Enforcer and L39 Front Sight Base Attachment

[Brian B]

Peter and group,

Alan de Enfield was kind enough to secure and send me a new front sight base to replace a bubba front sight on an Enforcer Clone I am working on. I am using a 1969 hammer forged barrel that the previous owner removed the base and installed a No 4 front sight base onto.

I believe this is the same base as the L39. It is a sleeve with a dovetail mount that slides over the end of the barrel.


Below is a picture of the sight base that I have.




My question is:

How is the front sight holder attached to the barrel? It appears that there might be a square key that is driven through the sight that keeps the base attached to the barrel. Or, is it silver soldered in place? You can see the square notch where the dovetail mount is attached to the sleeve that slides over the barrel.

Second question: Where can I source the hex head screw that clamps the Matchmaker front sight into the dovetail?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Brian

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Peter Laidler]

On the L39, it was soft soldered to the barrel. But be advised that if the past owner installed a No4 foresight block, he MIGHT have machined the barrel down to fit the original block diameter ( is it .6" or so?). This is what happened on the first L39's and early L42's but afterwards, as a result of some barrels bulging at the muzzle, the muzzles were left a larger diameter and the foresight block band internally machined to a larger diameter to suit.

The bulging was never truly identified as being caused by the smaller barrel diameter but bulged muzzle incidents certainly decreased afterwards.

My first L42 had a bulged muzzle, 3/4" back but it didn't worry me as I cut it back an inch and re-machined it. It shot like a pig afterwards. I even set it all up on the Armourers test range at Aldershot and it spread the group around and showed them at Shrivenham during a class lesson on the range, supervised by Col. Mike xxxxxx from the light weapons ballistics lab and Nigel xxxxxx from the Ammo lab and it was just down to the poor harmonics of the 'new' 1" shorter barrel. Luckily, spare barrels were ten a penny then!

There, another little bit of useless Lee Enfield knowledge you didn't know about and a bit of advice too. Don't cut the barrel short!

[Thunderbox]

Fultons always fix these on with Loc-tite. Seems to be perfectly adequate, and a lot easier to set up on an already-fitted barrel than solder. Certainly, the Loc-tite'd ones I have taken off barrels have required a blowtorch and mallet to remove....

[Brian B]

Peter and Thunderbox,

Thank you very much for you insight and advice. It appears that the PO reamed out the No 4 foresight block as I can still see the sleeve of the old L39 foresight block around the barrrel.

Thanks again,

Brian

[Gnr527]

I bought some Allen head screws (I think they are BA2 or 4) which are 2.77mm (.109") dia, 15.77mm (.605") long with 4.54mm (.178") dia heads - approx 48TPI.

Not sure these are the correct screws but they do work

[Peter Laidler]

In the locktite re soft solder debate, I'm of the '...if it's threaded, locktite it. If it's sleeved, soft solder it' school of thought. A bit old fashioned I know. But when I restoted my old Mini Cooper, I opted to lead-load instead of going down the poly-filla road. I know....., it's just me!

[Surpmil]

The A. J. Parker "Matchmaker" foresight bases I've seen had no slot or screw, just a dovetail slot. For a little added security you could drill and tap the bottom of the slot for whatever size grub screw you like and then tighten that down on the barrel, within reason of course. The sight would cover the unsightly hole...

[Gnr527]

I think someone was seeking a Matchmaker foresight a while ago - cant find the thread

see Helson Gun Smiths

Ps - I have no tie with them

[jmoore]

In the locktite re soft solder debate, I'm of the '...if it's threaded, locktite it. If it's sleeved, soft solder it' school of thought.

If you do go the LocTite route, there's different grades for threaded fasteners AND purpose made cylindrical part locking grades (press fit and slip fit variants), including a high-temp version.

The latter might be best if rapid fire 10 shot strings are on the menu.