Is building a replica 4T a taboo?

[Peter Laidler]

You're right about any 1" scope but the MOST IMPORTANT THING is that the telescope you mount is collimated. That is, the optical axis of the bore mates with the optical axis of the tube. MOST IMPORTANT.............. I have seen some pure, absolute, dire crap, believe me.

Just last week a distant neighbour of mine here in Abingdon has purchased a 7.62mm Enfield - I put it no clearer than that because even I don't know what it's meant to be.......... fitted with a No32 scope. Like the rifle, I'll say 'fitted'; and leave it at that. Just taking a cursory glance at it you can see the telescope is pointing downwards. And, true to form, at 0 yards (yep, still calibrated with yards/imperial range drum......, I ask you) the graticle is just over 3/4 the way up the centre line. Oh yes, it'll drop down when you reach out to longer ranges but even then, it'll only end up where it SHOULD have been at 0!

It's simply mind boggling. I can but try...............

[flying pig]

Ok sounds awesome. Thank you guys very much for the help. I'm very very excited to get going on it now. When I do I'll most definitely post any troubles or questions I run into.

I don't have the rifle, mount or pads in hand just yet, but I have another question already. How do you choose the exact place the pads will sit? Surely they can move ahead and back a little in their placement, was there a standard reference point to measure from or anything?

When I clean the pad area down to bare metal is it best to go a few thou wider than the area the pad will cover to allow for error?

[Peter Laidler]

Front pad up against the breeching up ring and the rear pad to suit. BUT, there were occasions where due to the hardening or the machining of the rear pad area would cause a problem with the front rear pad screw, a slight relaxation was permitted so the pads were moved rearwards about the width of a hacksaw blade.

Maybe a good idea might be to see if while you're doing the conversion, you couldn't borrow a friends genuine tele bracket (and scope now that I think about it.....) That way, when you do manage to acquire the real McCoy in a couple of years time, you can be fairly sure that your newly acquired original bracket will be a fairly close collimated fit onto your project rifle. The alternative to this is to take the slighly more expensive repro route and get one of the EXACT spec brackets from Roger Payne of this site. Sorry if this a bit of illegal advertising, but his brackets, with my aid and backing were trialled, tested and fitted to needy L42's during their last years in service. Most went back onto war-reserve rifles. But that's another story that'll be told one day..............................

[flying pig]

I may just do that Peter. I don't like having regrets down the road.

I actually don't even know of anyone near by who owns an original, so that may be my best bet.

[Surpmil]

You know when they say "taboo"
It's a thing you mustn't do
but I've always found it true
(though I may be different from you)
that the more I try not to,
the more I want to do.
So rather than be blue
without a T or a 32
my advice to you
is go ahead and do...it.

Over and out.

[PrinzEugen]

No one could mind esp if it's revamping a sportered rifle flying pig.
The only thing I would caution is that it's quite a technical thing to do - ballsing up the pad fitting etc could spell doom in terms of accuracy, but then Peter's excellent guides should show how to do it well. You can find them by clicking on the link at the bottom of Peter's posts or here.
One word of warning - costs can in fact spiral above what you'd pay for the real thing. I seem to recall one rifle that after it was converted parts sourced etc was in excess of £2,500! If you spend too much then you're still left with what is a replica.

Good luck tho!

[muffett.2008]

You know when they say "taboo"
It's a thing you mustn't do
but I've always found it true
(though I may be different from you)
that the more I try not to,
the more I want to do.
So rather than be blue
without a T or a 32
my advice to you
is go ahead and do...it.

Over and out.

Don't give up your day job.

[flying pig]

No one could mind esp if it's revamping a sportered rifle flying pig.
The only thing I would caution is that it's quite a technical thing to do - ballsing up the pad fitting etc could spell doom in terms of accuracy, but then Peter's excellent guides should show how to do it well. You can find them by clicking on the link at the bottom of Peter's posts or here.
One word of warning - costs can in fact spiral above what you'd pay for the real thing. I seem to recall one rifle that after it was converted parts sourced etc was in excess of £2,500! If you spend too much then you're still left with what is a replica.

Good luck tho!

That's the beauty of this one so far. I paid $300 shipped for the rifle and all the parts to restore it to No4 MkI/3 stat. I was just given a smoking deal on the scope/pads/mount. After I order the cheek piece from EFD, find a repro sling and a target swivel I will be at just over $1000. If I do decide to go ahead with a transit case etc I have a friend who is a fantastic cabinet maker, so I'll recruit him. Then just a cheap repro tin etc from numrich. I probably won't go that far though, as the complete kit will be the most fun part of buying a real one.

Right now the only complete Longbranch No4T I know of is the one Marstar has listed at $10,500 CDN, so I'll be a long way from that!

[Surpmil]

Don't give up your day job.

For what??

[flying pig]

Ok guys quick update. I have almost all the bits for the rifle itself together now just missing the targety swivel and waiting for stuff to show up. Also bought a Transit chest for a No7. How much dimensionally different are they from the 4T chest? Don't plan on using this chest for this rifle in the long run but thought it would be nice to have a real milspec chest to look off of for the finer details when we build the repro.