L1A1 shorter return spring housing ?

[mrclark303]

Morning chaps,

This is a new one on me, a mate of mine has just bought a straight pull L1A1 and the return spring housing tube has apparently been reduced/machined back at the end, as a result it only requires two half turns to tighten the nut..

Was this done for any reason in service (cant see why), or just cut back because of stripped threads as a "that's good enough" civilian repair?

Ideas on a post card please gents...

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

I'd say a cheapskates way of using a previously unserviceable RS tube with damaged thread by chopping the damaged threads off. Do you mean two half turns = 1 FULL turn OR two and a half turns? Either way, in engineering practice you should have THREE full turns to ensure, er..... I forget the word now - but less than that is poor quality in any case and I'd take it back

[tankhunter]

Any Decent engineer would have reclaimed the threads, even if they are a very fine pitch!

You could use a thread file, or a thread chaser nut. Poor workmanship in any case.

[Peter Laidler]

But these threads were internal as I read it.

[mrclark303]

Morning chaps,

Yep, internal threads stripped, replacement NOS tube now ordered by the owner, (I would guess that going by how many of these NOS tubes are still available, they must have been changed out quite frequently in service!) so all is good.

Many thanks indeed for feedback gents.

[Peter Laidler]

To be honest I don't recall having changed many. The exception was Malaya where they'd rot out as rust took hold between the wood and tube.

Tel your pal that when it's screwed in that he will/might need to take a rat tail file to the part of the tube at the bottom edge of the TMH back plate where the return spring rod articulates itself as it's moving back and forth.

Tankie will remind me fully - but wasn't there a modification to prevent the nut jambing into the tube? Without the mod, when you undid the nut, the whole tube would unscrew from the TMH causing all sorts of problems.

Where are you when we need you Tankie!

[mrclark303]

Will do Peter, he is keeping an eye on the thread, I will get him to join our merry band!

Thanks again, John.

[bnz41]

Hi John and Peter,

Posts noted thanks chaps, I will check that the tube does not undo/move when the screw is unscrewed....

John had no luck finding any gunsmith within a 2 hour drive of me with go/nogo gauges I could try.

[Peter Laidler]

There's no gauges you need for the RSTube. It's just screw in tight and file the clearance slot for the RS rod.

Tankie will come in later re the modification you should make. If it does unscrew on the nut it means you have to destroy either the tube or the butt

[bnz41]

There's no gauges you need for the RSTube

Hi Peter sorry my fault, I know you don't need gauges for the RSTube, I need the go/nogo gauges just to check the headspace, should have made it clearer in my post.