Another butchery

[RJW NZ]

I notice that the backsight ears are missing too. There's a problem because the axis pin holes were used as the datum and jig fixture for many machining operations on the partially finished body, including positioning it to index the breeching up thread

Did we ever get to the bottom of the rifle photographed here with the backsight axis pins apparently (but impossibly....) bored out too low down from new. It was on the forum some months ago now

Hi Peter,
I have a 1930 no1mk6, it came with no rear sight so I've been trying to fit one for some time.
The rear sight ears holes are too low for a conventional rear sight and plunger to work, the sight will mount in a vertical position but will not fold down as there's not enough room on top of the plunger for the sight to rotate past.

The spring hole is also half the depth of a no4mk1 and the diameter for the plunger is smaller than on a no4mk1, so I cut a spring and narrowed a plunger to get it in.

I made it work somewhat after I took a full 1/4 inch corner off the sight and rounded it in order for it to work, however when vertical its now about 10 degrees off vertical, and folds down extremely easily, not good when firing.

My theory is that the sight was on a spring and ball, ala no1mkV, not a spring and plunger, however I haven't seen a picture of the original mk6 set up to know how to modify a later sight to work with this set up.

If anyone can solve this it would be much appreciated as the missing rear sight is the remaining faeux pas on the rifle.

Information

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[Alfred]

Quite a few Enfield barrels were badly damaged at the muzzle by cord wear, I've seen several two groove bores that were worn to an oval at the muzzle.

Now days a damaged muzzle might be counter bored, but that wasn't even thought of back then.
A friend has a cut down No.4 Mk I I hope to trade him out of. He picked it up as a junker with parts missing for 50 bucks. The muzzle end was not onlt corroded inside and out for about three inches, it was bent and flattened on one side and the milled sight ears were bent almost touching the sight blade on one side.
He picked this rifle especially for a jungle carbine clone project because the barrel was unusable unless cut back to carbine length.
The undamaged rear portion of the barrel cleaned up great, the rifle is a fine shooter.

When you see a bubba'ed rifle that is not restorable it can be raw material for a guilt free sporter project of your own, or a JC clone, or a target rifle conversion.

Back in the day spare parts were like hens teeth, if a front sight blade was missing your best bet was a Williams bead. If a military butt stock was broken, you'd come out better getting a Bishop or Fajen semi inletted stock than letting the rifle sit unused for years waiting for a replacement to show up.

A good quality sporter built on a military action often cost more than a good used commercial sporter. People invested that sort of cash because they wanted that particular type of action instead of a generic commercial type.
They picked the wood they wanted, the sights they wanted, and the finish they wanted, rather than whatever happened to be on the rack at the pawn shop.