Centra foresight pins - a cautionary tale

Cumbrian · Post by **Cumbrian** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 1:24 pm

If you have a Centra foresight with (very) removable pins, you may perhaps learn from my recent experiences. My Centra Duo Vario is only 2 years old but the thin rubber ring holding the levelling pins in place had perished without my noticing it until I became aware of a piece of rubber flapping in the air. I then noticed that one of the horizontal pins was missing - I was dry firing at the time, which was fortunate. To my surprise and relief, I found the pin on the carpet - be warned, they are very, very small and easily overlooked. I reinserted it with a dab of glue to hold it in place. In the process, I turned the barrel through 90 degrees, which of course caused the other pin to fall out, though I did not immediately realise that this had happened. Twice looks like carelessness, as Oscar Wilde said. I reckon I was extremely fortunate to find the second pin, also on the carpet. I don't know what Centra's spare parts service is like, but I prefer not to find out.

Incidentally, does anyone have the Centra (or Gehmann) foresight with vertical pins as well, giving a full cross hairs picture and do you find it beneficial for target rifle shooting? I certainly find the horizontal pins useful for elevation accuracy and wonder about the vertical ones for windage purposes. I'd be grateful to learn what others think.

davidjohngoode · Post by **davidjohngoode** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:42 pm

A cautionary tale from someone who definitely does not have a shagpile carpet!

I recently changed from the original metal foresight element with horizontal pins to a perspex element with no pins at all on my own Feinwerkbau 300SU. I did it more for consistency than anything else as I shoot air and cartridge, and the club rimfire .22 rifle I'm using for now in the other club has one.

I've never used a rifle with a full set of crosshairs, though.

peashooter · Post by **peashooter** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:02 pm

I'm very interested in this as I was just about to buy a sight with the full cross hairs, for my fwb300SU. I thought no horizontal cross hair means no visual indication of cant, and my reasoning on having the vertical as well is the more information the better. I was going to go M22 as well - since all the modern guns are like this it must be better?

Cumbrian · Post by **Cumbrian** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:12 pm

peashooter wrote:I'm very interested in this as I was just about to buy a sight with the full cross hairs, for my fwb300SU. I thought no horizontal cross hair means no visual indication of cant, and my reasoning on having the vertical as well is the more information the better. I was going to go M22 as well - since all the modern guns are like this it must be better?

I have a 22mm sight and I think it does help. So far as cant goes, you could of course just use a spirit level attachment.

davidjohngoode · Post by **davidjohngoode** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 12:02 am

I haven't noticed a problem with cant after changing to a pinless perspex element. But you might beg to differ if you were standing behind me!

peashooter · Post by **peashooter** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 4:54 am

Which aperture size range do you recommend, for standing only?

davidjohngoode · Post by **davidjohngoode** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 5:17 am

peashooter wrote:Which aperture size range do you recommend, for standing only?

There's more movement of the gun when standing unsupported, so you wouldn't want anything too small otherwise you'd have a job keeping the diagram sighted properly. I got a set of ten made up, and having tried the ones from 3,8mm to 4,4mm eventually settled on 4,0mm.

But, I suppose it's what you feel comfortable with and what works best for you.

bluetentacle · Post by **bluetentacle** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 5:46 pm

I don't know about Centra but MEC's product support is very good. Having dealt with them a number of times, I can tell you that they appear to service even Centra products that don't have the MEC label, and do so promptly.

Just e-mail them if you need a spare part. They'll get to you shortly.

Cumbrian · Post by **Cumbrian** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:15 am

bluetentacle wrote:I don't know about Centra but MEC's product support is very good. Having dealt with them a number of times, I can tell you that they appear to service even Centra products that don't have the MEC label, and do so promptly.

Just e-mail them if you need a spare part. They'll get to you shortly.

That's useful to know - thank you.

JSBmatch · Post by **JSBmatch** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:59 am

I use an Anschutz fore sight tunnel with adjustable cant and it has horizontal levelling pins. These are very robust and will not fall out as they are like a snap on spring clip on the tunnel body.

Cumbrian · Post by **Cumbrian** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:17 pm

JSBmatch wrote:I use an Anschutz fore sight tunnel with adjustable cant and it has horizontal levelling pins. These are very robust and will not fall out as they are like a snap on spring clip on the tunnel body.

I have one in 18 mm and I entirely agree with what you say. It's a superior design but unfortunately no longer made and I prefer to use a 22 mm foresight.

bluetentacle · Post by **bluetentacle** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:33 pm

Grunig and Elmiger now market their own front sight tunnel. It has much more robust (and still removable) leveling pins, is made for modern irises, and is cant-adjustable in 5 degree click increments. Not insanely priced either (about $60). Only comes in 18mm though.

See pic: http://sdrv.ms/184bPuZ

PS Coming from a High Power background, I used to use a 22mm too, but I found that it really conferred no advantage. Despite what you might have heard, the size of the front tunnel has no effect on the amount of light entering your eye (that's the job of the rear iris). The only advantages that I can see with larger tunnels are: 1) The availability of better lenses, and 2) the ability to see number boards, especially when the image is under magnification by the lens. Neither really applies in smallbore.