Can anyone help with this LE fore-end?

[villiers]

I put in a bid and purchased this LE fore-end on the Bay in the hope that it would provide a spare for my No 5. But it´s only 17 inches long, so quite a bit too short. Can anyone come up with which LE it was made for? It´s obviously never been used. The hole for the “Screw, retaining butt-cap” has not been drilled and neither has the channel for the front band been cut.

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[Steve H. in N.Y.]

There are no lightening cuts in the barrel channel and from what I can see no provision for a reinforcing strap or screw at the rear. I'd guess a commercial item.

[Peter Laidler]

Definately some commercial item. And I'd say that it was worked over by a bit of a butcher before you got it Villiers. In fact, looking closely, I'd say it was almost home made........., badly!

[browningautorifle]

It does look like a commercial pantograph job. Looks like the barrel channel has been completely hogged out too.

[villiers]

Ah well, t´was not expensive. Though maybe as firewood it was ....

[birdhound]

Looks rather like the fore stock for the Parker Hale sporting No4 rifle shown in the top illustration. I found this in a 1960s PH catalogue. "Finest European Walnut" could be stretching things!

[browningautorifle]

Nope, I've had those and the bottom one is original wood cut down and re-shaped. The upper is beautiful new wood without flaws...

[Seaspriter]

Can anyone come up with which LE it was made for?

I get the "feeling" that the fore-end was taken from a No.4 Mk1 sporterized gun that was scrapped for parts. The new owner (amateur) might then have tried to refit the fore-end for a No.4 Mk2 and butchered the whole thing to make the Mk2 trigger configuration fit in a Mk1 stock. (He obviously did not consult the masters on the Milsurps site!) Perhaps he was trying to use it to make a faux Enforcer/Envoy.

What to do now? There must be something better than scrap it, but I don't have a clue at the moment.

[browningautorifle]

tried to refit the fore-end for a No.4 Mk2 and butchered the whole thing to make the Mk2 trigger configuration fit in a Mk1 stock.

That would almost work...Except you can see the router bit marks all through the work. Still that may be what it's originally for.

[CINDERS]

Looks like a lunatic has gotten loose with a hand router got tired of that and went to a dremel, sorry Villiers but I really think that has had as we say in Aus T R O O P C (The Royal Order Of The Pork Chop.) if they were serious the would have used a milling machine or at the least at pentograph, I would not burn it in an open fire either the coating whatever it is may give off toxic fumes