L42 To good to be true.

[Hal O'Peridol]

I don't like the fitment of the front pad on another concern.

It looks to me that the front pad is setting too high.

Most if not all of the No4T and L42 rifles I have either seen or pics of same show the top edge of the front pad on the same line as the top edge of the receiver where mounted.

[Gil Boyd]

Hal,
IMHO Pad locations are crucial when fitted by whichever manufacturer, and if the holes that hold them in place are drilled incorrectly, even out by a knats whisker it will make an ultimate difference to the fall of shot when a scope is fitted. It will later also cause dramas in the inevitable movement of the scope and tightening region needed before shooting.
So in short, the correct LE pad template was not used or was incorrect when the front pad was fitted on this rifle IMHO!!

---------- Post added at 08:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 AM ----------

Meant to say, if it looks like a bitzer, is the 19T repeated on the barrel and the back of the bolt handle, just me being over safe, just in case its been thrown into the rifle with no consideration of the tonnage implications on the barrel which will be clearly stamped correctly??

[Roger Payne]

If it's being offered for sale in the UK it should legally be in (civvy) proof, shouldn't it? If not, the seller could be for the high jump!

[mrclark303]

Its really quite shocking the number of times you come across firearms being sold in the UK out of proof (not casting any aspersions on this particular piece), but the lack of "legal proof" knowledge shown by some RFD's is quite breath taking!

[Gil Boyd]

IMHO and like many, not wishing to cause unecessary grief in this matter, surely the hammered 7.62 barrel will at the very least be stamped and like minded to 19T with the bolt etc otherwise, yes.............a bit naughty, as it would be a dangerous beast to fire as it would be in the "Unknown Zone" in my book.

It would be a bit like watching Chummly on the TV series Pawn Stars firing blunderbusses, Cannons and 1861 Rifles etc on a range in Las Vegas when people bring them in with no knowledge of their past whatsoever, and Chummly without any consideration behind the "What If" syndrome, as to the absolute and often fatal damage these rifles can cause if not tested properly at a recognised proofing house which will/should be stamped somewhere on the side of the barrel !!!!!!!!!!

[Peter Laidler]

What defines 'out of proof' I'm bound to ask...... At what point is something out of proof? If you replace a barrel with an already proofed barrel, does the whole rifle need to be re-proofed? The whole proof laws are so antequated that you'd be hard pressed to get a conviction. We've been down this road before...........

[mrclark303]

We've been down this road before

We certainly have, getting away from the antiquated monopoly of the Proof House side of the argument, the simple fact is a rifle has to be Birmingham/London or CIP proofed to be legal to sell on in the UK, Sec58 stuff aside, that doesn't mean it all has to be proofed at the same time to be legal, for instance, you can fit an old spare London Proofed barrel to a Lee Enfield that's previously been Birmingham proofed, providing the pressure baring parts have all been proofed, its legal to sell..

Well that's my interpretation of Proof law, or am I wrong chaps? I am assuming whilst on the subject of Proof, UK military issue firearms are also now London, Birmingham or CIP proofed, as I guess we no longer have the facility to proof within the MOD?

[Lee Enfield]

Its really quite shocking the number of times you come across firearms being sold in the UK out of proof (not casting any aspersions on this particular piece), but the lack of "legal proof" knowledge shown by some RFD's is quite breath taking!

I'm always surprised at how you guys on that side of the pond need to "re-proof" known firearms so often.

Here the (re)manufacturers inspection is deemed as good enough, and I've seen a number of actions condemned (by the gunsmith) as damaged or worn beyond use.

I suppose the onus here is upon the 'smith to get it right. I am aware of some cases where the owner "knew better" than the smith and took the firearm (or bare receiver/bolt) and fired it, causing injury (or death). In each case I am aware of the 'smith had refused to return the firearm until the owner was made aware of and had signed off on the fact that it was unsafe to fire....in one case, causing the lawyers for the (late) owners estate to trundle away with their tails between their legs....

[Peter Laidler]

At the Small Arms School, we were told that before members of the public could fire several of our Vickers and Bren Guns, the guns would need to be commercially (civilian) proofed. NOT SO I told them. As did the former UK Military proof master from Cold Meece! Antequated or what......... I mean....., what are you proofing in a blow-back SMG? The clue is in the words 'blow-back'!

[mrclark303]

Spot on Peter, pointless indeed, but the law is the law and we have to follow it to the letter unfortunately, we have all seen milsurps that are not in (legal) proof on the range.

By way of example, a certain large UK dealer sold a friend of mine an Enfield last year, he was very pleased with it and brought it round for some advice regarding changing the furniture, on inspection, no civvy proof. As he is quite new to shooting I spoke to them on his behalf, confident that this rifle had just slipped through by mistake and it could all be taken care of ... Not a bit of it, I was "told" by the rather snotty owner that military proof marks are adequate and that I had no idea what I was talking about ...

I suggested he might want to read up and call me back, he did, apologised and the rifle was collected proofed and returned. But how many had he sold prior to this, if something goes wrong and there is an accident with one (god forbid) he will be hung out to dry by the Police and his business insurance ... broke and banged up for the sake of a £50 proof!

The flip side of the coin, if you are shooting said rifle and its goes "bang" and injures your neighbour in the next shooting point, your shooting insurance will be invalid and quite possibly your FAC, as you aren't following the set conditions.