Webley and Parker-Hale

[MDriskill]

Rifle shooting was serious business in the UK back in the day, and Parker-Hale made a wide variety of top-quality milled steel aperture sights for that market. It's truly a shame that only two models were intended for airguns - and both for a single rifle, the Webley Mk 3. P-H also made eyepieces in many styles, some available with optional aperture sizes.

Parker-Hale typically adapted a basic mechanism to different gun-specific bases, each variant designated by a suffix letter. The PH 16 (no suffix) was intended for typical rimfires with a 1" diameter receiver tube (I had one on a Remington 550 semi-auto for a while). The airgun variant was the PH 16M, offered as an option on sporting versions of the Webley Mk 3. It's an ideal sporting peep, sturdy, compact, and versatile.

Here's the 16M with its typical OEM 5/16" diameter eyepiece, giving a nice "ghost-ring" sight picture:


Some shooters opted for one of P-H's many other eye disks, such as this beefier 1/2" diameter one:


My personal favorite is this so-called "long neck" model:


And although the Mk 3 sporter's sight line is rather low, the 3/4" diameter model PH 60 (or similar PH 62) eyepieces will usually work. These have 6 different aperture sizes, changed by the rotating finger-click wheel seen recessed into the front of the eyepiece:



The Mk 3 Supertarget had a significantly higher sight line - thanks to another P-H component, the FS 22A tunnel front sight. The corresponding rear sight was the PH 17B - larger and more elaborate than the PH 16, with precise Vernier elevation and windage scales. Interestingly, the 16M and 17B are interchangeable, each mounting at the same location on the Mk 3's rear receiver, with the same screws.

The usual OEM eyepiece for the PH 17B was the PH 60, which accepts a small additional screw-in eyeshade; this latter could also secure a magnifying lens or colored filter. Its 3/4" diameter was dictated by some classes of British competition rules.


The PH 60/62's rear threads will also accept this big PH 52 eye shade - often seen on the top-of-the-line PH 25 diopter furnished with BSA Martini rimfire match rifles. While German eyeshades are typically snap-on molded rubber things, this proper British one is milled blued steel, with a non-glare phosphated rear face:


Another common P-H eye disk is the 1" diameter PH 52 "Midget," a straightforward unit with a similar 6-aperture click wheel. Again note the matt phosphated back side even on this budget model:


No doubt influenced by advanced designs from German competitors like Gehmann, P-H later offered their "Iris" eyepieces. These have an overlapping-leaf type, infinitely adjustable aperture size, controlled by the small lever. There are several variations of these; on this example the brass finger-click wheel brings up 6 different colored filters.


Another neat P-H gadget on the Supertarget is the DB 1 "disc box," mounted under the grip to store the front sight inserts. Often seen perched on the sides of BSA Martinis, too.


I've enjoyed chasing these bits down over the years...they are reason enough to get a Mk 3 if you don't have one already!

 

[cjtamu]

Your knowledge of these old guns amazes me. So cool. Thanks for sharing.

[KWK]

"disc box"? They call those fore sight elements

[KWK]

Here, I just copied this from a UK auction site.

A .177" Webley Mark 3 “Supertarget” air rifle, number A8414, fitted with Parker-Hale PH17B aperture rearsight, the walnut butt having compartment containing spare fore sight elements.

Interesting how they also say "rearsight". One word.

Mike probably already knew all this.

[MDriskill]

November 1955 Parker-Hale catalog.

[baranjhn]

simply beautiful!

[45flint]

I can totally relate to your fascination with these aperture sights. I have three BSA’s with apertures and they add so much to the rifle both in function and interest. The engineering excellence of these early sights are a work of art really.

[KWK]

LOL! Foresight elements:
https://bedstargetsupplies.co.uk/product-category/optics/foresight-elements/

Colloquialism

[MDriskill]

I'm confused by some of the above posts, but for the record there are many types of front sight inserts out there. Here's some vintage ones I have. They vary by outer diameter (which nests into a "shoulder" inside the sight tunnel to center the insert) and side tabs (which fit through slots in the sides of the tunnel for vertical alignment).

If you look closely, obviously none of these will interchange with each other. But the Walther and Anschutz patterns do usefully fit some other brands. The latter is still around and if anything getting more popular, used by other makers in more recent years.