NavList:

I agree.

In the eBay ad, photo 3 does not have the opening for the shades to swing out of the light path from the index mirror. This makes a sun sight impractical.

My Elliott Bros. Box sextant has these two shades. They only shade the light path through the index mirror so you can't use them for checking the index error using the sun. It's also not nice using them to take a low sun shot with the reflection off of the water.

In photo 7 is shown, I think, an unshaded pinhole for sighting. It's not clear what else is available on this eBay sextant but mine has on this same sliding section an "open" section off the end of the slide, a middle pinhole, and a larger hole with a very dark shade. The dark shade by itself can be used to check index error with the sun, a sun sight with an AH, or for a sun sight with a bright reflection off of the water.

For full use of a box sextant you need the index shades AND the shaded sighting hole.
Regards, Noell