no 4 mk1 restoration

[Vincent]

BRP has some "Like New Condition" furniture No.4 Mk.1 Stock, Trigger & Magazine Parts, SMLE

I have bought from them and they are very good people.

[Peter Laidler]

As for bayonet fighting and the ribbed handguards........ I would suggest that if that were the case then really, you'd be better off with a ribbed fore-end and even then, with vertical ribs instead of 4 horizontal ribs on the handguard. Just my take on things. We did our bayonet fighting training on the bayonet gallows with old and battered No4 with equally old clapped out No9 bayonets during real 'real soldiering' part of our apprenticeship late in 1965 prior to passing out into the real world.

The point I'm making is the handguards were only one part number, same as the rivets. Whether you got ribbed or plain, rounded head or flat etc was whatever was on the shelf at Ordnance.

As a matter of interest, when it came to parts, the initial issue of a part didn't (?) identify it as a Mk1 part. There was no need. It was only when the part was superseded did the NEW part become the Mk2 part. And the old part became the Mk1 part almost by default.

So for example, the rifle butt (and handguard.....)was the STOCK, Butt. Because there was never a Mk2 butt, the Mk1 suffix never applied. Just a small thing, learned while learning the quartermasters system intimately - for my own benefit in the years to come. And it came in rather handy too I hasten to add!

[olskool]

this is a rifle i paid 100.00 for about 6 mounts ago. i had it about 2 hour, then traded it to a friend along with a couple of other things for a nice 336a marlin in 32 special that i had traded him for that i owned originally. so now i got back the no.4 and the marlin. i traded him some 308 match brass for the no.4 this time. i like to trade, the wood has military repairs to the hand guards and the but stock has a lot of small dents. but the metal is all very good. i loaded some bullets today and shot it, it shoots good. i might dissemble it and steam the wood and see what i have. if it don't look decent i will put new or replacement wood on it.

[olskool]

i just took it apart. looks like it has not been apart for 50 years. it is a pure greasy mess, but it will clean up fine. the walnut stocks will be ok, but i will need the hand guards.

[Peter Laidler]

Under the wood is MEANT to be a thick greasy mess. Leave it there. We slosh this grease on as another layer of protection.........

[olskool]

yes sir i will just that. and yes it is a thick greasy mess! i was thinking of cleaning it good and then reapplying new gun grease but that might not help anything. one other thing, was the butt plates left aluminum or were they painted?

[Flying10uk]

Peter, I have several boxes (5s) of new front and rear hand guards, some ribbed and some not, as you say the part No doesn't differentiate between ribbed and un-ribbed. The other thing it doesn't tell you on the outside of the box is what type of wood the guard is made from but it does say "Do Not Open Until Required For Use". Did walnut guards simply get put on beech fore-ends sometimes and vice versa?

[browningautorifle]

was the butt plates left aluminum or were they painted?

They started with a blackening to them and it eventually disappeared.

[Peter Laidler]

We would stain wood to suit, to make sure that generally speaking, it left the workshops all the sameish colour - within reason. You got from Ordnance what was first on the shelf. Walnut, beech, birch, ribbed, plain.........

[olskool]

MR. Peter thank you for your knowledge and your willingness to be a great help.