Parker Hale 5C Sights?

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Nick Hacking

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H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Jan 22, 2017
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Dear All,

I have an old Lee-Enfield that my father bought for me, back in 1979. I used to use it for stalking (US translation: "hunting") with a telescopic sight but I've retired it now, in favour of something more modern.

I have the standard military battle rear-sight and I thought that I'd replace that with a Parker Hale 5C target sight. But, the price of them! They cost as much as a .303 rifle.

I have a lathe, and a mill. How hard can it be? I wondered.

Has anyone made a rear sight for a similar rifle? Does anyone know of any helpful resources? I can find plenty of photographs on internet, but no drawings.

All help and advice gratefully received.

Kind wishes,

Nick
 
Not s ph 5c but one in middle is a upgrade from battle site.i made the one on left side 10-12 years ago on atlas 618 with milling attachment. Redfield on right can be mounted on different actions by making different mounts. E8B4B650-3A48-4621-87C9-A58A07053D13.jpeg61E22743-7554-4424-9B76-4471A9222C70.jpeg
 
Thanks for those.

The thing in my head is most like your adapted Redfield.

Do you know where can I find drawings to get me started?

Kind wishes,

Nick
 
Never seen any blueprints or plans for sights anywhere. Bound to be some somewhere. Good luck
 
Well,

I think I have a solution.

If you look at the images that I've uploaded, there's a picture of the PH5C (which is what I want) from an image that I found on the internet.

Today, the postman brought me my latest eBay purchase, a 5D, which cost me £66 (about $75 US?) a lot less than the £250-£400 that the 5Cs command. I've taken a photograph of that, for comparison.

PH5D.jpgPH5C.pngNow, the 5D is essentially a 5C that's been fitted with a smaller elevation dovetail - the part that fixes to the rifle action - it was designed to be fitted to the .22 training rifle.

My plan is to make a copy of the 5C base plate and turn my 5D into something like its bigger brother. There are plenty of pictures on the internet to give me the shape. I can measure my rifle to determine the dimensions, since I know exactly where the plate mounts. I can measure the inside of the 5D's dovetail, so I'll know what size mine has to be. I think it should be feasible. Certainly, a much less ambitious project than trying to copy the PH 5C sight from scratch!

If I get it to work, I'll post a picture or two.

Wish me luck.

Nick
 
Next conundrum:

The screw that works the elevation measures 0.167 inches in diameter, 32 tpi.

According to my charts that's likely to be a 3/16 x 32 BSF (nominal diameter 0.1875 inch) although I suppose it might be 2 BA (same diameter, 31.36 TPI).

... but it is a left hand thread.

I'll never get a boring bar in a hole that small, so I need an appropriate left-hand tap. Or, I have to make a new screw in a size for which I can find a suitable left-hand tap. Back to eBay....

Kind wishes,

Nick
 
How hard is the material? You might get away with making your own tap out of 4140 (or some hardenable metal).
 
I know that the sights can be filed in the field, so that may be an option. But I'm not This Old Tony, you know!

I've now got the thing apart: the windage ajustment was rusted solid and the adjustment screw has a bit of a bend in it. Interestingly, it still seems to be 0.167 inches in diameter but I counted 40 TPI and it is a right hand thread.

This made me go back and re-count the threads on the elevation screw. I think I miscounted, standing in my workshop. Sitting in my study, under a strong light it's more like 36 TPI now! A rather fat left-handed M4?

It's starting to look as though making a replica with standard threads might be less trouble than refurbishing the original. Now that the back sight is in pieces, it's a fairly simple construction....
 
Nick Hacking said:
I know that the sights can be filed in the field, so that may be an option. But I'm not This Old Tony, you know!

I've now got the thing apart: the windage ajustment was rusted solid and the adjustment screw has a bit of a bend in it. Interestingly, it still seems to be 0.167 inches in diameter but I counted 40 TPI and it is a right hand thread.

This made me go back and re-count the threads on the elevation screw. I think I miscounted, standing in my workshop. Sitting in my study, under a strong light it's more like 36 TPI now! A rather fat left-handed M4?

It's starting to look as though making a replica with standard threads might be less trouble than refurbishing the original. Now that the back sight is in pieces, it's a fairly simple construction....
Click to expand...

3/16-36 is actually a UNS thread! There are plenty of off the shelf taps at that size.

ETA: Apparently my googling didn't result in any LH threads :/

That said, if you can CUT that thread OD, you can grind teeth into it enough to cut at least 1 hole :)
 
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