Loose front pad ona 1945 #4T

[Peter Laidler]

We used to test-fire the rifles after major workshop repair with the telescopes attached, in a test called 'hold fastness' or just 'the fast test' for short. The Enfiield layer recoil would be set to xxxxing hard. This would shake the xxxt out of the telescope/erector system and the anti-rotation of the tele and bracket would severely test the front pad security. A good test was to try to wiggle the tele and bracket and look for any oil squeeze between the body and the pad. Any oil squeeze - and back it'd go for 'failed fastness test'. As I mentioned sometime earlier, occasionally an L42 would shear the threaded spigot off the pad.

In real life,by the early 80's, the L42 had passed its shelf life and it was easier to Z/BER the rifle

I used to take my son in occasionally if there were varied things to shoot. He'd put the rifles and MG's into the layer and fire the trigger. We had to stop him because with Brens, L4's and L7 GPMG's he seemed incapable of letting go of the trigger. So several 'short bursts' used to tuen into a full magazine or 20 round belt! SMG's were something else!

[Surpmil]

It's funny they didn't mount the rear pads with the bearing surfaces vertical rather than horizontal. Had they done so, the rear pads if properly set up would have also taken a considerable portion of the recoil forces and probably eliminated all such problems with the front pads shooting loose or shearing their spigots.

The simplest way to make them would have been turned out of a disc on a lathe so that the bearing surfaces of the pad would be curved to match the radius of the distance between the two pads. That would have allowed vertical adjustment without the need to meddle with the bearing surfaces of either rear pad or bracket leg.

The brackets could have been machined to match, and a simple steel "stop-block" screwed and soldered to a suitable flat machined on the inside rear leg of the brackets above the bearing surfaces so at to set vertical alignment. Adjusting same would then involve only removing the stop-block and replacing with a larger one or lapping down its height as required.

Of course making the front spigot 50-100% larger would also have probably solved the problem.

[togor]

It's funny they didn't mount the rear pads with the bearing surfaces vertical rather than horizontal. Had they done so, the rear pads if properly set up would have also taken a considerable portion of the recoil forces and probably eliminated all such problems with the front pads shooting loose or shearing their spigots.

The simplest way to make them would have been turned out of a disc on a lathe so that the bearing surfaces of the pad would be curved to match the radius of the distance between the two pads. That would have allowed vertical adjustment without the need to meddle with the bearing surfaces of either rear pad or bracket leg.

The brackets could have been machined to match, and a simple steel "stop-block" screwed and soldered to a suitable flat machined on the inside rear leg of the brackets above the bearing surfaces so at to set vertical alignment. Adjusting same would then involve only removing the stop-block and replacing with a larger one or lapping down its height as required.

Of course making the front spigot 50-100% larger would also have probably solved the problem.

By God, you are right! That skinny sleeve on the front pad takes the full load of the recoil. At most the rear pad gives some frictional support if that rear screw is plenty tight, which is not really an option with these spring-loaded jack screws.

I recently acquired a No. 4 Mk. 1 (T) that appears largely complete and in fine condition. Was thinking of shooting it a little to see how it performs, but for what these things go for now, and given frailties like this, I think I will stick to less valuable rifles at the range.

[Surpmil]

I wouldn't worry togor, just clean off the pad and bracket surfaces with alcohol to remove all grease and oil and reef that "thumbscrew" down as hard as you can and you'll get some degree of frictional bond!

[CINDERS]

I seem to remember a long time ago PL stated that sometimes the snipers did those thumb screws up so tight they actually snapped as there is not much left after the threads with that little bit if shaft before the knurled knob.
It's always the front one done up then the rear one apparently, I cinch my front one a bit then the back one then go & finish tightening the front then go back to tighten the rear the same.

I just remember Peter saying you don't have to Gorilla them.

[Brian Dick]

Hand tight and check them frequently if you're on the range. They will bend too. I've seen it all including people who cut grooves in the thin part of the thumbscrew to crank it on with a flat bar of steel. Ugh!

[togor]

At this point the value of my rig is in what it might have done in the past, not what it can do presently. There's no up side to shooting it at full power only to get unlucky. Next owner is free to feel differently, but this is how the supply of older guns slowly dries up.

[Surpmil]

Your call togor, but really there's nothing to worry about if the knurled screws are well tightened down. The failures AFAWK all occurred after long years of military service.

But in case my comment #24 wasn't entirely clear, I'll second the above remarks: don't use anything but your hand to tighten the knurled screws

[togor]

Understood but mine was made in 1944 and sold off with its crate probably in 1960s. Used condition but rifling and throat appear to be in good condition.

Gets me thinking...are those jack screws a common thread size or something oddball? Perhaps for shooting they could be swapped out with some screws that are given a precise torque. Overkill some might say but then again these rigs are not cheap.

[Brian Dick]

The original thumbscrews worked just fine in service from the 1940s until the 1980s in British service if you include the L42A1 in 7.62. These rifles don't need the thumbscrews installed with a torque wrench. Hand tight is just fine. I'd challenge you to hurt it if you make sure the rifle and telescope are well maintained and in spec. Many will print moa at 100 yards, and they are pleasant to shoot.