Lee Enfield No 4 MK 1* Butt Stock.

Hi Guys

My rifle came with a short stock and I need the longer stock. I have read Peter's article on fitting the Butt. In it he mentions

TWO shapes inside top surface, inside the No4 rifle butt socket. The OLD ex SMLE shapewith a rounded step on the right and a tapered step on the left and the post 1942 (?, but that’s what we called them …..) shape of tworounded steps.
Officially, and according to our EMER’s, you CAN fit a double
rounded stepped butt to a single round/taper step body after adjusting
the wood accordingly. But you CANNOT fit a single rounded/taper
step butt to a double rounded butt socket. This is because, try as you
might, you’ll never truly get it tight ….., or if you do, it won’t last!

Can someone please tell me I have the wrong replacement butt for the socket on my rifle.


Attachment 82227Attachment 82228

Regards Chubbs

You WILL get it tight because the two squared shoulders on the butt on the right - close to the actual butt part will engage in the two squared shoulders at this end of the butt socket. THAT prevents rotation. What achieves TIGHTNESS is the taper between the butt and butt socked. Fit it carefully taking a gnats knacker off the butt taper part at a time and it. Knock the butt into the taper BUT NOT BY KNOCKING THE REAR OF THE BUTT until the butt seats firmly and tightly in the socket. Make sure that there's a slight clearance between the shoulder and the butt socket. Dollop of GREASE XG-279 inside the butt socket, insert steel washer, thackray/double coil spring washer and stock bolt. Tighten up with the BIT, screwdriver, stock bolt until you JUST feel the earth about to slow down on its axis in its orbit around the sun. That is tight enough

Thank you Peter.

I knew someone would ask........... How the xxxx can you knock the butt into the butt socket without bashing the back of the butt. Simple...... just do what Armourers used to do when fitting butts day in and day out. On the tool bench was a 1 foot long oak dowel, the diameter of the stock bolt hole. You put that down the stock bolt hole and use that to knock the butt into the socket.

Hmm. I took it to mean get it tight and then give it a tap. Lucky for me it all went well with a 2mm gap from the socket all round.
Cheers once again Peter.

Regards Chubbs

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

On the tool bench was a 1 foot long oak dowel, the diameter of the stock bolt hole. You put that down the stock bolt hole and use that to knock the butt into the socket.

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That saves beating the shyte out of the crafting at the back of the butt or flattening out the buttplate at the trap as I've seen post fitting.

Hi Peter
In your guide to fitting the Butt you say to leave a 2mm gap between the socket and Butt which i have done.
However I have just read the Canadian First Line Maintenance Book and in the section on fitting the butt it states
d. Test the butt for security and alignment.
The clearance between the rear face of
the butt socket in the body and the
shoulder of the butt tenon shall not
exceed 0.51 millimetre (0.020 inch);

I take it this is the gap you are talking about
Attachment 82273
Stock photo and not my rifle.

Is this different for the Long Branch rifles as that is what I have. Or am I miss reading it.

Regards Chubbs

When I replaced the butt on my '42 LB No.4 MK1* last year, I posted photos on this site of the fit of the butt to the socket. In this photo, I had about a 2mm gap. This was judged to be excessive.

https://www.milsurps.com/attachment....3&d=1468203411



This was judged to be acceptable. Gap is less than 1mm.



https://www.milsurps.com/attachment....5&d=1468642918


Link to thread:

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=57343&page=2

Without being pedantic but using experience, we used to say the width of the back edge of a hacksaw blade. But whatever you do, there MUST be a gap to prevent the splitting of the butt which we see time and time again on the forum

Thanks Littlejohn and Peter.

I have just measured a hacksaw blade and it is indeed a smidgen over .5mm. So a little more trimming needed.

Regards Chubbs

Don't be tooooo pedantic. If there is a visible gap the butt won't split! But during trade test time, the gap had top be exactly what Mr Ayley or Reilly said, all the way round

Hi Peter

Could you tell what the purpose of putting XG279 on the butt collar. is it to stop the wood drying out or to expand it in the socket?

Regards Chubbs

prevent rust forming between the absorbent wood and rust prone steel

Thank you Peter.

And make sure that it's slathered on between the body and barrel and fore-end too.