Wrapping a Lee Enfield No1MK3 for grenade launcher

Hello Gents,

I am in the process of restoring a No1Mk3. I have cobbled together a stock from the rifle's original sporterized stock and some old bits I've had laying around. The issue is where the stocks are fused is very conspicuous. It just so happens to be where the a grenade launcher wrapping would be. So what the hell?

Does anyone know how to wrap these things? I've been searching for Peter Laidler's article on the subject, but I can't seem to access it... Any and all advice is welcome. I'll post some pics once the acraglass has finished setting.

I've seen the wire ends secured with nails, screws or just solder. I restored one and it was a lot of work. Was your rifle originally modified for grenade firing? Be aware that if the receiver and/or knox form is not stamped GF or EY in big ugly letters it would be easily identified as an incorrect restoration.

No, it was not as far as I can tell. I am doing this more for the stock than trying to make a forgery. Eventually, I will buy a better stock for it - either repro or original. But for the meantime, this is one of possible options for fixing up the stock.

Here's an earlier thread and discussion about the wire wrapping, complete with pictures.

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=68104

Good luck!

Peter once confided to us that the wire was wrapped while held and turned by hand in a lathe. A spud is in the bore and one in the position of the bolt so it turns steady, the wire should be restrained to keep it tight and then soldering wouldn't be so hard. Also screws or nails will hold it tight... No buttstock would be on it while in the lathe...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Peter once confided to us that the wire was wrapped while held and turned by hand in a lathe. A spud is in the bore and one in the position of the bolt so it turns steady, the wire should be restrained to keep it tight and then soldering wouldn't be so hard. Also screws or nails will hold it tight... No buttstock would be on it while in the lathe...

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I don't have a lathe on hand, but I might be able to use a friend's. Thank you for this info.

Peters article from 2008 (I don't have the pictures tho')

You might be interested to know that the last time, so far as I’m aware, that No1 EY rifles were removed from mobilization/war reserve stocks for overhaul was in the late 60’s. This was certainly the case for the UK MoD. It would appear that they were removed again within a year or so later, destined for the great scrap yard in the sky. But have you ever wondered how it was done?

Right, this is how. The .060” diameter copper wire …..OK then for you oldies, 17SWG would be unrolled from the spool then wrapped tightly around a thick, stout hardwood handle, as shown in the picture. This was the way that the wire was kept tight. The rifle being overhauled or donor rifle would be greased-up and assembled, less the butt and bolt and a brass plug pressed or tapped lightly into the muzzle so that it gripped the rifling. Then a totally stripped slave bolt was inserted into the boltway. The brass plug was then put into a lathe chuck and a rotating centre inserted into the hole at the rear of the bolt. Thus, the butt-less rifle would rotate about the axis of the bore.

The end of the copper wire would be threaded through a .060” hole in the fore-end, at the start point of the binding (or just under the nose-cap for the first run…..). Then the Armourer, holding the wooden handle tight, would allow the lathe to run at a very slow speed while he kept the handle and wire TIGHT but allowed it to wind its way down for the required distance. The distances being 5” down from the nose-cap and for 2” up, from a point 1.5” from the front of the body. It could all be done quite quickly

The first and last 6 coils of the binding were soldered. Simple isn’t it.

The rifle shown here, from the Small Arms School at Warminster shows the correct marking applicable to the period with the yellow EY and dark green band extending to both sides of the butt. Interestingly and contrary to popular belief, the EY rifle (and the Sub Standard rifle) was perfectly safe for firing ball ammunition but the extra bore wear and subsequent lack of accuracy was catered for in a more relaxed accuracy pattern on the Armourers test range. And yes, they were all range tested too!

Thanks to former Armourer ‘Robbie’ Robertson who was able to shed light on this. Robbie also commented that ‘………….. we did about 250 of the rifles in 1967 or so but I don’t ever remember seeing any of the actual cups since Korea in the early 50’s. I don’t think we had any!’

Maybe, just maybe, the EY rifle ought to be classed as a true classic and deserving of a place in every Enfield collection, alongside that other now classic, the DP L59 No4


Edit : Found Peters original post (complete with pictures)

https://www.milsurps.com/content.php...ter-Laidler%29

I was working from memory...turning at a low speed... The slowest speed I know of is about 40RPM which is for threading and far too fast for this.