Lee Enfield Sling Swivel

[Centurion]

These are virtually unobtainable, so have begun making these from Cold-Rolled Roundstock. They are rather complicated!

Information

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[browningautorifle]

I think if you ask around here, you'll find they're not all that scarce...

[Peter Laidler]

I'm not in the spare parts business but never heard that there's a shortage of sling loops............ surely not, There's hundreds of them!. I agree that there's plenty with loose loops but they just need a quick braze to fix and send through the bead blast and phosphate tank

[Centurion]

Interestingly, I have attended many gunshows over the last year and have not found one with any of the parts collectors. I'm sure that they're out there, but not here in Alberta. I've attended large shows in Colorado, Montana, and Phoenix and haven't seen one at any of these either.

[Centurion]

Sorry fellows: I had thought you realized I was referring to the Front Guard Screw/Sling Swivel Unit. I'm making some of these up and will try to post some pictures when I get them finished correctly!

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Do you mean the "aftermarket" extended swivels commonly used by the full-bore target shooters? Or the slightly different pattern used on the No4T and L42 rifles?

If the former, there should be heaps of them out there that have been stripped off during restorations. I have several, both for SMLE and No4 patterns, in a box somewhere.

If the "proper" ones for the No4T and L42: good luck!.

[Peter Laidler]

The plentiful aftermarked commercial, longer front trigger guard screw swivels should make your life MUCH easier Centurion. Just get a dozen, machine the sholder back a tad and use a die to extend the thread by the same amount. Then cut the end of the original thread off by the same amount. Get them bead blasted and phosphated (try that nice man in SC for this.....) and you have yourself plenty of the 'original' front trigger guard swivel screws. If not 'original' then certainly something as good as......

[Centurion]

Thanks Peter: I read the various threads you and others have provided on the subject under the C7 .22 heading and have made up several screw swivels, with both the long and short shanks. Fortunately the correct BSF dies are still available through The Tap and Die Company. These are wonderfully-made and BSF and BA taps are also available in HSS. I found out that the Longbranch Receivers had to be spot-annealed to allow tapping the rear No. 32 Scope pad placement.

[Badger]

There's an excellent discussion with LOTS of pics about sling swivels by Peter Laidler and others under most Knowledge Library entries for various No.4(T)'s ...

As an example, check the "Collectors Comments and Feedback" for:

1944 Enfield No.4 Mk1(T) Sniper Rifle

Extract …..

The Military issue sling swivel, B1/CR-540, WILL FOUL the steel loop at the front of the trigger guard. Read that again. It WILL FOUL the loop at 180 degrees of rotation either way. The reason is to prevent the sling loop and sling rotating and getting itself into a twist.

The post war commercial item that fakers use is slightly longer and will just clear the small wire loop. This allows it and therefore the sling to rotate through 360 degrees. The sling can and will twist.

Also, here's another older thread in the forum on the same subject which has a lot of interesting information and feedback:

Center Sling Swivel

Regards,
Doug

[Centurion]

So, to be reasonably correct any new swivels ought to have a short-shank profile.