Refurb of 7.62 Range Rifle No4Mk1/3

[tbonesmith]

Howdy All!
Here we go again. I bought this 7.62 No4Mk1/3 range rifle basically because it had a mint heavy barrel in it. When I got a good look at it though it became apparent that while it is heavily flawed it is basically a mechanically very sound proposition.
On the downside, it has a short butt, the forend is cut down in an unappealing way, the bedding sends the barrel off down the barrel channel at and angle, so that it very nearly contacts the wood at the front, meaning that the wood is cut out to a knife edge at the tip of the forewood, the rifle was originally a savage and the US property mark is ground or linished off, and the markings on the side look fake/home done.
On the upside, the bolt is a very good fit, in that the locking lugs bear fully and evenly, the striker protrusion is right, the trigger is good, the headspace is right, the bolthead doesn't overturn excessively, all the bands were included in the sale and I have all the other necessary parts.
I intend to rebuild the rifle using the provided forend, which I will patch and modify to L42 style (using Peter Laidlers tutorial as a guide), top wood, I'll replace the butt with a standard one, but I'll need to patch the socket/where it enters the steel wrist(anyone with details or photos of this repair please post them so I can copy), I will cleanup the cutout for the central sight plate but allow one to be mounted, I'll ream out and mount a standard foresight block and fit a protector.
I will fit a 7.62 enfield mag, and extractor (still need to source a new extractor spring), remove the brazed on section of the trigger guard, and bed the rifle in newly patched draws and knox, plus removing and patching out that steel plate. I'll fit a new rear sight (made for a No5). I'll cleanup the metal work, and re dip the thoroughly cleaned wood work in hot boiled linseed oil and let it dry.
Once I've done all this, I'll shoot the rifle to test and ensure that it performs beautifully and then I'll sell it, and do the next one.
This rifle will be nothing more than a shooter, but I think I've got the bones of a superb shooter here and so I'll spend some time on it.
There will be so many repairs and wooden patches on this piece that if they are not all done perfectly, the rifle will just look like a pig, but if i get it right I think I'll come out with a rifle with real character, fingers crossed!

Information

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[xa-coupe]

Looks good TBone. I see you are going to do what I want to do with the front sight. By chance, it seems you have exactly the same front sight as my No4. When you get to doing it, can you please post plenty of detail for me to have a look at to see if it is something I am able to do.
Is the extractor spring the same as a standard .303 ? If so, I may be able to help out.

[tbonesmith]

I got started on the patching of the forend tonight, and I patched the draws. You can see the epoxy bedding compound on the reinforce, in due course I'll remove this and patch it in timber. I will do my best to complete this rebuild in traditional/original methods, as much for practice as anything... and because on these rifles (No4 and other service rifles) I am just going to do it this way, only, modern sporting/target stuff, anything goes...
There will be a lot more patches to fit and glue, but doing it bit at a time lets me refine my technique as I go , and it makes setting up the glue ups simpler.
BTW one of the photos is of a Maltby forend I'm doing the draws on, but it illustrates the method I've used on this rifle and will use in the future, of using a forstner style bit to bulk out the draws on a drill press/mill. The depth stop was very helpful. I squared out with a chisel, but further refinement may mean I can saw cut stock for these patches, and round with a laminate trimmer or router to fit the forstner style bit radius, details..
The fit of the forend tip patch was very good, but it is difficult to create true planes both on the job and on the patch, anyway I got there and am happy with the result and it will get easier with more practice.
Please note that this repair has used the article: Milsurps - The L42 and 39 Fore-ends (by Peter Laidler) , and Milsurps - Worn draws in your No1, 4 or 5 fore-end .... (by Peter Laidler) as my instructions and I have simply done my best to follow the processes outlined therein.

[tbonesmith]

Last night I shaped the forend tip, using a spokeshave, file and sanding block(coarse, 120). I was pleased to see a tight glue line all round. Before I move on to more patches I'll rough out the barrel channel, though I won't complete this operation until I'm bedding the rifle so as to maximise the remaining material, while still allowing the barrel to float.

Just saw then, I should have and will in future, match the grain direction on these repairs...

[tbonesmith]

Made a bit more progress today. I patched the butt to fit this type of socket, and I patched the cutout in the front of the trigger guard rebate.
It was necessary to do the butt as I am replacing the original one with a normal length one, and the only spare I have in beech has a double round socket, and i need the one square shoulder type.
I was very happy with the fit of both patches, especially the double dovetailed one in the trigger guard rebate. After I made the cutout I fitted, and made too small, 2 patches, and only got it right on the third attempt. It is however a drive fit and there are NO gaps, so the result should be very pleasing (to me! )

[Bearclaw]

Tom, what is the timber you used for the patching.

Myles

[tbonesmith]

Beech, like the forend, the two colours might come closer together when I sand the finished job, and dunk it in hot BLO for a few hours. I've only roughly scraped the varnish and stain off the forend yet, and I've not even done that on the butt(also beech with patina and varnish). I'm not too fussed that it be perfect, but I think it will be close.

[Bearclaw]

Tom, Is beech easy to find here in oz.

[tbonesmith]

Yes but you need to go to a proper timber yard or specialist timber supplier. Bunnings and mitre 10 won't have it. If you want some bits and pieces you could try calling some joiners or shipwrights and try to get some off cuts. If you need some and can't find any I can send you up some pretty easy depending in how much you want.

[tbonesmith]

Posted this operation in another section, but belongs to this thread.

I roughed it out and then fitted it using the wittness marks as a guide, but I had the angle a little wrong and the fit never took the good firm feel.
I then blued the socket with bearing blue and found only small areas of good contact, I was able to fit it better with the bearing blue as a guide, but when I bottomed out on the step to the butt I was very close but not fully bearing.
I'll cut the shoulder back 4mm, as 2mm should get me seated very firmly bearing fully, leaving a 2mm gap to the shoulder. This should only shorten the butt by 2-3mm.
Note to self, always use bearing blue from the start with this sort of thing.