New manufacture wood sets for No1 Mk111

[jessehh]

Numrich has new wood for the No1 MkIII and I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on these. I would pick up a sporterized No1 if I knew that these were of good quality and would work for my intended purpose. As long as I'm at it, anyone have any expierience with the No4 wood they have on offer.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Products/940540.htm

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Products/486870.htm

Information

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[Surpmil]

SMLE stock is not advertised as new. Some people have had good luck ordering used stocks from places like Numrich, some have not. It's a crap shoot since the employees don't know what to look for and they probably don't offer a hand-picked option anyway.

[Homer]

Mate can I suggest don't buy a sporter, buy an unspoiled and intact rifle. Surely you'll be happier and I can't see how buying the bits no matter the make from a one stop shop to put a sporter together is such a fulfilling experience as many make out. It's not that hard and not really restoring.

[Hal O'Peridol]

Buying sporters and restoring them to as issued made sense up to about 7-8 years ago. No longer. Good parts have dried up.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

"You can't get the wood anymore......"

Goon Show reference.

New fore-ends are one thing, the top hand-guards are another.

Apart from being "fiddly" to machine a long, thin-walled piece, the killer is the caps, screw, rivets etc. that attach to them. For authenticity, early SMLE front handguards have their caps attached by TINY screws; later ones / repairs used equally tiny brass rivets through the threaded holes on the cap. Neither fastener is an "off the shelf" item.

Having done a bit of probing in this area, I found that, even when shown original drawings, NOBODY in the mass-production furniture/ornamental wood caper was too keen unless the quantity started at the "magic" thousand figure.

And then there's the timber: Coachwood (for Lithgows) is almost unobtainable in the right quality and quantity, good walnut (especially genuine "Italian") is ludicrously expensive, beech may come close but is all wrong for "early" SMLEs unless late FTR.

When you do the sums, and work back from current "fair market price", it is touch and go, even if everything falls your way.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

And if anyone is interested, the thread in a proper, Lithgow "Cap, Guard, Hand, Front" for a Mk111 or 111* SMLE is:

.096" x 56TPI

One just for the curious:

Thread for the "Bottle, Oil, MkIV", as at 20 May 1915:

Lid: 0.5698" x 24TPI
Bottle: 0.5708 x 24TPI.

Those are "Pratt and Whitney" Standard Inches, as well.

[Rumpelhardt]

Desporterising a military rifle is a much better pass time than say playing video games hours on end in my book. Not every one is into guns to make a buck.

[Homer]

There's nothing wrong with building up a sportered rifle except that the world is now full of homemade enfields and when the individual discovers he's not happy with a mismatched bitza, it's on the market with a story like, 'Enfield actually used Indian wood for a short period', or something like that. It's getting harder to determine what's right or wrong and whats true of just bullshit. Day after day on most forums, theres new threads on rebuilt sporters and the discussions run for many pages, where threads on good intact rifles stop at just a few post drawing little comment or discussion. Most rebuilds posted were just a case of the owner ducking down to Numrichs or somewhere for indian wood and all the bits and its put together that day. Thats hardly restoring in my view.

[FTX03]

I was able it obtain an full stock set For a No1mk3, don't think its an original one because it looks brand new. has never been fitted before though and will look great once my bitsa is done. Its for a receiver i was given that im fitting a H stamp barrel to. cant wait till it arrives.

[jessehh]

After a few back surgeries I needed to find another way to use my spare time. I wouldn't be desporterizing the rifle to try and make a buck. I would be doing it for my own enjoyment/learning and shooting. I am lucky enough that my 18 y/o daughter shares my love of old war rifles and anything I would work on would go straight to her anyway.