Restoring a No.4 T to its Wartime look, need some help :)

[yekingsmusketeer]

I have recently obtained a No.4 Mk1/2 and as i re-enact british airborne i would like to take it back to its original finish, before anyone jumps at me for this i best point out that before i bought it, someone has already given it a new set of woodwork (which seems to be the post-war light wood) and painted the metal work black (dont think its suncorite, just seems to be paint). Im not thinking of touching the MK2 trigger for now (can you notice the difference just by looking at it btw?). Im unsure about correct wartime finish for wood and metal work, is the blacking on the metalwork post war, i have found lots of conflicting sources about that, some saying its a post war thing and some saying it was done during the 1940's, and what would be the correct colour woodwork? I understand there not going to be a set colour as such, but the light wood is incorrect right? :P

(i would post a picture but its off having the pads put on it for a repro no.32 scope i also have, should get it back next week)

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jmoore]

Two of the most common wood types of WWII No.4 rifles seem to be either walnut:


Note the riveted cross plate on the rear of the fore stock- thats the only real visual difference between what you have and what was fielded.
Would a bit of creative colouration in that spot do for your purposes?

or beech:


Note the lighter patches typical of this wood. It's quite a light coloured wood when "fresh" but seems to darken easily.

You probably have birch furniture, which is "finer grained" than beech (no blotches) and doesn't generally darken quite like either of the others:


Well, it's no longer a "No.4 rifle", exactly, but it's a handy photo.

[yekingsmusketeer]

Thank you, there some useful information there and it was exactly what i was looking for Yes i think it must be the birch wood that i have. I have also see some enfields in a sort of browny-red colour wood? Whats the story behind that? And do you know anything about the black paint/suncorite and wartime finish to the metal work?