SMLE MkV Stock.

[Brit plumber]

I was looking at a Enfield No.4 Mk1 today that had what I thought was a Mk3 butt. I had a good handle of it and the butt just didnt feal like a Mk3, it felt thinner at the hand grip area and I thought to my self MkV. Can anyone tell me if the MkV butt is thinner than the Mk3?

It also had some early LB wood on it, the lower was the type with the cut out for the magazine cut off. If it hadn't been for the fact that all marking had been scrubbed I may have been tempted.

ATB, Chris.

Information

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[Simon P]

My SMLE MkV has a normal thickness butt, the same as all of my other military SMLE`s, however my commercial LSA MkI has a more slender type butt

[Surpmil]

Some Long Branch butts were distinctly thinner in the wrist/grip area. The underside of the wrist is very slightly convex and the 'cut in' at the bottom of the wrist is noticeably deeper.

A decent Long Branck MkI forend is not an easy thing to find, so probably worth picking up for the wood alone. I can't say when those butts were made, but I don't think they were early production like the MkI forend.