Waisted front sight protector on 1941 Long Branch

[Cantom]

Remember that the troop trials Enfields had many parts which were unique only to those rifles, and many of their components cannot be described as typical to anything but the trials rifles. I had one of these (also converted to sniper) and it was not hard to see why they were supposed to be condemned...replacement parts were quite special.

One thing that was interesting on mine was that the cruciform bayonet (which was for the earlier production rifles) would not fir onto my trials rifle.


The Canadian parts manual shows the waisted type front sight base as the typical two part assembly. It does show a one piece type front sight base (non-waisted), but does not give a NSN, so I am not sure if it ever became anything more than a drawing.

I know one guy who got a 41 LB and did find the Waisted protector for it. As for everyone else, it seems everyone's looking for them, so good luck to us all I guess...so it is a normal 2 piece setup then.

[tiriaq]

The one piece version was an approved WW2 variant, don't know that it was ever really used.

[Warren]

They do exist: I have several, but all on rifles. I need one more, so willing to make a good trade for one..
Cheers
Warren (the old curmudgeon)

[Cantom]

The one piece version was an approved WW2 variant, don't know that it was ever really used.

I just talked to Scott Stonehill, who restored a No 1 Mk VI and fabbed a new waisted sight protector for it. He said it was very difficult to make. Also, interestingly, he said he previosly had a 1940 Long Branch s/n 0L796 (!) and it didn't have a waisted sight protector on it. He questioned whether they ever did have them. I told him I've heard they may have been removed later in an effort to eliminate non standard parts.
Does anyone have a picture of an original Long Branch with one of these on from the factory?

[tiriaq]

There have been photos posted taken at LB ofone of the workers posing with a No. 4 with waisted guard. May have been a very early rifle.
On a similar topic, were cruciform Mk.I bayonets ever manufactured by S.A.L.?

[superbee]

Hi,I e-mailed cantom a pic of my 41 LB.The second pic in his post.The waisted sight protector is LB marked,so they were issued.I found this one is Australia.
There was an auction in England that had a early 41 LB in almost new condition.It had the waisted front sight protector and hinged front band.I think the serial # was below 1000.
Eric

[Cantom]

Hi,I e-mailed cantom a pic of my 41 LB.The second pic in his post.The waisted sight protector is LB marked,so they were issued.I found this one is Australia.
There was an auction in England that had a early 41 LB in almost new condition.It had the waisted front sight protector and hinged front band.I think the serial # was below 1000.
Eric

Hey Eric, it occured to me how we can all get reasonably priced Long Branch marked units- since you have a LB marked one what if we got someone who does simple wax casting to cast us up some using the lost wax method? I guess there is a threaded hole there though but the fact that these are basically unobtainable means we have to think of something...wax casting wouldn't hurt your protector at all. They could fill the hole and it could be drilled out and tapped afterward.

[tiriaq]

Here is the procedure for doing short runs of wax castings. First, find a foundry that will do it. This might be the hardest part. Many foundries do not want to fool around with short runs of castings, made using basic dies. The die for the waxes isn't all that hard to make. They can be all epoxy, or aluminum blocks with a cavity that is filled with epoxy. The blocks, and slides are held in place with clamp screws. You set up the original, coated with release agent, and cast part of the die using epoxy. Repeat until all parts of the die are moulded. Remove the original, refine the die, cut channels for the pour and risers. The channels should be designed by someone with some experience, to insure good metal flow. Once the die is prepared, the foundry will inject the waxes, tree them up, invest them, autoclave out the wax, pour the steel, break open the mould, cut the sprues, clean the casting. There are some catches - the wax will shrink slightly, so will the steel. Over thirty years ago, we were manufacturing trade guns. We had dies for all the metal parts, and had the castings done. I made the die for the breechplug that we used. The best dies are sunk in aluminum by a die maker. Nowadays a CNC mill would probably be used. Using epoxy and an original part as a master works. The die won't last as long as solid metal.
A front sight protector would need a fairly complicated die with a number of slides.

[Cantom]

Here is the procedure for doing short runs of wax castings. First, find a foundry that will do it. This might be the hardest part. Many foundries do not want to fool around with short runs of castings, made using basic dies. The die for the waxes isn't all that hard to make. They can be all epoxy, or aluminum blocks with a cavity that is filled with epoxy. The blocks, and slides are held in place with clamp screws. You set up the original, coated with release agent, and cast part of the die using epoxy. Repeat until all parts of the die are moulded. Remove the original, refine the die, cut channels for the pour and risers. The channels should be designed by someone with some experience, to insure good metal flow. Once the die is prepared, the foundry will inject the waxes, tree them up, invest them, autoclave out the wax, pour the steel, break open the mould, cut the sprues, clean the casting. There are some catches - the wax will shrink slightly, so will the steel. Over thirty years ago, we were manufacturing trade guns. We had dies for all the metal parts, and had the castings done. I made the die for the breechplug that we used. The best dies are sunk in aluminum by a die maker. Nowadays a CNC mill would probably be used. Using epoxy and an original part as a master works. The die won't last as long as solid metal.
A front sight protector would need a fairly complicated die with a number of slides.

Whoa...sounds expensive no?

[tiriaq]

If you make the dies, its not too bad. Foundry cost for a short run of pieces they might have to fool around with would likely be an issue. If the waxes don't pull cleanly from the die, the die might have to be redone. In the US there is a business, The Rifle Shoppe, that specializes in castings for antique gun parts. They might be an option. I've been thinking about how a die could be arranged, and it could be a bit complicated. I wonder how big the market would be for a reproduction part, and what folks would pay for one. Until the die is made, and parts cast, there is no way of knowing if the project is a waste of time or not.