Another new toy.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../292aweb-1.jpg

Just finished giving this "old girl" a make over. It's mine, a 1915 Enfield and is dedicated to my great uncle, who was KIA at Loos. He has no known grave as there were no remains to bury - his death was witnessed by his brother, Fred. The butt-disk has his name, service number, regiment and date of death.

Edward John Ball
Private
14131
3rd Bn., Royal Fusiliers
who died on
Tuesday, 28th September 1915. Age 23.

I replaced the bolt head and headspaced it real tight - lapping a few thou off the bolt face until it just closed on the "Go" gauge. After putting engineer's blue on the bolt face it came up dead square first time against the headspace gauge, saving a lot of aggravation. There is no bolt wobble at all. The barrel appears mint and despite its date, the receiver blue looks untouched. I put a bit of time into getting the trigger just right and, after switching a few front sight blades around, it shoots where it is pointing at. It has been reproofed. The original wood is long gone, so replacement contemporary timber was found and fitted. After a few hours TLC, it looks very sexy. The sling is dated 1916, but I don't believe it to be original for a moment.

I hope my great uncle would approve, he probably carried one just like it.

A stirring tribute, and a truly outstanding rifle! How could he not approve?

My great uncle was KIA at Belleau Wood, also within sight of his brother. May none of them be forgotten.

Excellent! That is a beautiful rifle! Thank you for the post. Sincerely. BruceV.

Nice restoration of the wood stock and foreend.

The rifle is a fitting memorial to your great uncle and every one of the fallen for that matter.

Nice to hear of your fitting the bolthead and fitting it tightly we hardly hear of anyone fitting new or longer (old) boltheads on the No1 series rifle it is a lost art around here I think.

Of course if there were more long boltheads around for the No1 we well might see more people tightening up their No1's.

Thanks for showing us the rifle.

Regards
Terry in Victoria
BC

Very nicely done sir! What an excellent idea and wonderful acknowledgement of your great uncle's sacrifice. I'm certain he and his brother would be pleased by your tribute! Maybe a rifle for Fred could be your next project. They would look fantastic displayed side by side.

Mike

Very nice, how about a photo of the other side with the Lobbing Sights up,these are not seen enough!
Stuart.

very nice

Fitting tribute indeed - very nice job, and thanks for the story,

Lou

Simply a wonderful rifle!

Gunner

a fitting tribute and one to be proud of, a very well done job, the rifle looks great

Have the same sort of thing here with a 1913 dated Lee Enfield. Dedicated the small area with rifle mounted on the wall next to the bar to my uncle Charles Snow of the Royal Newfoundland Regt. He, with my other uncle Norman Martin were captured on 14 April 1917 at Monchy Le Preux. Pvt, Snow died on April 27, 1917 while in German hands.

My uncle Norm was released in a prisoner exchange later that year. He would become my very best pal and mentor when I was a kid. Norm died in 1971 in Lynn Massachusetts. Remember running across the street from the funeral home and buying a large bottle of Ballantine Ale. That's what Norm liked to drink while watching the Friday night fights on TV.

Just before they closed Norm's casket, I placed the bottle of Ballantine in the box next to him. They shut the lid and Norm was sent off with his favorite ale. Always wondered if he's there someplace with Charlie Snow toasting to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.