpanda

I get what you mean I’m sure it’ll be effective, to be fair my rifle was a cadet training rifle so it’s probably been through hell and then some, but something about smacking my WW2 era rifle with a hammer makes me incredibly uncomfortable

They're built with abuse in mind. Rumor has it that mosin nagants were issued with a mallet so you could open and close the bolt. Ammunition quality may have been a contributing factor. I've also been known to give a snider a "wee tap" to get a case out.

Haha "the wee tap". Had a guy come to me one day with a 270 round stuck in his Winny M70. He was too scared to give it the "wee tap" cause his mate had tried that with a Remmy M700, and guess what, the "wee tap" knocked the bolt handle off. I explained to Mr M70 that as the M70 was a one piece bolt,t we could happily tap it as hard as necessary, and so that proved to be.

With the Lee Enfield by all means give it a "wee tap" but support the sight tower on the offside so you don't rotate the whole band and tower on the barrel.

If you really want a cramp to adjust it have a look on EBay. They make aluminium ones for various milsurp bolt actions and they don’t cost the earth, try the link below https://www.ebay.com/itm/29653621281...mis&media=COPY

You can drift it with a brass punch and a hammer. THats how you adjust a lot of open sights. Support the base of the sight on something hard when you hit it. (not the barrel) I often use the the thick end of an axe blade, or another hammer head. Or a vise. Lay it so a hard steel is holding the sight base, and then hit the front sight with the punch at its base where it is slotted in the dovetail.
Have a good look at the front sight blade from the front before you start, as if its from teh army and no one has moved it before then it may still be staked in place, this just means the armourer hit it on top with a punch himself and deformed the base with a dimple so it would be harder to move in its dovetail by accident. In this event, it will just be harder to drift yourself. There is no trick to it. Hit it smartly until it starts moving.