At last, an L 42 question

[RJW NZ]

We just don't discuss them much here at all ... wish I had one, or two, Actually I'd love to see a profile or shooting report from a member if there's one in the circle.

If one looks at the trigger guard and that little plate added to the inner surface at the front, is there a corresponding recess in the wood for it to bed into?
If there isn't, surely that would lift the guard off its rails and other areas where it must touch, yet in the diagrams I've seen for the plate there's no mention what is done about the wood side.
If larger area plates are made for accurizing purposes the wood is recessed, and the metal thickness is similar.

Information

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[Brian Dick]

The forend is inletted at the front guard screw area for the little steel plate. It slides into the inletting which holds it tightly.

[Peter Laidler]

Initially this steel plate was to be used in those well used rifles with used fore-ends that could be re-used with a bit of strengthening up. Later, during production it was decided to do it to all of them including the spare fore-ends undergoing conversion. So whether a rifle has or hasn't got a plate is no indication of whether it's late or early

[Cold_Zero]

Later fore-end with the plate present.

[RJW NZ]

Oh, I made an error in my question and learned a whole new thing. I thought the L 42 had a small plate, shaped to the front one inch of the trigger guard which is soldered to the trigger guard, and makes a step effect. I'll see if I can find the picture. In the meantime thanks for this, a whole new thing to get into.

[Peter Laidler]

It's no secret that this steel plate was copied from a FULTON idea that had been used for many years. However, the reason was different........ sort of. The Fulton idea was to spread the load of the tight front trigger guard screw over a greater area whereas the L42 idea was to save some old, well used and crushed but otherwise serviceable fore-ends to give greater/extended use. By, er............. spreading the load of the tight front trigger guard screw!

Good question RJW!

[RJW NZ]

OK, I found the pics that started this. initially I saw drawings from some military spec sheet for the L 42 and it described a set up like this, a plate the same area as the front of the TG, 1/16th thick, but even though I later found L 42 images I never could find out what the wood set up was supposed to be underneath or how this was supposed to be different than not having the plate, the area's the same after all.

[Thunderbox]

OK, I found the pics that started this. initially I saw drawings from some military spec sheet for the L 42 and it described a set up like this, a plate the same area as the front of the TG, 1/16th thick, but even though I later found L 42 images I never could find out what the wood set up was supposed to be underneath or how this was supposed to be different than not having the plate, the area's the same after all.

I think this version was originally a gunsmith method of widening a "waisted" triggerguard, but later used where the wood was already crushed. It was very common for Fultons and other 'smiths to discard the front trigger guard screw bushing, as target shooters liked to think they were then able to get a much tighter bedding.

[Peter Laidler]

That isn't the L42 way RJW. The L42 was as shown in the pics by Cold Zero. What you have there, from memory, was the patented FULTON idea that they used on their target regulated rifles. Being a thicker plate and wider to boot, the L42 idea spread the load over a greater area.

[bigduke6]

Slightly off the subject but noticied on the very top sticky ( Service for L42A1 etc ....) member (303 collector) has an L42 marked as XL42E1, just wonder how many of these would of been produced ?