Quote Originally Posted by Edward Horton View Post

The majority of bedding problems our Enfield Riflesicon have is because they were not re-oiled monthly with RAW linseed oilicon and the wood shrank as the wood dehydrated.
I'm sorry Ed, but I think you are mistaken in this. I see no evidence whatsoever in the majority of rifles that bedding problems are the result of wood shrinkage from lack of oil or other agent. In fact I rarely see much evidence of wood shrinkage at all - on the contrary, its remarkable how many very old rifles have incredibly tight stock fit. Enfields were of course stocked using naturally seasoned or kiln-dried wood, thus the wood was de facto pre-shrunk anyway. In fact one of the properties of linseed oilicon is that it appears to soak wood without causing any expansion or structural alteration. IMHO, bedding problems most commonly arise from wear and tear (especially in the draws) or poor maintenance.