BSA/Tippins patent SMLE Target Sight

This turned up on Ebay and although the accompanying pictures with it were mainly out of focus the seller was able to answer most of my questions...in his own way!

"The clicks are positive" was part of the sales blurb, indeed they are on the windage wheel, the elevation though is devoid of clicks and the user has to slide the elevation up and down to where he or she thinks it should be and then use the "fine" adjust wheel on top of the sight to correct, this has no clicks but allows about 12 MoA adjustment. 

The windage clicks are a full 1 MoA adjustment and the sight was approved for NRA (UK) use in 1910 when the scoring rings on targets were rather more generous than today. 

The sight fouls the bolt so to take the bolt out the sight tips to the left side and can be folded forward in the same manner as the No.4 rear sight.   

The "tipping" lever seen on the left.

The sight tipped to allow the bolt to be removed.

The sight folded when not in use.

Side view folded

Made by BSA clearly visible along with Martins name (Alexandra Martin's of Glasgow)

I'm nor sure whether this sight contained any design corrections by Martins or their name was on there solely as the retailer.

Some more information about the sight (instruction booklet) and the Tippins family can be found here:

 Luke & John Tippins of Mistley, Essex. - Their times, tribulations and trials.

Will I use it?

Quite probably although at 200 yards only, the thought of pushing the slide somewhere in the parish of 500 yards is currently giving me the cold sweats! 

Geoff, you have unwittingly discovered a connection between Martin, Tippins and Peddie who were all in the 1908 Olympic Military Rifle Team.

 

From rear 1st left, John Martin (son of Alex Martin Glasgow) 3rd left John Peddie superintendent at Vickers Maxim & Son and designer of the Peddie sight for Ross rifles. 

And finally 6th left John Tippins whose father Luke made the patent for my sight. John didn't survive the Great War and was killed getting water for the Vickers machine gun. Ommundsen front left also  fall in the Great War, he was the 1901 Kings Prize winner and co author of a book called Rifles & Ammunition

If ever there were a group of shooting "influencers" it was this group! 

Apologies to Rifleman.org who I stole the picture from!

I also have an AGParker No9 type on my 1918 SMLE .22

I did have on the .303 initially, but I found that the main thumb screw 

( which is not original) would work loose and cause errors. (Recoil).

So I fitted a later PH sight to the .303 and put this one on the .22

Luckily the French Federation have recently added a class for service match rifles in the Trainer class. So I get to use it in competition.

I just put a suitable sized wave spring washer under the head.

I'm not sure who originally designed it, or if BSA made it for AGP from their design?