Keep us informed of progress Tiriaq, photographically too. I hope you photographed yours during the manufacturing stages too Rod. Fantastic project.
Speaking of which, I wonder where the NZBC film/programme about the NZ war production went or whether it still exists in some dusty old archive. That will show one being fired. It also showed the crates of brand new unopened No4's that were stored in the big sheds that backed onto the railway sidings. Alas, when they did open the crates the rifles were just rotted out rust heaps as they'd come over as deck cargo. According to my boss, it was filmed in '65 or so, before I went there
It also showed the crates of brand new unopened No4's that were stored in the big sheds that backed onto the railway sidings. Alas, when they did open the crates the rifles were just rotted out rust heaps as they'd come over as deck cargo. According to my boss, it was filmed in '65 or so, before I went there
In 1969 I was working for W H Tisdall Ltd, Christchurch, as a gunsmith and firearms salesman. We had dozens of cases of brand-new Long Branch No 4's that had come from Army Stores. Ten rifles per case, and they had been stamped N^Z on the butts then repacked, and all in brand-new, rust-free condition. They were all two-groove barrels and L rear sights. They sold for NZ$29.95 each or $35.00 sporterised. I took a case home every Friday night and bought them back on monday, sporterised for $3.50 each. As my weekly take-hime pay was only $55, the extra $35 (tax-free) was a significant boost for a young married man. Sporterisation consisted of cutting the fore-end at the middle band and rounding off, fitting a new forward sling swivel, removal of handguards and retaining ring, cutting off the bayonet lug portion of the barrel, squaring off and recrowning. I did them on a production-line basis and could do the 10 rifles in about 4 hours.
I did them on a production-line basis and could do the 10 rifles in about 4 hours.
And again, there were scads of them so no one cared. The NEW ones were the ones prime for sporterizing as they were most attractive as a hunting rifle.
I test-fired the Charlton this afternoon but it short-cycled due to insufficient gas. It was just ejecting the rounds after I changed the gas setting to maximum, but not coming back far enough to catch the next round in the mag. I was pleasantly surprised how gentle it was to shoot, with only a fraction of the recoil you normally get from an SMLE. I will increase the size of the gas port by 10% volumetric and try again tomorrow. I had deliberately bored the gas port a tad undersize so that I could tune it, rather than have the problem of too much gas volume and let it beat itself to death.
Any chance of some pictures of the trigger group while it is apart? I'm having trouble figuring out how it works.
I think i understand how the electrolux semi auto only works but have no idea how the original version drops the sear in full auto.
Are the blueprints everyone over there is using the ones of the electrolux version from the Australian War Memorial or a different set of the original NZ version?
Thanks.
First time I made an AR barrel from a blank, I was unsure about the correct diameter of the gas port. Gas port sizes vary with barrel length and barrel diameter. I drilled an undersized hole, and went to the range with a battery operated electric drill and a set of numbered drills. Initially, the action would not open enough to eject and feed. I kept increasing the port diameter step by step until fired cases were reliably ejected, rounds fed, and the action would lock open on an empty magazine.
The Charlton gas system is interesting and a bit different. The piston does not extent all the way to the gas block/gas port. The pistol is relatively short, and there is a tube which brings gas back to the pistol face. I suspect that this affects the dwell time. The M-1 Garand system, for example, delivers a sharp impulse to the piston; the Charlton's would be softer.
A Charlton is a lot heavier than a rifle - this would also be a factor in the amount of perceived recoil.
I had deliberately bored the gas port a tad undersize so that I could tune it, rather than have the problem of too much gas volume and let it beat itself to death.
Good, it's hard to go back once you're over gassed.
war production went or whether it still exists in some dusty old archive. That will show one being fired. It also showed the crates of brand new unopened No4's that were stored in the big sheds that backed onto the railway sidings. Alas, when they did open the crates the rifles were just rotted out rust heaps as they'd come over as deck cargo. According to my boss, it was filmed in '65 or so, before I went there
PM
Originally Posted by 
