Stock Repair On A Brand New Rifle

Some years ago I snatched up a No.4 Mk.2. It was unfired when I obtained it excepting whatever rounds were fired upon manufacture.

My question pertains to the repair to the end of the grip where it's marked with the British arrow and what I suppose are some sort of inspector or source of supply reference of PD 13. This rifle isn't any sort of FTR or repaired piece. I saw it shortly before it came onto the market and it was still in oil paper and cosmoline, not to mention any remotely observant person could tell it was new.

Was it common to perform this repair to change the aforementioned stampings? Was it common to do so on a new rifle for any reason? It seems like it would be faster / easier to slap a new one on seeing how it is 2 pieces after all.

I don't know a lot about Lee Enfields. I bought mainly this one to fill in a spot by L1A1. I do know quite a bit about firearms in general and spent a few years fixing handguns, shotguns and later AR15's that guys seemed to go out of their way to mangle, not to mention all the guns my son and I have managed to "customize". Besides all of that and time spent hanging around the local gunshop I've never seen a long gun break right there not counting one pieces cracking or snapping at the wrist.

I didn't post a picture since it's mainly a question to practices at the factory; Fazakerley, 1955. Don't blame the Scousers. I can add one if needed.

I appreciate any suggestions, ideas, answers etc. Thanks for your time.

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Originally Posted by LowSpeed

Was it common to perform this repair to change the aforementioned stampings?

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No. Not a practice.

Yes, pics would be helpful. Things aren't always what they appear. A rifle you feel is new could be other. Many years ago I personally helped refinish rifles like that and applied cosmoline after. Then anyone can see it's "New"...and it sells better.

Hard to tell what you are describing with out a picture. Are you perhaps talking about a patch at the end of the buttstock?

Patched new woodwork is common. I've had many rifles with stock patches, knots plugged and other minor repairs that were done to new but slightly flawed woodwork at the factory. Of course, it could have been patched after the fact too in service as it was common practice.

I know it's easy to doubt me however I can assure you - it's a new rifle. No indication of any use anywhere to include the inner groove of the extractor, the end of the firing pin, the bolt face, the disassembled bolt, the throat of the barrel, interior of the magazine - all spotless, no indication of wear full stop. No hint of any FTR marks being removed and the serial number aligns with that of a 1955 Fazakerley rifle that wasn't issued. I bought it for $200.00 after it had been seized from some unfortunate soul to satisfy a child support debt. I happened to be one of the guys who executed the seizure order. After it was seized the entire collection was sold via sealed bid. I first saw it still wrapped in the former owners safe. The dealer cleaned it up before he put it on the shelf. It wasn't dressed up to try to increase the sale price - all of that was removed by the dealer, the only reason I saw it wrapped up was because I saw it in the guys walk in safe when we seized it. I paid $200.00 for it. The collection wasn't bought to profit off of this rifle. This was dead weight to the dealer who bought the collection.
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As to where the repair is at - if you prefer call it the pistol grip: it is at the bottom end of the grip, not the butt. Just past the wrist, about 4 inches past the back end of the trigger guard, or the band joining the stock together. Not the butt.

Guys I know no one knows me and as far as anyone knows I could be a blooming idiot but I'm pretty gun savvy I've been an instructor and armorer for better than 10 years and was once recognized as a SME for wounding capacity of certain handgun rounds at distance. I have a pretty decent CV - I just don't know much about the Lee Enfield.

Apparently you cannot just load pictures from the computer to this sight so a picture may be a minute or three. The second description should clear things up though. Thanks for your replies.

Yep, seen them and done hundreds. New, old, worn and new spares still in Ordnance wrapping. It is called a KNUCKLE PATCH. Waste not, want not

I've even seen new walnut wood with minor imperfections filled in with wood filler. A friend of mine who is a serious collector of M1903's has come across exactly the same thing.

As you say, 'waste not want not'.

Thanks for the replies. Question answered! From the grain and other aspects of the stock in that area doesn't offer any indication of a knot or other flaw in the "plugged" area. The reason why shall remain a mystery. If it were me I think I would've used that stock on a rifle being repaired and slapped a new one on this rifle. As it is though it's a very nice piece of work, well fit. It has garnered lots of questions among friends though which led me to post the question. I've only got $200.00 in it. As it is it fits nicely with my L1A1 which has rough looking furniture.

Once again I appreciate the replies and am sorry I didn't get any photographs up along the way. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as I try to finish up the SLR. I hope everyone has a good weekend!

