ERRRRRR !!! No1 Mk3 Forend Problem

[mac2017]

Hi folks well i finally found a damn forend for No1 MK3 except it doesn't fit at end near butt. One can only assume im obviously going to have to fiddle with fitting am i correct or is there an easier way of doing it. It wont slide into place and catches im assuming on butt stock screw and wont go further. In the picture the ishapore stock is on left and original sporterized on right..

Information

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[mr.e moose]

Yes, If you have the original butt stock screw and it protrudes through the butt socket it will not fit. You will have to grind off the square portion so it doesn't protrude. Also the Ishy fore end is cracked back at the draws so you will have to fix that also. It looks to be a oil soaked chunk of timber so if you have any hope of gluing it, I would soak the cracked area in acetone and try to draw as much oil out as possible.

[mac2017]

Thank you so much for info i almost did something completely different that probably would of split it.

[RobD]

Personally, I think the protruding squared off butt-stock bolt is a liability. Grinding it off will cause no harm, I have done the same on my SMLEs. I see no real risk of the stock bolts working themselves loose, at least during my life-span.

[CINDERS]

I would like to ask a question about the stock bolt protrusion on the Mk III and its use I know it locates into the recoil plate (In pics by O P's) the thing is does it stop the fore end excessive movement side to side there is a reasaon the Pom's do stuff I was just posing the question to those with the knowledge.

I can get away with saying Pom's as my father was one so guess I am a half bred one!

[Mk VII]

It stops the stock bolt unscrewing itself.

[Flying10uk]

With one or two U.K. deactivated SMLE's when I have taken the fore-end woodwork off, I have just removed the locking plate and not replaced it on reassembly. That way you can keep the square on the end of the bolt, but with the locking plate removed, it serves no purpose. Obviously on a live rifle things are a little different and with the removal of the locking plate I'm wondering if the back end of the fore-end may be more liable to split on a live rifle? It depends on how much of a dual purpose the locking plate may play in tying the wood together as well as locking the bolt.

[Peter Laidler]

I've handled one or two No4's in my time and nonbe of those had stock bolts with squared-off ends nor did they seem to work loose. And even if they did, usually due to dried out old butts in a desert environment, it was a simple fix without having to remove the fore-end and all that palava. In any case, a slight amount of looseness will be taken up by the tightness of the tapered butt in the butt socket and the fact that the double coil thackray spring washer will take up a bit of slack

Just do what Armourers and those sensible shooters/owners have been doing since pontius was a pilot. Grind the squared end off, put a double coil spring thackray washer in - as per the No4 and be done with it

[Flying10uk]

it was a simple fix without having to remove the fore-end and all that palava.

Peter, you implied, in post 8, that there is a way of removing the stock bolt in order to grind the flats off without removing the fore-end. Are you able to confirm if this is the case and if there is a way would you explain how, please.

This is the same question that I asked in my post 13 but phased slightly differently.


Once the flats are removed is it necessary to retain the locking plate in the fore-end or to put it another way does it serve any purpose in tying the back of the fore-end together?

[Flying10uk]

I have a n.o.s. Enfield smle fore-end that has the cutout for the locking plate and I believe the fore-end to be a fairly late production part made at Enfield, although I haven't noticed a date on it. Does anyone know if Enfield always put the cutouts in the fore-end for the locking plate or was this deleted at some point before production ceased, please?