Might I ask why the Armourers would not be able to fit a forend? Is it because the new weapons had little wood so the old wood working skills were no longer taught? If so was the revised training program lacking in any way or did it just focus on skills more pertained to the modern weapons that lack wood?

I just read a very detailed description of an Ordnance overhaul facility in Egypt during October 1942~March 1943 by Roy Dunlop in his book "Ordnance Went Up Front". He includes a very detailed of the work done in the Britishicon overhaul facility. He wrote very admiringly of the British Armourer-Warrant officers and their skills, discusses the apprentice ship program and the high degree of competence of the technical staff.