Is this an SMLE Sighting stand?

[jagjetta]

Greetings:
I have been stumped by another item. The fellow who owns it says he thinks it is a stand for an armourer to use to sight SMLE. The only marking I can find is "MK III" near pivot point. Does anyone recognize this device who can tell me what it is?
Thank you!
John Adams-Graf
a Canadian neighbor "down south"

[jagjetta]

a few more pics.

Thank you!

[Stewart Loy]

That stand is a training aid used to develop sighting pictures for recruits learning to use the rifle.


Stewart

[Wayne McGee]

The stand dates back to the Enfeild FoW, but I used it with the FN C1 until it was stood down in '88ish. It quickly fell out of favour, along with everything else associated with "The Marksmanship Principles", with the introduction of the C7.
Kind of iconic, kind of nastalgic, oh well.

Cheers

[jagjetta]

Thank you very much! Does it have a particular name?

John

[rob love]

They are usually referred to as aiming stands. Most of them in Cdn service had an extension added to accept the FN C1A1. The one you have shown in your photos is still the original Enfield length.

[jagjetta]

Thanks Rob! "Aiming Stand" it is.

Best,
John

[Jon Skagfeld]

More properly, it's called Aiming Rest.

Excerpted from Musketry Regulations, Part II, 1910, with amendments to 31 Oct 1914.

"The firing rest is used in early training in firing exercises, the recruit thus supporting his rifle, whilst the instructor corrects his position without causing him undue fatigue."

Note that the quotation cites "firing rest" but the Regulation itself and the illustration plates cite "Aiming Rest".



Credit due to Stewart Loy for fabricating the triangular support stay for my Rest, also to Clive Law who provided a copy of the Musketry Regulations.

[jagjetta]

Jon:
Outstanding! Thank you so much for the "given name" and also the reference citation. That is very helpful.

Best
John A-G'

[Jon Skagfeld]

Disregard this line...the computere told me my message is too short.