Accurizing No.4

[Peter Laidler]

Barbarossa asks/suggests that this fitting of draws article should be incorporated into the Knowledge Library. It already IS in the library Barbarossa, complete with pictures, written by me about a year or so ago! I suggest fitting wood dowels too but that's because during my long apprenticeship, we were taught that a glued wood patch on a rifle should be reinforced with hardwood pegs. This is because of the heat generated and the oily nature of the wood.

As for the Australian copper blocks, well, Brian has explained that but in all honesty, we never saw them on those remaining UK Military No1 rifles, but as any chippie (or cabinet maker will confirm........... Can you pass your pro comments here TBone) will agree, the notion that you can keep the copper blocks secure with a standard 1/4" or so long, thin wood screw down the grain of the fore-end is flawed practice. The best that can be said is that the screw would hold the blocks in place while the fore-end was replaced........, where they'd be held secure afterwards.

Those copper blocks might spread the load over a wider but narrower area. But in any case SO marginally as to be incalculatable. Think about it............. what's the difference between the load being taken directly on the wood or on the wood via copper blocks? Just my view

If it was my SMLE I'd get rid of the block screws (they're always stripped.....) and patch the fore-end exactly as we show, with a block of hardwood