Odds of finding an MK3 charger bridge?

[jmoore]

Providing you've the required tooling:

If the holes aren't TOO far out of line, just ream the holes in the assembly oversize. Turn down a bit of mild steel rod and swage the ends. Dress flush. I'd use a rivet sweezer to minimize the possibilty of distorting the action body (it's not too hard to do damage here!) rather than a impact gun or hammer and bucking bar. But if you've no other option, it's do-able.

I'd probably limit the oversizing operation to not much more than 0.062", but would feel better at 0.030". (It's a stressed area, after all!)

[5thBatt]

A 1907 MkIII charger bridge has a slightly different shape, the later charger bridge is more beveled on the front edge.
I think the chances of finding one will be slim, but if you know what to look for, you might get lucky

Here's my 1907 & a 1911 MkIII, the 1907 being the top one.

[unevensplash]

i have a sle 1 mk 3 that i need to find a charger bridge for any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The other catch will be setting up to rivet the beasty on.

The attachment of the bridge is one of the many bits of tech info on which I have very little original information.

There are two different sizes of rivets used. Those I have drawings of in the big file.

I also have a receiver drawing. However i have not yet got round to either doing the maths on the hole alignment nor loading the drawings into a 3d modelling programme.

The other question is whether the riveting process was hot or cold. I don't recall seeing anything to indicate either way, nor do I recall seeing any details of what jig was to be used for the job.

I will rummage through the drawings and see if there are any annotations.

And as per previous posters; the 1907 bridge has several differences in contour. I also have no drawings of that earlier version.


Best of luck.

[Rumpelhardt]

Numrich has them but as Peter Laidler said you probably are not going to get the rivet holes to line up. I put one on a Lithgow but it is a DP rifle that is just a wall hanger so I epoxied it.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

A bit off subject (Mk 3) but still on the subject of charger bridges. Would it be practical to replace the charger bridge on a No 5 Mk 1?

[Frederick303]

I had a No 2 MKIV that someone had removed the charger bridge from. It was an LSA 1914 action. I got one of the MkIII bridges from Numrich, it was not quite finished and was in the white but had the holes drilled. The holes matched perfectly. To mount it I used the two rivets left in the right hand side of the action. To make the longer rivets in the left hand side, as these were completely missing, I used soft galvanized nails from the hardware store; there is a size, which I do not recall that is an exact match. I cut them to slightly oversize and used a C clamp and my riveting device. Now I have to check but I seem to recall on the inside of the right hand bridge there were two additional pins that help the rivet in place, inserted from the interior of the action body. Not sure if I mounted those or not. I do recall the most time was spent on smoothing the internal rivet side, on the interior right hand side of the action body.

Actually the entire rework was easier than I thought it would be, but as I said the alignment of the action bridge and the action holes was exact. I might have been just lucky.

Worked quite well and was very solid. In my case the action bridge does not need to withstand more than the recoil from a MKII .22 caliber cartridge.

[Peter Laidler]

It'd be a simple job to replace a No5 charger bridge although the bridge was never available as a separate part from Ordnance (oh no it wasn't......). Just knock out the old one from below and insert your new found second hand one, Then tig weld at the side as per the EMER. While we didn't replace them, we removed, cleaned up and re-welded hundreds of loose ones.

On the other hand, if it's just got a hole in it, just slightly countersink it and get it mig or tig welded up

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

On the other hand, if it's just got a hole in it, just slightly countersink it and get it mig or tig welded up

The drilled hole in the bridge ruptured thru the front of the bridge. I am quite sure a skilled welder could repair it. Trust and cost are my limiting factors on either option. If I turned it over for repair and it came back botched I would be Ill! More ill than I get looking at the holes.
What I need is a skilled local Gunsmith with Enfield experience.

[Thunderbox]

The drilled hole in the bridge ruptured thru the front of the bridge. I am quite sure a skilled welder could repair it. Trust and cost are my limiting factors on either option. If I turned it over for repair and it came back botched I would be Ill! More ill than I get looking at the holes.
What I need is a skilled local Gunsmith with Enfield experience.

People usually fill those Parker Hale scope mount holes simply by inserting the correct screws (IIRC 2BA) with Loctite or similar, polish off the heads and paint/blue over the top. The charger bridge repair can be filed to shape if the screw hole has gone through the side; the charger bridge is not a major structural element and doesn't need a strong repair.