Haenel 311 - sight elements required…

[springfieldm6]

Hi
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I might get foresight elements for the Haenel 311 target rifle?
Regards
Springfieldm6

[MDriskill]

I believe that earlier ones with the smaller front sight tunnel may match Parker-Hale inserts...but I no longer own one, so that needs confirmation.

Later 311's with the larger front sight use Anschutz inserts.

Neither of which actually answers your question, but hopefully widens the search field.

[springfieldm6]

Thankyou - it does take small sight elements so I’ll see if I can find some PH ones to try…

[springfieldm6]

Just checked and the internal diameter of the foresight, which should be the same as the external diameter of the elements, is only 13.5mm, which does seem very small, and I can’t find that size online….

[MDriskill]

Well I'm quite wrong above, then! But here's some Parker Hale stuff for comparison.

PH inserts are about 14.8mm in diameter; note also the symmetrical pattern of side alignment tabs. The securing sleeve that goes in the rear of the front tunnel has an inner diameter of 12.2mm, outer diameter of 14.8mm, and 15.5mm diameter outside its threaded section.



I checked another small sight, the classic American Lyman 20 series. It's even smaller than the Haenel apparently - inserts 12.0mm diameter and the thread on the securing sleeve 12.5mm. If your 311 matches an existing sight pattern (as Haenel did with later versions of it, which use Anschutz inserts and accompanying 18mm securing sleeve), perhaps it was a Russian or prewar German type.

Not to complicate things, but on many tunnel-type sights, metal inserts fits into an internal "shoulder" that is smaller than the internal diameter of the tunnel itself. Matching up components based on dimensions can make your head hurt.

[springfieldm6]

Thankyou for that! My search continues… I’ll try and pop down to Protek and see what they’ve got…

[MDriskill]

Hopefully you can find something closer to home (!), but I keep forgetting to mention that the German auction site eGun is a fantastic source for sights, and always quite a few Haenel bits lurking there. That being said, quite difficult to get stuff shipped to the US from there nowadays, maybe the UK is easier.

https://www.egun.de/market/index.php

Search for Visier (rear open sight), Diopter (rear match sight), Kimme (front blade sight), or Korntunnel (front tunnel sight) there.