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I hope someone can answer a question regarding a no 4 conversion. Why would there be a filled drilled hole in the stock very close to the butt end and the bolt, which I assume goes through the receiver.. I would attach a picture but my IT skills are lacking. Regards Steve
From the dodgy description, the filled hole is the SCREW, tie, fore-end. It holds both sides of the rear of the fore-end together. It also indicates that the rifle was originally a Mk1/2 a 1/3 or a Mk2 - but not necessarily!
Thanks Peter. I wish I could attach a picture that would be far more useful than my dodgy description! Steve
What Peter says. The forend is either original and someone filled the hole over the screw and nut or it's a Mk.2 forend on a Mk.1 rifle with the holes filled. Have you had it off? You have to remove the screw to get it off so that will tell the story PDQ.
You could send me a pic and I'll attach it for you...check your PMs for an email address...Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve1152
Thanks everyone for your help it's as Peter and Brian have said it appears to be Mk2 forend on a MK1 rifle with the holes filled in as there is another screw/bolt nearer to the butt. Steve
Here's a pic of the offending filled hole for Steve1152...
Nope....... it is a Mk1/2, 1/3 or 2 rifle. That wood filler plug indicates that the drawers have been fixed in the past
The forward hole is to tighten the foreend part of the bedding procedure frequently seen on target LEs, SR(b) competition rifle a service rifle modified for target shooting.
One more question based on the last post regarding a modification for target rifles, would this adaption been considered or done to an Enfield Enforcer?
Whether the wood inserts are to reinforce the new drawers or to prevent the rear of the fore-end moving from L to R, I can't really imagine an Enforcer being repaired in such a way. Simply based on the fact that in the great scheme of things, they were used very little, didn't get a hard life and were very probably a one-man-dog so to speak.
As a bit of an aside while admitting to being a bit of an amateur here, I can't really see the point of the two wood peg inserts to prevent the fore-end moving or tightening anything. After all, if you really needed to tighten it up a tad, you'd just screw the tie-bolt/nut up a bit. That way the rear of the fore-end would grip the Mk1/2, 1/3 or 2 trigger block. End of problem. That's how we did it when fitting fore-ends in the first place
Hi Peter thanks for your reply. It certainly gives more food for thought. Regards Steve
I have an L-39 with twin dowels on either side of the receiver wall. I was told, and have read, that they were used to minimize vibration in the receiver under recoil, and is done to target/competition rifles.
No proof other that what I've read.
Wasn't this part of the mod's carried out by DCRA on the Canadian match rifles. There's write up's on this site. I nearly purchased one once and it had the same pegs. It doesn't need to be a long branch either as they converted other makes in that they possessed too, that's as I understand it anyway. Goodluck.
Thanks for your input. I am now wondering if this type of mod has any effect on the rifles value as it non standard.
To answer that Q, you'll have to say exactly what you've got. Is it an Enforcer? An L39, a commercial conversion or wot! Would be interesting to know what your particular wood pegs were for. Rebuilt drawers or a means to prevent L&R movement.
The pags weren't an authorised modification in the UK service and as such (thread 14), you'd have to be pretty careful at the scrutineers bay before any UK MIlitary competition. If he saw and noticed it and it wasn't approved he could just bar you. The UK Military were also fairly strict about non standard modifications. For example, a couple of L39's that had been used in non service competitions by the local TA Regiment here* were returned to Ordnance when they were withdrawn. A week or so later a snotty report was sent down from RSSD Ordnance to the OC/Quartermaster why the fore-ends had been butchered unlawfully and contrary to EMER spec by having hand-stop/bipod rails inletted. Well, it takes all sorts.
*the rifles were loaned to a local school who'd been using the L39's for many years instead of the crap L81's
The NRA Lee-Enfield pamphlet also has examples of the sidewall pegs and their purported purpose. (say that fast three times.)
