British Vickers MMG Rear Sight Assembly & Range Scale: MKIII** (type 2) Original Items

Original Item: As with any long-serving military arm, design changes will occur over time, especially as the methods of use of the weapon change.  The British Vickers Mk I Medium Machine Gun served for over 50 years in environments as different as the trenches of the Western Front in the First World War to the jungles of Southeast Asia and the deserts of North Africa in the Second World War.  The basic design of the gun was so sound from the beginning that it was not modified significantly during its service life.

 

One feature that did evolve, however, was the design of the rear sight.  The basic component is a long (over 9 inches) folding sight stem hinged to the top of the receiver.  Although the sight is normally used with the stem erect, there is an aperture for use when the leaf is folded.  This aperture is sighted for 400 yards.

 

A range scale is screwed onto the face of the leaf.  These scales are of the No. 2 Mk I variation, graduated for the .303 Mk VII ball cartridge. 

 

The major differences in rear sights on the Vickers MMG is the design of the slide assembly.  The following models are available from IMA (The Mk III** was by far the most common issue):

 

            Sight Assembly Model Stem Model                  Slide Model

            Sight, Tangent, Mk III     Mk II                             Mk II V-notch

            Sight, Tangent, Mk III**   Mk II                         Mk II* aperture & knob

            Sight, Tangent, Mk IV    Mk II                             Mk III enclosed aperture

 

This Item is: Sight Assembly Mk III**, With Stem Mk II & Slide Mk II*, W/friction spring and large butterfly wings on the knob.