Armourers checklist?

[tbonesmith]

I suppose this question is for Peter, or anyone else with first hand knowledge. When working on rifles in service (I'm thinking about No4's but any other really) was there a checklist or equivalent piece of paperwork to check off that critical items were in spec.?
ie CHS in spec, striker protrusion in spec, varoius spring weights... etc
If there was is there any chance of uploading a copy, or if there wasn't could you please tell me what would have to be checked off specifically before a rifle was sent back out of the shop, so I can make a checklist to use myself.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

I don't remember a checklist as such. Every Armourer had his own method of inspecting/examining a rifle and usually had in the back of his mind that common problems occor commonly so would immediately pick up on the obvious.

Things were all done in a set sequence in my experience. When assembled, gauges, partially stripped, weights, visual etc etc. One I know had a sheet of alloy on his bench that he'd use, with the spring lengths measured out, as a visual check.

To be honest, after a few zillion, you just got to know............. Same today as it's always been. What say you Son, Tankie and Skippy?

Arte et Marte

[Son]

Do you have a copy of the Lee Enfield Story?

Silly question really... if you don't you aren't going to admit it here.
Go to page 160 and start reading. It goes through the stripping procedure, explains the operation of the action, the safety features, loading, firing, unloading and stoppages. Then it goes into care and cleaning and then "Inspection of the rifle" which includes a few instructions for parts change out.
This section is the armourers instructions. These types of tests and guagings are still carried out today on every weapon in service on a regular basis (annually, usually).

[Son]

I don't remember a checklist as such. Every Armourer had his own method of inspecting/examining a rifle and usually had in the back of his mind that common problems occor commonly so would immediately pick up on the obvious.

Things were all done in a set sequence in my experience. When assembled, gauges, partially stripped, weights, visual etc etc. One I know had a sheet of alloy on his bench that he'd use, with the spring lengths measured out, as a visual check.

To be honest, after a few zillion, you just got to know............. Same today as it's always been. What say you Son, Tankie and Skippy?

Arte et Marte

I strip and scatter the F88 across the bench left to right in main assemblies, then pull the rest of the bits that need to come out coming back, checking proofs and SN's. Visuals are done continuously. Inspect and do gauging on the bits left to right again and assemble sub assemblies and more gauging as I go. At the other end of the bench, it's assembled again except for the buttplate- sear test and FF test, buttplate on, weigh the t/pull and safety- game over.

Pretty much the system I apply to all weapons, but there are a few different variations for particular stuff. Our "bible" has tables for every inspection, giving details and remedies for each possible fault. The one in the LES for the No1 rifle is pretty good. The for- runner to what we use today.
There should be a similar section in the instructions for the No4 rifle from Canada... is it still floating around here somewhere?

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Same drill here, Son.

tbonesmith:

Not quite as many functional groups in a SMLE as in an F88 or MaG58, but the principle is the same.

The Canadian armourers instruction that have been posted here are a pretty good guide. Interestingly, the earlier edition is much more detailed; they obviously phased out the intensity of inspection as the rifles went out of service. The same thing happened in Oz with various bits of gear.

Unless you have all or most of the gauges issued at unit level, you will be doing a visual inspection. Therein lies the major problem for most enthusiasts who want to delve deeper into their collections. There were simply not enough sets of tools and gauges made to go around on an individual basis.

A basic rifle battalion might (if they are lucky) have two or three armourers to look after 700 plus weapons. There may only be two sets of "unit level" gauges.

A field workshop that operates at Brigade level to support the various infantry, artillery, transport etc units, might have five or six armourers with a "nicer" workshop and an expanded array of tools and gauges. If they can't handle the job, it gets booted up to higher level workshop. Still with only a small number of people with an even bigger range of goodies.

The specialised tools and gauges are expensive and were ALWAYS rare, comparatively speaking.

However, the average owner should be able to afford a set of appropriate headspace gauges and a decent set of correctly ground screwdrivers.

The nice folk at "Arrowmark" in Australia do a nice line of basic tools and gauges for SMLEs.

Things like bore and throat gauges are comparatively rare. New ones would not be cheap to get custom made either, but a job-lot would save a bit.

Gems like the "Gauge, inspectors, selected breech bolt" featured here a few days ago would be obscenely expensive to make from scratch, even if you had the original drawings.

Basic supply and demand.

All we can do is apply as much care and love as we can afford to these fine machines.

And if you think we have it tough, when was the last time anyone saw original armourer's equipment for German of Japanese gear for sale?

[tbonesmith]

I try to pick up any appropriate gauges and specific tools as I find them, or as they come up. I'm under no illusions that the gear is rare and expensive, but this is my little field of interest so I'll do my best to acquire all I can now and in the future. And to make what I can too.
Cheers guys.
I just finished a No4 rebuild today, barrel replacement requiring a breeching up washer(second hand barrel), removal of all the glass bedding stuff from the wood, extensive patching of the forend, and rebedding in military configuration(which came out perfect, first time this time) , replacement of the striker, and shaving off the battering face to give correct striker protrusion(rifle was set up as a .223), correctly radiusing the striker tip, replacement of the crush collar on the kingscrew, and various other bits to make everything sing nicely. Range tested today and it put in a nicely centred 2"group at 100m off the bench. I was very happy with the result, and I keep detailed notes on every job for myself, but as I get through a few, I think I'd like a checklist for myself so I don't miss anything.
I'll go through the Canadian notes and see what they have to say, and mabe I'll post a draft of a checklist and run it by you guys for comment.

[nzl1a1collector]

There should be a 'Check-list' for the SMLE or No. 4 rifles as part of the EMER's. There certainly is for the L1A1 Rifle, under the decade number D118. It details all the the things that have to be checked, inspected and gauged during a workshop overhaul or inspection.

Not sure what the decade number is for the SMLE or No.4 Rifle but the '8th' section should be the checklist entitled TECHNICAL HANDBOOK - UNIT, FIELD AND BASE INSPECTION STANDARDS

[Badger]

The MKL does have this document that Peter donated ...

1945 Armourers Training Notes (Donated by Peter Laidler)

Regards,
Doug

[tbonesmith]

The Canadian Manual is pretty well it. Just not a checklist rather a list. Very good. Thanks all.