No 4T Scope mount screws

[derekr]

I have been looking for a set of replacement scope mount screws for ages as some of mine look a bit rough. Yesterday I went to the Phoenix at Bisley and spent most of the day annoying stall holders with silly questions to no avail. On my way out I popped into Fultons and they had 70 sets on the shelf!!!!
CNC made and a perfect fit for £20 a set. That's a bit better than my local engineering shop quoted. They wanted just £65 +vat each.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Seek and ye shall find (old masonic proverb.....) As a matter of historical interest, these are called 'taper-lock' screws and were a pre-war/30's answer to prevent overtightening screws. As the internal and external tapers meet, they lock and it is impossible to overtighten the screw. The reason for it's use on the telescope tube (and in use on the Boys rifle too) was to prevent the cradles from being drawn down too tightly on the thin telescope tube and crushing it.

Alas, those who have used standard 'crushable' rings on No32 telescopes in the past have found to their cost - or if not their cost, then the telescope repairers annoyance - that the tube has been crushed behind the erector cell and stripping inevitably means destroying the erector.

There, another bit of useless Lee Enfield history that you probably never thought or knew about

[Brian Dick]

I just saw an original No.32 telescope bracket that has been drilled out top and bottom and tapped for larger pan head screws which defeats the original purpose of the long taper lock screws. It's a damned shame now that we know where to get spare correct screws.

[Peter Laidler]

I have a bracket on a matching rifle where the cradle caps have been bored to take cheese heads (same thread though). But this was done for a reason. So that every repaired telescope could be quickly put in the cradle and the caps held down with allen bolts and quickly tested for 'hold' (shock or recoil fastness to you and me) on the Enfield rest. But it means in the future that it could be deemed to be a fake (it's not of course...) and someones bound to overtighten the allen bolts and crush the unfortunate telescope!

[vintage hunter]

Seeing as how the front cradle of the No.32 bracket is a fairly precise fit between the adjustment and segment housings which one has the most to do with keeping the scope from sliding forward during recoil, the caps or segment housing, or both?

[Brian Dick]

Because of the fit of the front cradle, I don't think that the scope sliding forward under recoil was a big problem when properly installed in the bracket. The problem Peter states is that the scope tube can be crushed if too much force is applied tightening the screws when they aren't the correct taper-lock type.

[Peter Laidler]

Brian is correct in his thread #6. Slippage wasn't a problem

[Surpmil]

I wouldn't throw those original screws away. Put them in a bag in the butt trap. Most people prefer originality to neatness; you may want to sell one day.

[jmoore]

Seek and ye shall find (old masonic proverb.....)

And robbed from the Bible...

I just saw an original No.32 telescope bracket that has been drilled out top and bottom and tapped for larger pan head screws which defeats the original purpose of the long taper lock screws. It's a damned shame now that we know where to get spare correct screws.

With a fair amount of difficulty it might be possible to sleeve those holes for the proper screws again, but it might not be worth the trouble for most folk. Rounding up the correct taper reamer might be the hardest part.

[vintage hunter]

Thought about that but the threads have also been retapped to 8-40. Whoever did it must have used a hand drill, none of the holes in the caps are counter sunk to the same depth and on one the drill walked off center at such an angle till it's quite possible it went right through the scope tube. I wonder if Peter or Warren have ever had a 32 come in for repairs with a hole in the side of the tube where it fits in the front cradle? I agree with Brian, it's a damn shame. Especially since it's my bracket!