[WWImg]

I bought this at a local militaria show last weekend. I believe its the rear sight and base for a M1915 Colt Vickers MG. The front of base has the thread marks for the windage knob which sits at the front end of base while the knob sits at the rear of the M1917 Browning rear sight base.

Left side of sight scale goes to 28, Right side up to 27.


Any confirmation or correction as to the ID of this sight?

Thank you

 

[ajmdreammg42]

I couldn't tell if its for a colt vickers, but I thought they more like the british vickers sight, might be wrong. This one looks like a Colt Argentine 1928 but this one has different graduations markings. I would be interested in this if you decide to sell it or trade for ? I need something odd for my M29 Norwegian build cause I cannot find any parts for it.

any markings on it ?

 

[redroth]

Lucky#13 would probably know what it is for. It is not a 1928 colt WC (although the horizontal aperture is probably the same therefore it is probably a Colt sight). It is not a M1915 Colt Vickers sight which had a more complex horizontal aperture. Maybe an early military Colt MG 1895 - 1920's vintage.

 

[bmg17a1]

'
Looks to be a '28 Colt Commercial rear sight for .30-06.

 

[ajmdreammg42]

I got a Colt 1928 LH plate that does NOT have the holes drilled for the scope mount, probably a commercial plate. So if you decide to sell please let me know

 

[Lucky#13]

Well, I agree with redroth that it is not for the Colt Vickers. The 1915 Colt sight does have the same, complex aperture slide assembly as the WWI 1917, but with different graduations. I don't know what the yardage markings are on those Colt Vickers sights, and there is also a version on one of the Potato Digger models and on the Benet Mercier as well. As noted by others, that is the same style slide as on the Colt Commercial models, from some date in the 1920s into the 1930s. That covers the Argentine 1928 contracts, and a version of that was on a lot of the Colt commercial guns in that time.

Now that sight base is like one I have seen before, but I do not know what that fits. We are assuming the sight and base are a factory pair, and that seems likely. But that is not necessarily so.

 

[WWImg]

Sight base

Thanks to all who replied. Sorry to hear it wasn't a Colt Vickers, but that's ok. I could not locate any makers marks or stamps on the parts. They mate well and the spring is tight, like a mouse trap when you try to fold it down.

 

[bmg17a1]

Couple observations: the ladder appears to be commercial Colt, but the base is identical to the Benet-Mercie and Colt Vickers guns. The windage screw cuts are the same as the cuts on those bases and both guns use the forward windage screw rather than the rear as with the 1917 and '17A1. The rear sights with bases on both the Benet and the Colt Vickers are the same except that the US graduations on the Vickers ladder are longer than the Benet in yards. The Brits used a meter graduation on the US Vickers that they acquired.
You can use the base on that sight on your US Vickers and look for the correct pinch style adjustable elevator. A 1917A1 elevator would probably fit too. FWIW

 

[ajmdreammg42]

Couple observations: the ladder appears to be commercial Colt, but the base is identical to the Benet-Mercie and Colt Vickers guns. The windage screw cuts are the same as the cuts on those bases and both guns use the forward windage screw rather than the rear as with the 1917 and '17A1. The rear sights with bases on both the Benet and the Colt Vickers are the same except that the US graduations on the Vickers ladder are longer than the Benet in yards. The Brits used a meter graduation on the US Vickers that they acquired.
You can use the base on that sight on your US Vickers and look for the correct pinch style adjustable elevator. A 1917A1 elevator would probably fit too. FWIW

The elevator screw ( the long one in the ladder assy) on a 1917a1 sight assy has a different pitch than the one on the colt 1928 Argentine. I tried out a argentine aperture on a 1917a1 slide once and it fits but does not go up and down with turning of the elevation adjustment wheel, it only clicks and jumps the threads on the screw. Be interesting to know the threads on a commercial version. Lucky#13 knows more about this maybe he will chime in.