Buttstock replacement on a 1950 Long Branch

[Flying10uk]

Therno, it's quite a simple job to fit a new butt stock to your No4 rifle, just a bit of patience really. Just take your time- it's much easier to remove wood than to try sticking it back on. You should find that your L marked stock is about 1'' longer than the stock on your gun which you state is marked S. There is a about a half inch difference between the short normal and long stock. I believe that the rare bantam stock is 1'' shorter than the S marked stock although I'm not certain on this and it may only be half inch shorter which would seem logical???

[Baal]

There's a fellow on that auction site that sells rubber butt pads for Lee Enfields. They fit against the butt plate and use the usual screws.

[Seaspriter]

rubber butt pads for Lee Enfields

Everytime you change a gun, it becomes less original. Try BAALs suggestion first. They are only 19.95, and you could use the same pad on other Enfields.
Amazon.com : BUTT PAD Lee-Enfield No.1 No.4 RIFLE STOCK 1 Outdoors

[Flying10uk]

Surely if the rifle has a stock marked S it's already non original? Or did the manufacturers send out the rifles with a selection of different butt sizes fitted to the rifles in each batch? For example in each batch of rifles despatch to a unit were 70% normal butts, 10% short, 10%, long and 10% bantam size? These figures I have plucked out of thin air.

[RobD]

I agree. I'd fit the long butt. The rubber pads look like balls on a bulldog.

[Peter Laidler]

Well said and diplomatically put Rob! No4 issue to regiments from Ordnance was 80% medium, 10% short and long. Armourers would change to suit…..

[Flying10uk]

Peter, how did the rifles arrive from the factory to Ordnance? Were all the butts fitted medium/normal and Ordnance fitted the 10% short and long? Or, perhaps, the riffles didn't have the butts fitted at the factory?

[Peter Laidler]

They were built and sent to Ord complete. Officially, the build rate was 80/10/10 rate and they were catalogued as short/med/long as you will see in the parts lists. That's the UI (Unit issue) rate too