Maltby No4 rear sight problem
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Topic: Maltby No4 rear sight problem
Posted By: 4464q2
Subject: Maltby No4 rear sight problem
Date Posted: October 21 2012 at 10:50am
| I've recently aquired a 1942 Maltby No4 Mk1 which came to me with a "43 SM" marked L rear sight. Desiring the milled Mk1 sight, I ordered one from Liberty Tree Collectors. The sight I received is a "B" marked, assuming BSA, Mk1 sight in beautiful shape. The only problem is that the sight seems to be slightly too long to properly install. When I get the sight installed in the down position it is too tight to flip up. On the other hand, when installed in the up position it won't properly seat when flipped down. I'm new to Enfield rifles so any help/advice would be great. |
Replies:
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 21 2012 at 10:03pm
|
Check the pivot pin carfefully. I had a similar problem & it turned out to be the pivot pin was very slightly bent & this was causing the ladder sight to foul the rear of the charger bridge. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: 4464q2
Date Posted: October 22 2012 at 4:30am
| Shamu, thanks for the tip. As I closely examined the pivot pin, I now see that there is an ever so slight bow in it. I ordered another one from Springfield Sporters this afternoon and have my fingers crossed that this will solve the problem. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: October 22 2012 at 4:50am
| that was going to be my sugestion as well , also look closely at the adjustment wheel is it propperly seated ? top of it should flush with the top of the sight frame |
Posted By: 4464q2
Date Posted: October 22 2012 at 5:27am
The adjustment wheel is properly seated and flush on the sight. The place that seems to be impeding the up/down motion on the rear of the charger bridge is the area where the bottom of the adjustment wheel would rest. I know the photo may be poor (taken by my phone), but this area isn't milled to the same depth as the channel above it, creating a slight lip. Stamped above this lip is an "x." This may be nothing, just an observation. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 22 2012 at 8:45am
|
"I now see that there is an ever so slight bow in it"It doesn't take much. If the sight stops right at where the knob contacts the charger bridge it's probably the problem. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: 4464q2
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 2:19am
| Well, I received a new axis pin from Springfield Sporters today and eagerly rush to install my long awaited Mk1 sight. To my disappointment, the sight still would not flip down and properly seat on the rear of the charger bridge. This pin is completely straight, SO frustrating. I'm at a loss. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 3:37am
|
Drats! Sorry that was the problem with mine. It sounds like it may be time to break out the ol' Dremel & do a minor adjustment, as in "some minor gunsmith fitting may be required" as they used to say.  Can you post a pic of the sight right as it jams?
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 4:33am
| I'm thinking it could be a possibly warped receiver? |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 7:53am
|
More like "the receiver came with a flip sight & it fit" kind of thing in MHO. Warping takes some serious work. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 7:58am
| It does take some serious work, but a rifle that has a barrel changed by an in-experienced person without the proper tools can warp a receiver. I am not saying this was the case with this rifle but it is a possibility with other rifles. This is an interesting thread! |
Posted By: 4464q2
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 9:23am
Here are a few photos of the sight and where it makes contact.   |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 10:44pm
|
it looks like thgere is a spacer under the adjustment wheel that is larger than on mine .... i dont have a really good photo to explain what i think i see and i dont have rifles here anymore - nor my camera right now , it may be just me seeing [or not seeing] correctly
not the same rear sight but it is on a no4 type -
 |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 11:11pm
|
OK that
shows me something! I took the
liberty of doing a bit of photo improving on your shot showing the rear of the
charger bridge & noticed something odd.
Look at the areas outlined in red, & then look at the same areas on my '55 Faz. Sorry it's from a different angle, but with a scope mount in place this is the best angle I could find. I don't seem to have either of those projections in my action! I also can't find them in my '43 Savage #4 Mk 1*.  Can someone
else here look at a ’42 Maltby & see if this is the same maybe? It looks
from your pic like the range adjustment knob is jamming up against the left
hand projection. Maybe this was a production shortcut that didn't matter with
an "L" flip sight, but interferes with a micrometer type? ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 30 2012 at 11:17pm
|
A Square. I have a Mk1 micrometer sight & it has the same shaped range adjusting knob as he does. I think what you're seeing is a difference between the 2 sight styles.
What your caling a "spacer" is the part of the knob that provides the click stops when adjusting by droping a ball bearing into the cuts. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: October 31 2012 at 2:25am
|
ahhhh , as i said my rifles were not here for a look and i was only going by the photos in my bucket , not the best , referance books are not here either sorry to say , im sure the SAIS would have enlightened me to that ,
but , arent the knobs set into a knotch ? like in your third photo ? is his indicating that ? i cant really see
|
Posted By: 4464q2
Date Posted: October 31 2012 at 5:15am
First, I'd ike to thank all of you for your knowledge and advice. I really appreciate it. Shamu, good job at enhancing the pictures. If you look at the first picture with the red circle, the area that is stoping the sight from laying properly is inbetween the red circles. Where the adjustment knob would be cradled, there is a bit of a lip just below the stamped "x." This curiously unmilled area is what is impeding the adjustment knob from correctly seating. All I can think is that perhaps the rifle did leave Maltby with the flip sight. Maybe this was a transition period. If that stranged unmilled area was completely milled to the same depth as the rest of the rear of the charger bridge, it seems as though the sight would fit. Looks like I may just be stuck with a flip sight, oh well. Still a beautiful rifle though. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 31 2012 at 5:50am
|
A Square: Yes, the top of the milled sight ladder is cut out on one side & the knob is down in the cutout. It's also more off center to the right compared to the sight in your pic which is slightly offset.  4464Q2: Don't give up just yet, you still have a couple of options. Maybe the fitting was just eliminated as one of the time-saving war expedient changes, or Fred just forgot & the "x" is an indication to Fred to re-do the job  , but it got forgotten in the rush to get the rifles out the door? But you can still either use a stamped ladder type sight, because it doesn't have a knob, or you could get the un-milled area reworked to allow use of the existing sight. A reputable smith shouldn't be horribly expensive for such a simple job, or you could probably do it yourself with a dremel.If you do go for the sliding type sight remember to order the spacer (part #28 in the drawing) as well because you'll need it to fit the stamped sheet metal without extra space on the pivot pin. Personally I'd go for the one on the far right with the bent in lever (it was only technically issued to Canadian rifles), but it is less prone to snagging!  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: November 01 2012 at 12:15am
|
i think id just go with the flip sight [lower left] its time aprpriate and requires no revisionist history ???
yes as noted the sight in my photo is on my longbranch Cno7 trainer , i knew it was not 'exactly' what we were looking for , it was what i had to illustrate my comment ,
|
Posted By: rb288
Date Posted: December 03 2012 at 12:22am
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I just noticed I have the same issue with my no.4. If I screw the site down all the way, as far as it will go, I noticed that I can't get it to close. If I back it off, raise it up a click or 2, it will lay flat just fine. I think when you lower it all the way, it causes the screw to push up the knob just enough to stop it laying flat. It worked with mine. |