Brass stock disk

[Fritz]

Don't get wrapped up in that "giving intel to the enemy" thing. The enemy knows exactly who they oppose in the line of battle. The brass shortage had the discs discontinued and the recess was filled with a plug. That's why the discs are scarce today.

I know I am reviving an old thread here, but I have a question on topic. Can I ask you to elaborate some on the plug filling of the stock disk recess? I ask because I have recently acquired a sporterized 1942 Lithgow No1 MkIII, that I will be restoring. The buttstock has a plug in the stock disk recess. Before I go and look for a replacement disk, I would like to be sure that I would not be making a serious mistake by removing the existing plug.

[Peter Laidler]

Later discs were phosphated steel. I've a funny feeling that those 'new' discs on that acuction site will be 'new' as in 'new' and not new as in 'new in 1916'

[Bindi2]

I do not think 1942 Lithgows had butt discs from new. A photo of the butt disc side would help.

[Fritz]

The rifle is in transit to me, as soon as it is in my possession, I will happily post photos.

[dthiede]

Fritz, I also would like to know about the plug in the stock disc recess as you describe. I recently picked up a 1917 No.1 MKIII* BSA that has a wooden plug filling the stock disc recess. Is this something the arsenal would have done or something a civilian did later?

[jona]

Fritz, I also would like to know about the plug in the stock disc recess as you describe. I recently picked up a 1917 No.1 MKIII* BSA that has a wooden plug filling the stock disc recess. Is this something the arsenal would have done or something a civilian did later?

It was done by both armourers and in production. In 1916 ithe stock disk was done away with, so stocks on hand were plugged with the wooden disks and many rifles with the disk in place were "upgraded" to the new standard when overhauled. The wooden plugs are legitimate and officially placed.

[Peter Laidler]

You'd occasionally come across a new 'old' No4 butt that came through Ordnance that was bored for a marking disc. You wouldn't just chuck it but wood patch it and send it out.

Later, we'd find L39 butts where the knuckle had been bored to fit the little brass Parker Hale foresight blade cup. They got the same treatment too. A wood plug made up, glued and punched into the hole. I've got one sat here in front of me!

[dthiede]

jona, Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[smellie]

It was my understanding that it was standard procedure when refurbishing or rebuilding an SMLE either to fit a new Disc, Butt, Marking or to remove the old one, face it off and replace it showing a blank face.

I do know that some continued in service with regimental markings until after the March Into Cologne. My old range buddy Jack Snow turned in his rifle after Cologne along with a "spare" which he had accumulated in some mysterious fashion, gave the Armourer in charge a bottle of rum, picked out a rifle which stll had a NFLD disc in the stock, the Armourer removed the butt and Jack brought the rifle home. It still had blood on it but at least it wasn't Jack's blood: he was carried as KIA for over a year after Monchy-le-Prueux, then as POW after he had been found in what is now Kaliningad Oblast but then was part of Germany. He was removed to England after the Armistice, did 2 weeks in a hospital there then returned to his unit (Royal Newfoundland Regiment) just before they led the March into Cologne. He got home in 1919, where his mother gave him the telegram from the War Office lamenting his death 2 years previously. Jack kept that NFLD rifle until the day he died and was an absolute crack shot into his 80s: shot MY butt off once and did it with MY rifle!

But the discs were scrubbed or replaced on rebuild, which is part of why so few marked ones survive.

Or, at least, that is what I understood.
.

[Foxbrook]

I've been reading this thread and the other day I picked up a No1 MK3 dated 1918 and it has a brass disc still installed. The gun was stored in an attic and I was told by the family that their father had brought it back from WW1 and as far as they new had been upstairs ever since. Being dated 1918 makes me wonder about being brought back and also the condition dosen't show any combat wear. The wood all appears original but my question, is the disc correct for this period gun? Any idea what the letter and numbers stand for?





Foxbrook