I have a big butt

L

longsault

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A question for the assembled Enfield experts: do butt plates come in different sizes to fit different sized butt stocks?

I recently acquired a set of No 4 wood that included a butt stock that is significantly larger than the one it will eventually replace. At the butt end it's about 1/8" wider. It is 4 3/4" tall at the butt end--as opposed to 4 1/2" on the old one. In terms of overall length it is just a shade under 13"--again, about 3/4" longer than the old one.

My dilemma is that the old brass butt plate looks misplaced on the new butt stock. In fact, it looks positively puny. Are there larger butt plates available to fit these larger stocks?

Any ideas or suggestions greatly appreciated,
LS
 
Is your butt new? I've seen some new wood that was definitely oversized and required trimming.

That said, I've seen slight variations in butt plates too (mostly for the No1Mk3 though, but that maybe just because I've seen more No1Mk3 rifles and parts than No4's)

Lou
 
I'd describe it as "newish", in that it has very sharp edges and only a couple of small dings (though it also has a very well-done arsenal repair). Its companion fore-end (they're both stamped "FR", whatever that means) is likely new as it required some sanding to allow the receiver to fit in.

With the plate installed, there's perhaps 1/8" of wood left exposed around the edges. On the old butt stoke the plate fits more or less flush. To me, that seems like a lot of extra wood to remove.

LS
 
longsault said:
I'd describe it as "newish", in that it has very sharp edges and only a couple of small dings (though it also has a very well-done arsenal repair). Its companion fore-end (they're both stamped "FR", whatever that means) is likely new as it required some sanding to allow the receiver to fit in.

With the plate installed, there's perhaps 1/8" of wood left exposed around the edges. On the old butt stoke the plate fits more or less flush. To me, that seems like a lot of extra wood to remove.

LS
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Your old buttstock like many of them was heavily sanded down.
 
Well, I guess I'm not the only one to have faced this dilemma! Perhaps requesting an old, beat-up stock would have saved a lot of work in the end. I hate the thought of sanding down a new piece of wood, but if it has to be done...

I'm somewhat curious about the markings on the wood. The buttstock has "FR" stamped on the end, and "P 63" under the grip with a small, ribbon-shaped mark inside a circle. Anyone else run across similar markings?

LS
 
I would probably also get a new butt plate just for comparision's sake. I think TradeEx have some new steel ones for a few dollars each. Hey I'll get some today, while at it; I need some slings anyways.

Lou
 
longsault said:
Well, I guess I'm not the only one to have faced this dilemma! Perhaps requesting an old, beat-up stock would have saved a lot of work in the end. I hate the thought of sanding down a new piece of wood, but if it has to be done...

I'm somewhat curious about the markings on the wood. The buttstock has "FR" stamped on the end, and "P 63" under the grip with a small, ribbon-shaped mark inside a circle. Anyone else run across similar markings?

LS
Click to expand...

I wouldn't sand down your new buttstock! The wood should be wider than the buttplate on a new butt. Just finish it as is.

It's probably Pakistan Ordnance Factory wood, that's what's for sale on ebay these days.

Here's the new LB buttstock I installed on a 41 Long Branch rifle. I believe this is how they should be. I don't imagine they were all sanded down when new.

41LB29.jpg
 
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I handled(Fired) a lot of # 4s in my stint in the army,and Never saw a rifle with a butt plate fitted like your pic. They were all very close ,if not dead on to the plate. No armourer ( that was their trade name back then)would allow such work to leave the section. Duker
 
Cantom, how wide is the plate?

I wonder if anyone could post a pic of a flush-fitted plate, with measurements? I'd love to figure out if there's a standard width, or if it varied.

I pretty much only have refurbed at home, with metal mostly coming from previously severely bubba'ed rifles, so...

Lou
 
Duker said:
I handled(Fired) a lot of # 4s in my stint in the army,and Never saw a rifle with a butt plate fitted like your pic. They were all very close ,if not dead on to the plate. No armourer ( that was their trade name back then)would allow such work to leave the section. Duker
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Interesting Duker. I really don't know, but I've had people say I had sanded wood when it was flush...not sure?
Do you think the armourers sanded them down when new?
 
I'm thinking that the "larger" butt was made larger than spec. I've got some new butts (two I think), made in India, they have to be larger than what came out of the English factories - they will require sanding, so I think they were purposely (why, I don't know) manufactured oversized.
 
louthepou said:
I'm thinking that the "larger" butt was made larger than spec. I've got some new butts (two I think), made in India, they have to be larger than what came out of the English factories - they will require sanding, so I think they were purposely (why, I don't know) manufactured oversized.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...the buttstock I pictured is an L Long buttstock.
 
I dont recall ever seeing an armourer sanding a butt stock. I have seen some new replacements that were quite a bit heftyer than original.My feelings are that the original 1940 butts were not oversized and then refinished later.Duker
 
I have a whole drawer full of buttplates for both SMLE's and No.4's, and they're all pretty much the same size. Very minor differences, mostly due to wear. Wood tends to vary widely, and new wood was always oversize to allow for several refinishings over time. It would make no sense to fit the buttplate perfectly, because after the first re-furb, you would need a smaller buttplate.
 
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