Under Bisley, DCRA and other Commonwealth rifle orgs service rifle competition was shot under two classifications:
Service Rifle a (SRa) the service rifle exactly as issued
Service Rifle b (SRb) the service rifle modified with target sights, target slings and swivels, ball burnished barrels, non service bedding including the plugs, but retaining the appearance of the service arm.
These peg's are present on my Fulton's regulated N04 Mk1/2.
I assume it was part of there bedding modifications.
All very well of course but what sort/type of 762 rifle does the questioner have is the only way to answer his Q 15! As for those SRB rules and regulations, yes, some of these changes are/were permitted under the Equipment Regulations. But the point that I am making is that those same relaxations also specified that when the rifles went back to Ordnance, they went back 'as issued'. If you give me an hour or so I'll quote the chapter and verse in relation to the No8 and L39.
And we STILL don't know what the pegs in the questioners rifle indicate! Maybe one of the resident experts can tell us why such pegs would be required on the fore-end of a Mk1/2, /3 or 2 rifle when tghe rear end of the fore-end grips the trigger block. Answers on a postcard.............
It was a mod originally used on the No1 MK III by Fultons, and transferred to the No4 rifles and even the Envoy rifles worked over for the 1970 Palma by Fulton's had this mod applied. I have also seen it on some of the Fulton 7.62 No 4 mods, which look liked of like an L39 variant made in the early 1970 to mid 70s.
As to exactly what it did, well unfortunately when Robin Fulton went to his grave all of the family records were destroyed, or so I was told when making a formal inquiry to Fulton's 15~16 years ago. When trying to figure it out and looking at the full compendium of mods and why they did them The best theory that explains why they did it I can come up with is as follows:
The pegs really do nothing on a brand new and correctly bedded rifle. However over time stocks dry out, recoil loosens the draws and at some point a minor amount of play an develop in the rear draws/forend seat. Not exactly loose, but with sufficient loss of tightness that things can move under recoil and consistent side sling pressure. The pegs then, because they push against the side of the big metal thingy that forms the front of the draw, does not allow the rear forend set to shift side to side under recoil, which becomes a distinct possibility when shooting with a tight sling like competitive shooters do. So its primary purpose seems to be allow the bedding to last a bit longer, exactly how much longer I have no idea.
It had some utility as the Canadian 7.62 Mod used it as well, though they had 2 pegs on each side, one high and one low, which was applied in 1963 and later rifles, though it might actually have been used even earlier. Single peg mod rifle exist too, though exactly who did that is unknown.
In the Fulton mod No 1 MK III rifles form the post 1934 rules (which allowed up to 2 oz of added metal bedding ads) to the 1950s, they originally had 2 sets of screws on the forend that fixed the side to side play of the action body, and even had a modified welded flat added to the action bodies to provide a larger bedding seat. So the procedure goes back at least to the 1930s, in a modified form.
It should be mentioned that when talking to a older Canadian service rifle shooter form the era (mid late 1960s) who was a bit of a iconoclast, that a lot of the so-called mods were really window dressing, that it was more of a selling point that actually doing anything. It was his assertion that a lot of the hidden art of service rifle bedding was simply bunk (with the exception of center bedding), that standard service action body bedding, in particular getting the front forend action screw pressure correct (British ordnance had a tool to do that), barrel seat pressure and correctly fit draws was the key. So he alleged that a lot of the services of match tuners was really nothing more than collecting money from folks and giving the shooter the confidence he had the best possible rifle.
Thanks to Fred (above) for the perfect answer in relation to a No1 or a No4 Mk1 and 1/1. So what earthly reason would said pegs be needed on a Mk1/2, /3 and2 rifle, the subject of this thread, whereby the rear of the fore-end grips the sides of the trigger block. Fred's last para - or sentence, probably says it all
Thanks to everyone's input its been an interesting read and improved my knowledge.
But YOU haven't answered the questions we/I've asked Steve. What MARK of rifle do you have and what TYPE of rifle do you have. They are relevant to the Q you asked
It's an Enfield Enforcer. However I have seen these filled holes on an L39A1.