4T owners and anybody of a nervous disposition, look away now!

[Peter Laidler]

The reason why the original Lee Metfords were maqnufactured with a two piece butt and fore-end was that during the trials with the original and first Lee brought here for trials, the butt snapped during the bayonet part of the trials so it was decreed that the Lee Metfords would have a large sturdy bolt where the butt was weak. The rest is history.............

The P-14's were more substantial and didn't break during trials so remained one piece.

We have that original LEE at Warminster and the butt was still broken and missing until about 4 years ago when it was found in a box of 'junk'. I repaired it with the usual Armourers patchwork and it's now got a pride of place in among the hallowed Lee Enfield part of the collection.

[Strangely Brown]

My big question would be do you think they actually bought complete No4(T)’s and broke them down for their actions or did they manage to get a job lot of previously used receivers from rifles that had been broken down for spare parts and later sold off by the MOD?

I don't believe for a moment that Geoff Hart or Bert Whittaker would have bought a No4 T complete with a full CES, you have to remember that at this time there was no interest in Enfields, or certainly not to the extent we see today.
It is only through the publication of books and articles like Peter's "An Armourer's Perspective" and Ian Skennerton's book "The Lee Enfield" that the interest has grown, throw into that the loss of pistol shooting (in the UK) and it is then very apparent that the last ten years has seen this meteoric rise in all things Enfield.
Bert Whittaker worked at RSAF Enfield Lock, so I think it is safe to say that much of his stock probably came from there.

[Peter Laidler]

I'd have to disagree that the Whittaker stock of No4T's came from the RSAF because while there, they were owned by the UK MoD or War Department and there were no direct sales. I know that when the Mk3 Brens were going in for conversion they all came back unless there was a paper trail certifying destruction.

I understood that he got them from a dealers in Leicester but this is only heresay. The name SCRAPTOFT LANE seems toring a few bells. Can anyone confirm/deny this. DRP?

[me2]

Nice looking, but wierd in a way to see that famous butt socket bobbed off. Just where did they anchor that rear action screw?