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  1. #11
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
    If it's clean a carpenter's glue should work too. It's more of a filler plug not a working area so it's just going to be held in place.
    I suppose it's just a filler plug. then again there isn't much meat left - just the 1/4 or so of the sidewalls, and about the same on the bottom. If I want to reserve the right to do any bayonet fighting in this rifle's future, I should probably use epoxy

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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.
     

  4. #12
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    At the groin "Point and remain"...
    Regards, Jim

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  7. #13
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    I set up to check the fit at the action while I wait on the to finish my forend repair. I started with inletting black around the recoil lug, and the flat behind it - using inletting screws to set it down straight (taped the magazine in it's place), then stock fitting t-handle screws to lock it in place.
    Attachment 112412
    As you can see, I'm only getting contact on 1/2 of the lug, and 1/2 of the flat. Easy fix on the flat. For the lug area, I can shave the high spot, and then if I don't get contact any more, I need to move that little rounded area where the trigger guard contacts back a bit. This would set the whole action back slightly.

    Without removing any material, I then checked the tang, just to get an idea.
    Attachment 112413
    I think this looks good? nice even contact around the sides, no contact at the back, and no contact under the screw hole.

    Next, with everything tight, I checked the magazine fit since I had stuck follower issues. There is indeed a large gap - more so towards the back than the front, although front is still big.
    Attachment 112414Attachment 112415Attachment 112416
    I think the pictures make the gap look smaller than it is because of the angle.

    To address the overall fit, I'll start at the recoil lug, then the tang if it's needed. Then I have a decision to fix the feed cap. lower the bearing surfaces of the action, deepen the inletting of the trigger guard, or a combination of both. The last option I think is best as I can get a near perfect fit up top on all surfaces, then close the magazine gap within spec by adjusting the trigger guard inletting. This also has the advantage of increasing upward pressure from the barrel bed - so I won't get into any rules issues using the height of my dowel fix to adjust the pressure.

    If this isn't the right approach, please chime in. Fall back plan is to order a perty Minelli stock and do it all from scratch. NO Dremel....hand chisels, scrapers, and files only.

    Funny thing, I went to look at my 03a3 that has no feed issues for comparison. It's in an original straight stock. Magazine spacing is nice and tight...too tight. A little inletting black on the top edges of the magazine, and front screw hole, shows contact on the action. I suppose I need to file down top edges of the magazine until I don't get contact any longer.

    EDIT: "Doco Overboard" has a really nice tips on the mdshooters forum https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=232416
    Is the bottom of the tang screw hole supposed to contact wood?
    Last edited by ssgross; 11-20-2020 at 03:08 PM.

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  9. #14
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Easy does it on the fitting, can't go backwards. Don't know about the tang screw hole...
    Regards, Jim

  10. #15
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    walnut dowel came in yesterday, along with a trigger screw bushing. Dowel fits in just perfect with no alterations required to hole or dowel. The hole for the bushing is oversized and does not hold the bushing in the least, it falls out. It likely had one and fell out during first disassembly.
    I'll get the dowel in and flush on all 3 sides with the stock, then final fit trigger guard inletting and flat behind the lug for magazine depth and upward bedding pressure at my repair, then trim trigger screw bushing to length (1/8" below wood as per chuck), and lock it in place with epoxy. Pics of progress to come over the holidays.

