Lee Enfield No5 Mk1 front band

[Bearclaw]

G'day all,

Can anyone direct me to where I might be able to locate one. I was told a No4 would fit which I have, well it supposed to be a No4 and it is not going to fit. So any ideas would be helpful.

Myles

Information

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[browningautorifle]

There's lots of guys on this forum who have that sort of thing, give it a moment...

[Peter Laidler]

Why isn't it fitting beary? We used to interchange these things all the time in Malaya! Or am I getting confused that one would fit the other but not vice cerca......................... I seem to remember that the No4 one was a tad tight but close down if the fore-end band recess was relieved slightly

[Bearclaw]

Thanks Peter,
That what I was led to believed too, No4 will fit No5.
I didn't of think of relieving the woodwork, it just seems that the band has a very tight radius at the top, I tought it might have been a No3 band sold as a No4, as I am learning the hard way bought a few things now of Ebay.
I was hoping maybe No5 bands might be easy to source, maybe not, I will hold off and see if one surfaces.
Am I presuming right that a square looking "S" on my current band indicates it is Savage.

Myles

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, squared off S = Savage

[P-07ShortLee]

This is perhaps a silly question, I am away from my books and I have never bothered to examine the bands that closely. Just what is the difference between a No4 and a No5 band?

[Peter Laidler]

The difference................... So far as we were concerned, nothing but the part number!

[P-07ShortLee]

The difference................... So far as we were concerned, nothing but the part number!

That's as good of answer as any, I assume from the collector angle the difference would be who made it.

[enscien]

There was an earlier thread on this and I purchased a No.5 rifle band from Brian Dick (BDL).
Attachment 16832
The No.5 band is shown on the left of the picture, in comparison with a No.4 rifle one.
Whilst it looks as if the No.4 band just needs to be reshaped, the length on the inside between the bottom of the lugs measures at 115mm (No.5) and 119mm (No.4), so there does appear to be a significant difference. A look at the drawings would tell more.

[tbonesmith]

The savage bands are also very heavy/thick and don't reshape easily like the longbranch and some British "thinner" ones.