No 4T Scope mount screws

I have been looking for a set of replacement scope mount screws for ages as some of mine look a bit rough. Yesterday I went to the Phoenix at Bisley and spent most of the day annoying stall holders with silly questions to no avail. On my way out I popped into Fultons and they had 70 sets on the shelf!!!!
CNC made and a perfect fit for £20 a set. That's a bit better than my local engineering shop quoted. They wanted just £65 +vat each.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/before-1.jpg https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...06/after-1.jpg

Seek and ye shall find (old masonic proverb.....) As a matter of historical interest, these are called 'taper-lock' screws and were a pre-war/30's answer to prevent overtightening screws. As the internal and external tapers meet, they lock and it is impossible to overtighten the screw. The reason for it's use on the telescope tube (and in use on the Boys rifle too) was to prevent the cradles from being drawn down too tightly on the thin telescope tube and crushing it.

Alas, those who have used standard 'crushable' rings on No32 telescopes in the past have found to their cost - or if not their cost, then the telescope repairers annoyance - that the tube has been crushed behind the erector cell and stripping inevitably means destroying the erector.

There, another bit of useless Lee Enfield history that you probably never thought or knew about

I just saw an original No.32 telescope bracket that has been drilled out top and bottom and tapped for larger pan head screws which defeats the original purpose of the long taper lock screws. It's a damned shame now that we know where to get spare correct screws.

I have a bracket on a matching rifle where the cradle caps have been bored to take cheese heads (same thread though). But this was done for a reason. So that every repaired telescope could be quickly put in the cradle and the caps held down with allen bolts and quickly tested for 'hold' (shock or recoil fastness to you and me) on the Enfield rest. But it means in the future that it could be deemed to be a fake (it's not of course...) and someones bound to overtighten the allen bolts and crush the unfortunate telescope!

Seeing as how the front cradle of the No.32 bracket is a fairly precise fit between the adjustment and segment housings which one has the most to do with keeping the scope from sliding forward during recoil, the caps or segment housing, or both?

Because of the fit of the front cradle, I don't think that the scope sliding forward under recoil was a big problem when properly installed in the bracket. The problem Peter states is that the scope tube can be crushed if too much force is applied tightening the screws when they aren't the correct taper-lock type.

Brian is correct in his thread #6. Slippage wasn't a problem

I wouldn't throw those original screws away. Put them in a bag in the butt trap. Most people prefer originality to neatness; you may want to sell one day.

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

Seek and ye shall find (old masonic proverb.....)

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And robbed from the Bible...

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Originally Posted by Brian Dick

I just saw an original No.32 telescope bracket that has been drilled out top and bottom and tapped for larger pan head screws which defeats the original purpose of the long taper lock screws. It's a damned shame now that we know where to get spare correct screws.

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With a fair amount of difficulty it might be possible to sleeve those holes for the proper screws again, but it might not be worth the trouble for most folk. Rounding up the correct taper reamer might be the hardest part.

Thought about that but the threads have also been retapped to 8-40. Whoever did it must have used a hand drill, none of the holes in the caps are counter sunk to the same depth and on one the drill walked off center at such an angle till it's quite possible it went right through the scope tube. I wonder if Peter or Warren have ever had a 32 come in for repairs with a hole in the side of the tube where it fits in the front cradle? I agree with Brian, it's a damn shame. Especially since it's my bracket!

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Originally Posted by vintage hunter

Especially since it's my bracket!

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Is it matching to a rifle, or a random bracket? Still might be repairable. Being cast iron, it's not something on which I'd care to weld, but there's options. Would need taps as well, but I suspect Brian Dick might have a source. I think he supplied me with front pad screw taps some time back.

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Originally Posted by jmoore

With a fair amount of difficulty it might be possible to sleeve those holes for the proper screws again, but it might not be worth the trouble for most folk. Rounding up the correct taper reamer might be the hardest part.

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I would say the was the best option Jmoore, the sleave for the cap I would make with a taper on the outside also ( bit like a step down MT sleave) as for the bracket drill out the thread then drill again to a bigger size but dont drill right through so you leave a step, tap as in taping a blind hole make a threaded plug longer than required but contour the bottom so this will bottom out on the step but continue through the smaller hole, make a slot on the top of the plug to take a blad screwdriver then screw in with some thread lock so it bottoms out , cut plug both ends and file flush and then drill new hole and tap.

I did about 10 brackets with butchered/odd/mishaped/mismatched/stripped/sheared/threads/rusted solid/screws/cradle caps and whatever else you care to name for a batch of 75 or so No32's brought in from the sub Continent. After a bit of thought, I did them all. It was a real doddle in the end.

It'd take a bit of time to explain but if anyone is really desperate

:D Peter, if you've done that many you should have it down pat by now. Want to do one more?
Jm, luckily it does'nt match the rifle. However it is an early N92 bracket and it's a shame it got buggered up the way it did. The caps would be easy enough to fix. The bracket itsself would be more difficult. Theres not much room left to drill/tap larger and fit a threaded bushing. My idea is to drill out the threads without enlarging the holes anymore than necessary and solder in bushings with the correct thread. I'll post pics later.

My appologies for the fuzzy pics, my camera did'nt want to cooperate today

I will only do it PROVIDED that a) I see a photo or two first and b) nobody's made the job worse in the meantime with a bit of what we call in technical circles '.......tinkering'

I won't be throwing the old screws away in a hurry. I have another 2 scopes and brackets with the odd chewed screw. I will make up another set from the best of the bunch for the other one thats fitted to my second 4T and possibly put a dab of weld on the rest and re-cut a slot for my spare scope and bracket.
It's interesting that Fultons have someone that's able to produce hard to find parts in small numbers. Does anyone have any knowledge of other hard to find parts. Who knows, if there is enough people interested maybe Fultons would take the job on?

Some of you may recall that Roger and I had a batch (100) of No.32 scope brackets made. Obviously these required 200 x clamping or thumb screws and 800 x cradle screws. What with over runs I have a few spare. I can do them for the same price as Fulton's but that includes postage.