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Plan "C" from the Australian School of Bush Mechanics:
If you don't want to damage your timber, what about the "Parker-Hale" (and clones) type bipods that clip onto a "spigot" attached to the fore-end? If you have never seen the Parker-Hale, it looks for all the world like a "baby" Bren Mk1 bipod and can be fitted or removed more easily than a Harris.
Attach the "spigot" to a suitably-profiled "block" of aluminium or even good hardwood.
Now, this is the "Bush Mechanic" bit. Get a couple of stainless steel automotive hose-clamps that will reach around your rifle woodwork and the "interface" block and wind them up.
A bit of packing", fibre-board" or any reasonably firm material, between the hose-clamps and the furniture should prevent marring the timber.
The cute part of this is that you can slide your suitably-padded mounting block fore and aft to find the best location for it (and your nice bipod).
This method should work for any "service" rifle with top handguards.
It might also work if, instead of a bipod, you want to attach a flat-bottomed "bag slider" to replicate the function of the wide, flat-bottomed fore-ends on some bench-rest rifles. Of no value shooting offhand, of course.
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The "clone" of the Parker Hale bipod is called the "Versa-Pod" and is, as far as I know, readily available in the US.
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To fit a bipod to a SMLE, a No4 or 5 Enfield i bought a FOREND BARREL BAND STUD (the one without the screw) from Ant supplies a UK based company for about £10
Then replaced the mid band sling swivel with the narrow part of the stud leaving the band in place. A Harris bipod can the be fitted and the original swivel can be put back on to return to original
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3 Attachment(s)
I promised to post a pic with it finished. I already had an Atlas bipod on another weapon and as Atlas also had a short Picatinny rail for a rounded stock on their web page. I could fit metal backing plate in the No. 5 fore-end lightening groove, so it all came together. Just one more step towards a messed up No. 5.
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That looks like an unusual collection of parts, I see a No.5 with scope pads, a checkered grip, target swivel, and a 7.62 magazine?
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Not to worry; it was purchased some time back as a Charnwood conversion to .308, had the scope pads attached, and now has a (small) picatinny pad fitted under the front fore-end for the bi-pod. No original No. 5 was damaged in the process. It´s fun to shoot; can be carried on my bike to the range, and is quite accurate. Think that it´ll be the last rifle I´ll ever need.
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No worries about damaging a No.5 I had just never seen one with all of those features before. Local to me, most people take number 5's and cut the flash suppressors off, hack up the wood and drill and tap some garbage scope mount for " deer huntin' " Yours appears to be something much nicer.
