Canadian Experimental Lightweight No4

[Cantom]

Funny you mention that Bruce. I recall seeing a writeup on AIA and they were considering producing a version of the LB Lightweight Rifle. Not sure if it ever went any further or not? At any rate I've never seen one for sale.

There appears to have been several "variants" of the J5550 produced; probably fooling around with bedding, stock strength, etc.

There also seems to have been some "dispersal" of the surviving examples; there is at least one complete action, (no barrel), and a stock here in Oz. The interesting thing is that the stock, though completely finished, would not correctly accept the action that came with it. Variations on a theme? The trigger-guard attached to this body was steel, unlike the one in the video and the ex-Bob Farris one shown in Skennerton's ""Lee Enfield Story". Could these latter two be the same rifle?.

Part of the problem with the design is that there was not a lot of surface area of recoil-lugs on the body or bearing surfaces on the stock, and as recoil of the body was transferred via a slightly beefed-up "tang" at the rear of the body, there was VERY little wood to absorb and transfer this force without risking splitting the timber. Maybe, if glass-filled nylon had been around.............

---------- Post added at 07:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 PM ----------

Of the three I have handled one had a severely broken, poorly repaired stock, the other had evidence of crackings at the wrist and the third was missing the butt plate.

Hmmm...seems they were a bit too "Lightweight"...

---------- Post added at 07:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 PM ----------

BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen one...I have the pics someone posted of one of these all apart, showing the recoil lugs, stock inletting etc. Found it quite interesting.

---------- Post added at 07:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 PM ----------

Hmmm...seems they were a bit too "Lightweight"...



BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen one...I have the pics someone posted of one of these all apart, showing the recoil lugs, stock inletting etc. Found it quite interesting.

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[Bruce_in_Oz]

Cantom: "I recall seeing a writeup on AIA and they were considering producing a version of the LB Lightweight Rifle".

I was there.

That project and several others went away because it was an engineering nightmare, especially if made in 7.62 NATO. MAYBE in 5.56 or 7.62 x 39..........

Having a rear "leg" like that on the SKS may have transferred recoil a lot better, (and provided somewhere to hang a Mk2-style trigger set-up as well), but that spindly "Mauser-style" stock never looked particularly "soldier-proof".

Your basic Lee Enfield is a WHOLE lot more robust BECAUSE of the two-piece stock system.