Some business friends in the UK are considering having made and selling full sets of taps for smle and are asking around to ascertain potential interest.
Disregarding cost for the moment, anyone here interested?
cheers Roger
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Some business friends in the UK are considering having made and selling full sets of taps for smle and are asking around to ascertain potential interest.
Disregarding cost for the moment, anyone here interested?
cheers Roger
Put me down for a set.
They were available a couple of years ago, and the COST was around $150 Cdn. They did up a set of the 26 1/2 tpi threads. I put them on the old Culver page for a chum who had them done and not a bite at all.....Lots of interest, but no money and price was at cost as minimum order was for 10 sets. All my chum wanted was to get his money back.
Like anything else, the climate has changed. I should think there would be a lot of interest now.
There are Taps & Dies vailable at 26 TPI - not being an engineer would that be close enough to work instead of 26 1/2 TPI ?
http://www.tapdie.com/html/bscycle__26tpi_.html
depends on the length of thread engagement. A little bit won't matter, .e.g. 2BA is usually fine when I'm making swivel screws.
If anyone really wants the taps and dies..., but not Enfield threads, just the usual BA's and UNF's then save yourself a whole lot of money and order them direct rrom the UK's largest and most efficient tap and die retailer. Contact TRACEY TOOLS of DARTMOUTH in Devon.
If you are interested, then I'll find the address and phone number but I'm sure that they'll be i the internet by now. Some of the buy it now auction house prices have been absolutely eye watering.................
I'll back up Peter on Tracey Tools.
http://www.tracytools.com/
Your post mentions taps but no dies. I would be interested in both taps and dies to the Enfield thread.
I am interested. Have some BA taps and dies, but would like to get the real thing.
Could be interested if cost is reasonable. Mainly interested in the small screw threads.
I would be interested if the price is reasonable.
Just order what you want from Tracey tools. You won't (?) find quality taps and dies anywhere cheaper in England.
They stock EVERYTHING. I even got some Thompson gun SAE size taps and they even got me Enfield bolt head size too
GREAT firm to deal with. Just tell 'em what you want
Not to step on RJWT32 or Mr. Laidlers British source BUT for the Americans who bought British sports cars and Enfield rifles………………….
British Tools & Fasteners: TAPS
Very good site, best info I have seen for a long time. :beerchug:
Ha s any one any idea where I can get Enfield tread taps and dies, particularly those for the treads used on the SMLE Mk III.
Regards
Andy G
This has been asked on numerous occasions over the years and the general consensus is "not available".Quote:
Originally Posted by Andyg009
The No1 threads were an in-house 'Enfield Special'
Examples :
Rear Trigger Guard Screw No1 Mk3 = 0.144" dia x 37 TPI
Front Trigger Guard Screw No1 Mk3 = 0.25" dia x 30 TPI
Rear Trigger Guard Screw No4 = 4BA (0.142" dia x 38.5 TPI)
Front Trigger Guard Screw No4 = 1/4" BSF x 26 TPI
Close but not the same
Alan is spot on!
The only thing approaching a "standard" thread on a SMLE is the stock bolt: 0.4375 x 14 TPI. This is close enough to 7/16 Whitworth, apart from the "Enfield" thread form.
Enfield did its own "thing" with thread forms until the No4 came along. Lots of odd pitches: 33 and 37 TPI being popular. How many forumers have a lathe that will cut 37 TPI? Let alone the 26 1/3 TPI of the bayonet catch and nut and dial sight screw, or the 42 TPI on the extractor screw. With custom screw making machinery, it's a walk in the park, however, I suspect that the enormous problems of providing custom tooling to a myriad manufacturers in the peddled scheme of WW1 provided an interesting lesson. Hence the change to Whitworth, BSF and BA on the No4.
As near as I can understand it, Enfield thread form is 49deg 40min included angle, with radiused roots and crests similar to BA form. but I stand to be corrected.
Over on the Enfield Apprentices website there is a table of Enfield threads. See here:
Threads for Lee Enfield Rifle
Interestingly, this site lists the stock bolt as 7/16 Whitworth, but A. I. D. 1319 lists it as .4375 x 14 RH (Enfield Standard).
Hope everyone has had a good Christmas and best wishes for the new year.:beerchug:
If anyone is going to get taps and dies made for anyone...GET THE MONEY UP FRONT !!!!!
As previously stated, the Enfield taps and dies were done in the UK some years ago and it took 4 or 5 years to sell off the 10 sets. Almost with out exception, those who ordered them got REAL scarce. I've had the same thing happen as well, so now, no money up front, no deal.
The present economic climate does not encourage speculative ventures and the manufacture of this tooling is very speculative.
The front trigger guard screw is 1/4-in x 30tpi. Taps and dies for this can be obtained from UK as it is a standard in the model making business. The stockbolt thread can be dressed using a 7/16 BSW.
Wheaty and Enfield Lock are SO right. Most, if not ALL of those who need the early Enfield spec taps and dies knoiw what threads are in the 'so close' category, as mentioned by E-L above. And once again, most if not all of those that need them, really only use the taps to clean out old threads. IN this case, it's a very simple matter to make a suitable clearing/cutting tap from a bolt and have it case hardened.
I made cutting/clearance taps for the various 'threads over a diameter' pieces for the No32 telescope. These include the Ocular thread in the tube, the male and female front shade threads, M and F OG lens counter cell threads and so on. All made from steel and case hardened. For your SMLE's the nuts and bolts are already there. They just need adapting to cut and hardened