L42a1 sniper from no4mk1 "t"..stock

[Nickjc]

Hi All,

I have a question that I cannot seem to wrangle out in my head and there is a reason for it.

I came across an FTR'd 1944 Maltby (if I recall correctly) that however is not the factor)).....at my local gunshop....the previous owner has cut the rifle stock to almost the same dimensional characteristics as the L42A1....

hmmm...so after all I have read it seems the NO4 MUST have the forend pressure to properly stabilize the barrel harmonics to give better accuracy, among other factors. If I am wrong in this area please correct me....

So I can grab this rifle at a decent price and is in FINE shape.......but I am thinking about replacing the forend etc....

So my question is, *if* the No4 needs the full stock how do they obtain accuracy from the L42A1 with the cut down stock??? Should I expect less that stellar accuracy from the 'bubba'd' (albeit not too bad) cut down No4 I am looking at....all things being considered from a stock standpoint only.....

I am sure there is something I am missing I just cant seem to put my finger on it...

thanks

Nick

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.

[RobD]

L42A1, like the Envoy and Enforcer, has a heavy barrel which "floats". In other words the barrel does not touch the woodwork except under the action and just in front of the trigger guard.

[Thunderbox]

The bedding in the forend was derived to suit the vibration & action of the barrel resulting from its profile and the type of ammunition. For a No4 in .303, the simplest and most efficient bedding form was to have a free-floating barrel with a damping point at the front (the "down pressure" of the barrel on the forend). An alternative to this standard military system is to have "centre bedding" with the barrel free-floated apart from a resting point about 1/3 of the way up the barrel. Centre-bedding was commonly used for target rifles, but in practice makes little difference from standard bedding.

An L42A1 has a completely different barrel and calibre: the barrel is a heavy profile with almost none of the flexibility of the .303 military barrel. The 7.62mm round also produces a different shooting vibration form .303, and it is in this heavy barrel. Thus all of the 7.62mm heavy barrel Enfield conversions achieve their optimum accuracy with a 100% free-floated barrel.

If you have a .303 rifle with a cut-down forend, you have the option of either leaving the barrel free-floated (which works on some rifles), or allow the barrel to bed at the front of the shortened forend - this can replicate "centre-bedding".

[Peter Laidler]

It is a VERY complicated subject Nick. It would take pages and pages just to scratch the surface. Think of a tuning fork and a bugle..............

[Nickjc]

Thanks for the responses fellas....

I wonder if the flexibility of the mil .303 barrel was by design or just a by-product of manufacturing and then dealt with....

[tbonesmith]

I know that standard military bedding is the best blah, blah, but you should give the rifle a go, plenty of target .303's have been set up with floating military profile barrels and do okay. Also for what it's worth, I set up a No5 a couple of years ago with upward pressure at the centre band and it was an absolutely dynamite shooter, as is my no4mk2 in full wood, centre bedded, so I'd absolutely advise giving the centre bedding/ tip of cut down forend bedding trick a run if it's not up to scratch with the barrel floated.

[Nickjc]

I know that standard military bedding is the best blah, blah, but you should give the rifle a go, plenty of target .303's have been set up with floating military profile barrels and do okay. Also for what it's worth, I set up a No5 a couple of years ago with upward pressure at the centre band and it was an absolutely dynamite shooter, as is my no4mk2 in full wood, centre bedded, so I'd absolutely advise giving the centre bedding/ tip of cut down forend bedding trick a run if it's not up to scratch with the barrel floated.

I just cant let it sit there anyhow....fella is asking 195 US and I offered him a LOW ball of 115...he says no less than 145...so I am up in the air on it...

[Peter Laidler]

Just a couple of thinmgs Nick. I remember the words of a fellow called John Sookey (where is he now.....) on this forum who told me that '.....everything is cheap......... YESTERDAY'

And about bedding the fore-end. I hear what me old Aussie pal Tbone is saying and others are probably saying too, but remember this. The only people who have done exhaustive trials and documented tests about fitting fore-ends are the British, using No4T's, where CONSTANT accuracy really does count. And guess what? In NONE of the trials did any of the differently stocked rifles ever out-shoot a correctly fitted up No4T . And where we did allow a fully floating barrel, it was only as a temporary relaxation in standards.

[Nickjc]

Thanks Peter....

Every time I walk in there it sits looking at me......telling me take her home............ she is in VERY nice shape mechanically the metal for the most part is great....odds and ends are missing of course...

i wouldn't mind sourcing some NOS (new old stock) or used wood and put her back the way she should be................... decisions..... all good ones to have to make...

[RobD]

At that price ($145) if it has a good bore, it is a good deal. Check that the front sight protectors and the bayonet lugs are intact, though.
You can get all the wood from http://www.ssporters.com/parts/enfield4.htm
Study the schematic at
http://www.gunreports.com/media/news...matic-draw.jpg
and you'll see all teh parts you need.
Should be able to get new beech wood and correct metal parts for around $80 all in.