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    Legacy Member WarPig1976's Avatar
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    Canadian Experimental Lightweight No4

    And it's for sale lads. Not the original butt pad and somebody smeared Bubba Goo on the wood but shouldn't go for top dollar either.

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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    Wondered when it would surface again....
    It sat on my kitchen table many years ago.
    It is not mine.
    I have the correct butt pad for it if someone here buys it.

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    There appears to have been several "variants" of the J5550 produced; probably fooling around with bedding, stock strength, etc.

    There also seems to have been some "dispersal" of the surviving examples; there is at least one complete action, (no barrel), and a stock here in Oz. The interesting thing is that the stock, though completely finished, would not correctly accept the action that came with it. Variations on a theme? The trigger-guard attached to this body was steel, unlike the one in the video and the ex-Bob Farris one shown in Skennertonicon's ""Lee Enfield Story". Could these latter two be the same rifle?.

    Part of the problem with the design is that there was not a lot of surface area of recoil-lugs on the body or bearing surfaces on the stock, and as recoil of the body was transferred via a slightly beefed-up "tang" at the rear of the body, there was VERY little wood to absorb and transfer this force without risking splitting the timber. Maybe, if glass-filled nylon had been around.............

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    Of the three I have handled one had a severely broken, poorly repaired stock, the other had evidence of crackings at the wrist and the third was missing the butt plate.

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    Like the C67 fitted rifles, were these not distributed in small numbers to Australiaicon, NZ and the UKicon for trials & examination? I think it was two each for the C67 rifles wasn't it?
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    How many of these lightweight rifles were made in total guys?

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    Didn't he say three dozen to 40 were made? The book is non specific, matter of fact I couldn't find it anywhere as a number.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member Cantom's Avatar
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    Funny you mention that Bruce. I recall seeing a writeup on AIA and they were considering producing a version of the LB Lightweight Rifle. Not sure if it ever went any further or not? At any rate I've never seen one for sale.


    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce_in_Oz View Post
    There appears to have been several "variants" of the J5550 produced; probably fooling around with bedding, stock strength, etc.

    There also seems to have been some "dispersal" of the surviving examples; there is at least one complete action, (no barrel), and a stock here in Oz. The interesting thing is that the stock, though completely finished, would not correctly accept the action that came with it. Variations on a theme? The trigger-guard attached to this body was steel, unlike the one in the video and the ex-Bob Farris one shown in Skennertonicon's ""Lee Enfield Story". Could these latter two be the same rifle?.

    Part of the problem with the design is that there was not a lot of surface area of recoil-lugs on the body or bearing surfaces on the stock, and as recoil of the body was transferred via a slightly beefed-up "tang" at the rear of the body, there was VERY little wood to absorb and transfer this force without risking splitting the timber. Maybe, if glass-filled nylon had been around.............


    ---------- Post added at 07:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Warren View Post
    Of the three I have handled one had a severely broken, poorly repaired stock, the other had evidence of crackings at the wrist and the third was missing the butt plate.
    Hmmm...seems they were a bit too "Lightweight"...

    ---------- Post added at 07:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 PM ----------

    BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen one...I have the pics someone posted of one of these all apart, showing the recoil lugs, stock inletting etc. Found it quite interesting.

    ---------- Post added at 07:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 PM ----------

    Hmmm...seems they were a bit too "Lightweight"...



    BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen one...I have the pics someone posted of one of these all apart, showing the recoil lugs, stock inletting etc. Found it quite interesting.
    Last edited by Cantom; 03-24-2017 at 07:12 PM.

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    Cantom: "I recall seeing a writeup on AIA and they were considering producing a version of the LB Lightweight Rifle".

    I was there.

    That project and several others went away because it was an engineering nightmare, especially if made in 7.62 NATO. MAYBE in 5.56 or 7.62 x 39..........

    Having a rear "leg" like that on the SKS may have transferred recoil a lot better, (and provided somewhere to hang a Mk2-style trigger set-up as well), but that spindly "Mauser-style" stock never looked particularly "soldier-proof".

    Your basic Lee Enfield is a WHOLE lot more robust BECAUSE of the two-piece stock system.

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