Accurizing No.4

[tbonesmith]

Gives me ideas anyway, I'd like to make a router jig to do these cutouts, and that looks like an ideal shape, still to save time you'd have to be able to easily make the male piece too... Hmmm....

[Rumpelhardt]

Some what related but not exactly. Just wondering why the copper recoil blocks were not used on the no.4 rifles? It seems to me with my very limited knowledge that this would help strengthen this area.

[jmoore]

This is not my job but how Lithgow tried to improve it's recoil lugs in the late 20's. This sort of thing is not often seen because rifles made in this period retaining the forend from new manufacture are fairly scarce. I'm sure the majority of you know that anyway

No, I really haven't seen that before! Or maybe I just forgot- which is altogether possible. So, don't assume any of us have seen it all- I don't think it's possible!

[jmoore]

Some old but useful reference threads:

Getting the most accuracy from a No. 4 MK1*

regarding No 4 and No 5 rifle bedding

The single pressure thing.

Disappearing trigger stage. Ideas welcome.

Need help/advice on a wandering POI problem See post #33 for a Canadian approach

[Brian Dick]

The little copper plates were only fitted on Australian rifles stocked with coachwood and Queensland maple because the wood itself is softer than most North American and European hardwoods making it more prone to breakage. It wasn't necessary for No.4 production as they were normally stocked in beech, walnut or birch.

[Demo]

Lithgow did also install the plates into English rifles that came into Australian service also.

[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