Iron sights raised comb stock

[gunhappy]

So this may be a dumb question but I am at its end. A friend gifted me an American Enfield sporter that my gunsmith put irons on for me. The stock is an older (I believe Bishop) sporter with a raised comb. With the rear sight bottomed out and after installing a tall front, I am still the better part of 3-4 inches high at 100. This is unacceptable to me. I cannot get where I want to be with the current setup. After breaking ! Couple drills on the hard receiver my gunsmith is no longer interested in frying to install scope mounts (my first choice).
So on to my question-if I were to lower the comb, it would bring my eye lower. Will this give me any flexibility with the sights? I don't want to do any sanding that won't help me in the end.
Thanks in advance for your guidance.
Gunhappy

 

[Bill M.]

Depends upon how you can see the sights. If you are getting a clear view of the front and rear sight and getting them aligned correctly then nothing you can do to the comb will help. If the comb is holding your face up so that you cannot align the sights that would be a problem. I like the scope idea. I have watched a smith mark the spot, grind through the hard surface with a dremel, then drill for a scope. Or you can buy cobalt or carbide drills from Brownells for hard surfaces. At my age a rifle without a scope is not real useful. Taller front sight or faster loads might help if you are seeing the sights well.

 

[JohnKSa]

If you can get your head down onto the stocks so that the sights are aligned, there's no need to modify the comb and your eye doesn't need to be any lower.

You need a taller front sight.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

Did your gunsmith try using carbide drill bits? They're only about $10 on amazon, and I had to use one on a super hard turkish mauser receiver. It ate right through what a normal bit wouldn’t ever mar.

 

[gunhappy]

Did your gunsmith try using carbide drill bits? They're only about $10 on amazon, and I had to use one on a super hard turkish mauser receiver. It ate right through what a normal bit wouldn’t ever mar.

Well I would have hoped so. He kept the rifle for 6 months before he gave up on finding a mount, breaking a couple bits before I said, "hell, put irons on the gun I wanna be able to shoot it". The front sight was too short when I got it back and i bought a taller one. I dont think I'll be going back to him but there's no other smiths locally.

 

[gunhappy]

Depends upon how you can see the sights. If you are getting a clear view of the front and rear sight and getting them aligned correctly then nothing you can do to the comb will help. If the comb is holding your face up so that you cannot align the sights that would be a problem. I like the scope idea. I have watched a smith mark the spot, grind through the hard surface with a dremel, then drill for a scope. Or you can buy cobalt or carbide drills from Brownells for hard surfaces. At my age a rifle without a scope is not real useful. Taller front sight or faster loads might help if you are seeing the sights well.

I am seeing the sights lined up. scoping was definitely my preference. Irons was a means to an end.

 

[troy fairweather]

Doesn't seem like much of a gunsmith.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Though personally I think this looks hideous, the early 60's MS MCA stock used a sloping cheekpiece to deal with using both irons and a high scope mount. As I understand it, the idea was to move your cheek forward to use the irons and back for the scope. This might be a working solution if you're considering trying to mount a scope again later.

 

[Ks5shooter]

3-4 INCHES high sounds perfect for that gun. Now you are good to shoot 300 or so no holdover. Be mindfull of your 100 yard zero.

 

[cdb1]

Doesn't seem like much of a gunsmith.

I agree, a decent gunsmith could drill and tap the receiver. If you’re willing to ship the rifle, the world is your oyster.

3-4 INCHES high sounds perfect for that gun.

Since I sight my rifles in a couple of inches high at 100 yards, I’d be content with the POI you are getting. I’d still want a scope though.

 

[gunhappy]

Thank you guys for all the help. I contacted another guy that I knew sold guns and found out he was able to do light gunsmithing. We discussed what I wanted done and he said he was able to help me out.
I appreciate all the responses and am interested in that sloping stock concept as well. Hope to get to the NEW gunsmith later this week.

 

[Varminterror]

Sloping stocks are a poor solution. Inevitably, either your head position will be correct for one sight and terribly incorrect for the other, or it will be moderately incorrect for both. You’ll be withdrawing unnaturally to get back far enough to rise up for the scope, and stretching unnaturally far forward to get under the irons - BUT - more likely, since our necks are only so long, you will be nearly in correct position for the irons, then terribly unnaturally withdrawn in the primary, scoped firing condition. Not to mention what the compromised position and odd comb shape will do for your recoil management.

The correct answer - or answers, really - are already above.

First: It is a poor quality smith, or not really a gunsmith, who cannot drill and tap your receiver, so you need to find a proper Smith. Either the first guy did not want your business, or he does not actually know the business. Get the scope mounted as originally planned and be merry.

Second: if you can cheek the rifle to align the sights, even when the rear sight is as low as possible, the answer is NOT to modify the comb. The answer is a taller front sight.

I would be interested to hear more about the damage done by the first smith. If he broke bits, he penetrated the surface. You do not break bits by skating on the surface (might dull to the point of not drilling, but we’re not breaking bits like that unless he simply tried excessive feed force trying to get a bite and bent the bit). So what does the aftermath look like? What was his restitution against the damages?

 

[gunhappy]

So the first smith is a longtime associate who has a gunsmith business and I know that he is very good at what he does ...generally. I feel like it was convenient to let my job sit and take advantage of the fact that I wouldn't complain. Then I started to bitch and put him in a corner. So I think he rushed what could have been easily done if he had simply done the right thing in the first place. I still like the guy and have no intention. Of disparaging him, but I will not return to his shop. My days of spending money there are over.

 

[Varminterror]

My curiosity remains - what’s the damage to the receiver by his failed attempts to drill which yielded broken bits?

I would be interested to hear more about the damage done by the first smith. If he broke bits, he penetrated the surface. You do not break bits by skating on the surface (might dull to the point of not drilling, but we’re not breaking bits like that unless he simply tried excessive feed force trying to get a bite and bent the bit). So what does the aftermath look like? What was his restitution against the damages?

 

[troy fairweather]

My curiosity remains - what’s the damage to the receiver by his failed attempts to drill which yielded broken bits?

I keep picturing a half drunk guy using a hand drill and the worst chinesium bits

 

[gunhappy]

Sorry I didn't get back to ya sooner. There doesn't appear to be any damage to the receiver. That is what I was told regarding the bits. Maybe it was justification to not have to work on a job he didn't want to or maybe he truly did. I don't know. He always impressed me as honest but ya never know.