I'm just uploading this picture to ensure that I've done everything correctly. It is the aforementioned repair however no replies are expected unless anyone wishes to. Thanks...

That looks like the place where you would repair if you removed the sight element container from an L39A1.

And the repair itself is a beautiful piece of workmanship.

I think it's just a typical minor repair of slight damage, perhaps a nick. It wasn't to make numbers go away though. They get linished out.

I'm assuming it was damage, I will never get why you'd "repair" a new rifle instead of just sticking a new stock on it and using the "repaired" one on a rifle already being refurbished. Not my place to make such decisions though. The only other reason I could think of is if they struck the wrong stamp on it for whatever reason. In any event it give it character even if it hasn't been used.

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Originally Posted by LowSpeed

if they struck the wrong stamp on it

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They linish it out.

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Originally Posted by LowSpeed

why you'd "repair" a new rifle instead of just sticking a new stock on it

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Economy as Peter has stated many times. Save money.

Low Speed....... I know what the forum flock are saying but believe me, it's a bog standard common repair that every real Armourer has been doing at the factories, as apprentices and out in the army world for the past 100 years. It's a knuckle patch and the butt would split down the grain there as BAR has mentioned. We used to do these day in, day out. You can tell that it's been done by an Armourer by a); the two strengthening dowels (made from tapered oak usually), glued and knocked in tightly and b); the fact that it is well done. New butts came like that too and with heel, toe and cheek patches to boot

Some stock patches are so well done that you can hardly see them. My East India Company musket has several that are almost invisible and these would, most likely, have been done in India or Nepal because it was never in service with the British army.

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

New butts came like that too and with heel, toe and cheek patches to boot

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I've seen woodwork come on US carbines more than anything else that had a knot I would have thought was a reject. In the case of these guys, a patch would have been demanded...

I've done a little cabinetry ( don't have the patience) and agree it's an excellent repair. If I wasn't happy with it I wouldn't have put my hard earned in it.

I'm not complaining about the rifle or the repair. If that was within the parameters of the contract of organization that originally contracted for the rifles then who am I to question it. At the same time if I was the organization paying for new rifles, 1 or 100,000 I would want new rifles in every sense of the word, not a new rifle with a new repair, cosmetic or not. If you were buying a new rifle for yourself would you buy a "new repaired" one over an unblemished on sitting beside of it? You wouldn't because there is no such thing when selling to individuals spending their own money. I don't believe contract stuff should be any different in appearance or function than any commercial item. It was peacetime after all, no rush to supply a fighting army.

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Originally Posted by LowSpeed

It was peacetime after all, no rush to supply a fighting army.

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The thing is the U.K. was completely bankrupt following WW2 and was in dire straights financially because it for many years afterwards. I believe that we made our last lend-lease repayment to the U.S.A. around 2006. We still haven't finished paying for WW1; we probably never will because it is said that it is not in our best interests to repay WW1 "War Loans", don't ask me why. Things were done on a tight budget following WW2, food was still rationed and the emphasis was on exporting goods to earn the country money.

When I need a plank of wood for a project I go to the builders merchant to buy it. I like to get a plank that has no splits and the minimal number of knots; I may need to get 8 or more planks off the racking before I find a plank that suits my requirements. Wood is a natural product and there may be flaws in it.

These rifles were built well before the "throw away" society we live in now came to exist. If a new stock had a minor defect in it, it wasn't thrown away but repaired and used anyhow. I have a beautiful 1945 Long Branch that has a large patch on the side of the butt where it attaches to the butt socket. Same thing, different patch. It was obviously done at the factory prior to assembly. If these rifles were coming down a commercial production line for civilian sales, what the OP states would probably be true but it isn't the case. They were military rifles intended for military use and produced by the thousands.

The phrase at the time was Make Do And Mend. I would think that the original flaw in the stock was perhaps discovered at final inspection, It was certainly standard practice at the motorcycle factories of the time like BSA and Triumph for any defective bikes or engines to be put to one side and any replacement parts needed ordered from stores. Their faults would then be fixed either by repair or replacement at weekends, so as not to hold up the production line during the week.

The rifle and Bren gun factories had a 'rectification bay' or what the workers called 'the hospital'. That's where inspection faults were assessed and rectified. IUf they couldn't be rectified, then the items were stripped and scrapped

I would have thought that having a stock that has been factory repaired with a patch, during production, would be quite an interesting and desirable item to own and have in one's collection.