Wood Stocks and Heat

[303 Gunner]

Hello all, I was hoping to draw on your collective wisdom to assuage what is hopefully paranoia on my part. I’m preparing for a move from one corner of the United States to the other via a weekish long road trip. Foremost on my mind are the 28 Enfields that will be moving with me. My chief concern is warpage from heat and humidity if I were to transport them by enclosed trailer. At what point do those factors encourage warping?

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[WarPig1976]

You're fine, wood expands and contracts naturally. If those stocks where going to warp they'd have done it years ago.

[Daan Kemp]

Think of the heat and humidity in daily use in the field. For months. Desert, jungle, India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, weeks in store on ships in transit, etc. I doubt if the gentle movement is going to produce any kind of warp if battle conditions didn't. In any case, the Brits would have had an instruction pamphlet if there was any possibility of the stock warping. Also stock wood is specially selected not to warp and treated to prevent any possibility.

[22SqnRAE]

A fair and reasonable question, Josh.

There's plenty of Lee Enfields in the tropics of Australia that regularly get upwards of 75% humidity and 34 (real) degrees for four to five months of the year. And they still work!

Just be kind to them, clean them and lightly lube them in packing and then when removing them from the packing after the trip. Inside, and out. No need to flood them, but leaving a thin film of lube (of your choice) will protect the steelwork from moisture build-up and surface rust. Pay attention to wearing surfaces (bolt face, bolt head guide rail, sear, cocking piece face) and they'll be good to go.

[303 Gunner]

Thanks for the feedback guys. This is the first time I’ve had to move them en masse so I’ve been stressing about it along with the long range move. Haha. I have one Mk I*** with a badly warped stock (it came to me that way) so I’ve been sweating it.

[newcastle]

Z-Corr bags for the win if you are really paranoid - had mots of my enfields in these for 6 years as i went through rental units storage and moving house before we got settled. not a speck of duct or rust anywhere.

[WarPig1976]

I have one Mk I*** with a badly warped stock (it came to me that way) so I’ve been sweating it.

The warp/twist was always present, from the tree to the blank. If it isn't warped by now it's not going to without intentional actions.
Rest easy....