2A1 Ishapore terrible accuracy + other problems

[Alan de Enfield]

Not magic, just give it a squeeze until it's snug fit again. Can't imagine how it got opened up. Seems to be the least here though.

"Shade-tree" Gunsmiths have found that if they bend the trigger guard it alters the 'pull-off', rather than doing it properly, it is a 'bodge' than can be done with a pair of pliers and a screwdriver.

Peter Laidler made mention of it in one of his 'presentations' explaining that it must be 'flat' and touching the forend throughout its length.


Extract :

The trigger guard should not spring at the rear or front….., NO it shouldn’t! If it was meant to, it’d be made of spring steel!

[FLOPPY_DISK]

There is not anything obvious wrong with the barrel. The crown seems Ok, and I don't see any rings when I look down the barrel in with a flashlight, nor do I see any external bulges.

I am inclined to follow the advice of Alan de Enfield and stick with attempting a repair on my current stock for 3 reasons.

1. He is the only one who has spoken up and who has had to deal with replacing a SMLE stock.

2. Externally, the present forestock looks good and the wood matches the buttstock.

3. If I try to repair and the repair fails, I can always buy a replacement afterwards.

[mrclark303]

Good point, why not have a go...

Regarding replacement forends, SMLE examples are still available here in the UK, but I've never seen a 2A1 forend.

We had a batch of 2A1's come onto the UK market several years ago, the rough ones were deactivated, but little in the way of spare parts.

[CINDERS]

When I got my BSA No.4 1944 "T" at 100M it had about a 24" grouping for 10 shots 2 things I discovered with the rifle A) The whole action rocked on the collar even though the trigger guard screw was tight B) On stripping the action out of the woods the draws looked like mushrooms smashed to pieces.

So I had a master stock maker effect a repair on it so the draws will never ever give any trouble again period, it now clover leafs 3 shots at 100M with my reloads.
So what I am alluding to is you may spend allot of time getting the wood back into serviceable condition but there is allot of you swiming against the current.
The way I see it that the wood is very soft from years of oil ingress and has really had a number done on it from a split that appears to radiate upwards from the action collar towards the muzzle end, the draws have been repaired already and where the tie plate is it just really looks munted.

I wish you all the best in your trial to get it up and running but I honestly feel for your sake it would be better in the long run with a NOS or good 2nd hand botton wood as this bottom wood has been flogged and how long will it last after your repairs 1 shoot or another 70 years! All the best anyway keep the thread updated with your progress with pics.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Also bear in mind that these rifles were intended, not for front-line troops but as "ammo-compatible" weapons much further back in the food chain..

Being in 7.62 NATO (ish), the activities of the barrel and fore-end will be unlike those of a .303 SMLE. This is like the "issues" that occurred with the Brit L8 7.62 NATO conversions.

If you had a "mint" 2A1 and a pallet of the correct Indian ammo, yu should be sweet, however...

Has anyone ever seen any of the original Indian military official armourer instructions a la EMER / EMEI, etc., preferably the "English" editions?

[Mk VII]

If the sight is jumping then the coil spring inside the slide is either weak, missing, broken, or the retaining nut is partially unscrewed (common).

Other possibilities: rack-and-pinion mechanism clogged with dirt. Unscrew eyepiece, remove slide, drop in can of mineral spirits for a day or two or use ultrasonic machine if you have one. Brush with M-16 cleaning 'toothbrush'.

Substitute known good slide, if you have one.

[Sunray]

"...Ethiopia? I hope not!..." While I agree with you, it really just means it was 'rode hard and put away wet' often. We had a bunch of Sudanese AR-10's in the shop years ago that still had desert sand in 'em. Illiterate Third World troopies(usually untrained conscripts) didn't look after their kit. Mind you, most 2A's were issued to Indian prison guards, rural police and game wardens.
Keep in mind that 'fixing it' will likely cost a big pile of money. Parts, especially stocks, are not easy or cheap to find. There are no more 'stock sets' pretty much anywhere. And a stripped bolt head, that you need a handful of to fix headspace, runs $15.50US each at Gunparts. They claim it'll fit a 2A.
Having said that, before doing anything with the stock, slug the barrel and check or have the headspace checked. There is no point spending time and money of fixing the stock if the headspace is bad. Or the bore diameter is excessive. Mind you, 2A's tend not to have bore issues. Headspace can be bad though. Thousands of these rifles have been assembled out of parts bins with zero QC.

[Alan de Enfield]

Headspace can be bad though. Thousands of these rifles have been assembled out of parts bins with zero QC.

How do you check the headspace ?
Remember these are 7.62 (not 308 Win) and there are 12 different 7.62 NATO headspace gauges for GO and 12 for NO-GO for different firearms and different reasons. Which one do you take ?

What should the 2A headspace be and whereabouts on the neck should it be measured ?

On the subject of Ethiopia, RTI were selling 'bargain basement' Ishapore rifles that they appear to have sourced from a 'scrap heap' in Ethiopia

[mrclark303]

How do you check the headspace ?
Remember these are 7.62 (not 308 Win) and there are 12 different 7.62 NATO headspace gauges for GO and 12 for NO-GO for different firearms and different reasons. Which one do you take ?

What should the 2A headspace be and whereabouts on the neck should it be measured ?

On the subject of Ethiopia, RTI were selling 'bargain basement' Ishapore rifles that they appear to have sourced from a 'scrap heap' in Ethiopia

I was wondering the same thing re head spacing. I have to say (rightly or wrongly) I've always had my doubts about the strength of the 2A1 action and 7.62x51.

I know the steel is changed, but still, dimensionally, it's a No1 and the somewhat
slim sidewalls of the action body would trouble me, I have my doubts...

[FLOPPY_DISK]

Looking at the 7.62 NATO brass, I did not see any signs of stretching or marking. Does that that mean that the headspace is Ok?