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  12. #16
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    I think the patient will survive.
    Attachment 113197Attachment 113198Attachment 113199Attachment 113200Attachment 113202Attachment 113201
    To get the profile on the outside, I used 60 grit sandpaper on a dremmel to get within a mm of the stock, then switched to a file. Once it was smooth to touch, I rubbed on some white lithium grease with a brush, fit the band, and lightly filed the contact areas until it fit nice-n-snug, but came on and off by hand. Then I marked the hole, and went back to the same jig to drill it...perfect...
    except wouldn't ya know, I still couldn't put the screw on when on the rifle. Tried another band I had lying around from another project...and perfect. The holes on the original band didn't line up as manufactured. Aha...this is why the Gibbs people buggered the screw to begin with. Not wanting to waste a newly parkerized band with R stamp and all just because the holes were off, I carefully opened my hole up in the direction it needed to go with a needle file, as opposed to wiggling the drill around and digging it out with a spoon like Gibbs did. All is well now.
    First range report: 1.25" group at 100yds - but I think I can squeeze a bit more out of it. I was consistently getting 2-3 shots inside a dime, then a few flyers all over...scratch my head thinking it was me, and then put 2-3 more back in the dime.
    I went over the rifle again when I got home. The bolt handle slightly touches wood when closed - one only can tell with the scope off because the safety won't fully turn over.
    Plus, the gen. 1 repro scope...with the backwards knobs (easy enough to swap), had the reticle come loose after half a dozen shots before all this work the screws on the plate where the knobs are came loose, and the brass plate that the rear one screws in to fell down inside. I reset it, Loctite on the screws all seems well, but I'm not convinced it's holding zero based on the performance I described. I'm going to mount my nice 24x scope on this rifle and see what I get. I may also make an epoxy "shim" to evenly bed the cheap repro scope base. This should all squeeze the group size down a bit.
    After work, I'll post back with details about how the final stock fitting went. Need to stare at my other screen to pay the bills for a bit

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  14. #17
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    Sure looks better than it started...
    Regards, Jim

  15. #18
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    The bedding...Doco from mdshooters has a nice summary here
    https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?p=5475522
    with pics. On this boyds-cmp stock, the bottom of the tang makes no contact, and the tang sidewalls are tight to make the wood creak as the tang spreads it apart when tightening the rear screw.
    I started with the recoil lug...the front hole was drilled to far forward, so the front bushing (welded onto the magazine) was acting as the recoil lug. Not good. I relieved the back of that. It's hard to get in there with a palm chisel, and so took a very long time to get it right.
    Next, I started relieving the sidewalls until I had uniform contact on the receiver flat, which acts as a fulcrum. Then I continued working on both together until I had contact under the tang, tang walls, and receiver flat. I then checked for contact all along the side of the receiver, and relieved as needed. A problem presented itself. At the moment the bottom tang finally made contact, the recoil lug made contact with the bushing and I could not tighten the screw! In order to proceed any further, I verified there was no contact between receiver and magazine (still quite a gap), and compared the front bushing length against another rifle. This one is long, so no hard feelings using a file and knocking it down until I get good compression on the receiver flat.
    Next, I checked the barrel bed for contact..wait I forget to mention that every time I played with the flat and tang, I also double checked the barrel channel for no contact between receiver and barrel bed. At one point I noticed shiny wood under the handgaurd ring...had to relieve there.
    Now the bedding is perfect to my liking. The gap between mag and receiver is small enough to prevent the follower from sticking, but still some room shave the flat area just a bit to increase barrel bed pressure if needed later.
    However, the outside stock profile now has wood sticking up past the tang by ~1/16 or more...that's how far off deep the inletting under the tang was cut. ...oh yeah...don't forget to trim the rear bushing so it's just below the wood! I used a wrap of tape to keep it tight in the oversized hole.
    I lastly discovered contact of the bolt handle with wood, and relieved there. If I redo the contour around the tang, I will sand the whole stock and refinish.
    I swapped out the CMPicon handgaurd, with no clips and misaligned with the stock, with the nice handgaurd that came with my Minelli a3 stock...I used the Minelli on my 1903a1 project in another thread. It matches nice, lines up good, and has the handgaurd clip area milled already.

  16. #19
    Contributing Member ssgross's Avatar
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    I rebuilt the scope that came on it, it was one of the M73 "gen 1" repro that came with the early Gibbs rifles - lots of complaints on these. Took it to the range again, and same behavior as before - 3 shots or so almost in overlapping holes at 100yds, then a few wild fliers, then back where they were. I'm convinced now it isn't me - and here is why. After the first 3 great shots, I went to move over a couple clicks, and down just 2 clicks. I wasn't even on the page anymore. Target back to 25yds showed that I needed a full 1.5 turns up on the elevation knob to get back on target! That's a 30 MOA change from 2 clicks which were supposed to be 1 MOA!
    I broke down and bought the Gen4 Hi-Lux. Talk about fast service - I ordered Friday morning, and it arrived today from Torrence CA to VA! Half the cost of the scope must be in the free shipping. The glass is infinitely better than the Gibbs gen1 repro. Can't wait to get it on the rifle and back to the range.

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