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LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

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It just occurred to me, that restoring milsurps is becoming a popular side hobby to collectors. So, why not have a dedicated sticky at the top of the page where we can show off our restorations and explain the steps, and share tips and things to watch out or avoid during the process.
 
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Good idea. Might get a bit crowded with different posts focusing on everyones' projects over time but shouldn't be too much of an issue there.
 
48 Faz

Before:
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After:
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Managed to save the original butt, as the wood I bought came with a (long) walnut butt. otherwise it was unissued. I colour matched the handguards and forearm with an alcohol stain (feiblings leather dye). The forearm turned out more red than the other pieces tho. But the handguards match the butt really well. So it's not 100% by any means, but it's must better than it was a few months ago!
 
nice job the rifle looks beautiful, i have a no1 mk111 that i would like to retrofit but finding the parts and the wood is quite difficult. Do anyone know where such a thing can be found at a reasonable price
 
Still a work in progress, but it is as far as i am going until i have it approved and am issued a FRT#. So here is as done as any of you guys will see it for a bit until i submit it and have it classified! Haven't test-fired it yet, waiting on the belt i bought to arrive :D.

EDIT: links to the pictures are broken, i'll get em back up

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I know I haven't been refurbishing as fast as I should / could / would like to, but here are a few recent finished ones.

A friend of mine asked for a sporterized Lee Enfield. Found one, with wood that looked like it'd been dipped in a bucket of varnish:
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And all the metal (barreled action, magazine, trigger guard, bolt...) had been spray-painted. Badly.
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So I stripped the wood with furniture stripper (that took a while; used a tooth brush to get the stripper to work well in the checkering), then stained it a bit and finished with some sprayed acrylic. And I used a wirebrush wheel on the metal, then reblued it (barreled action, magazine, bolt, trigger guard...) I got the butt pad from Numrich, it's not a perfect fit but very close.
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My friend's happy with it, therefore so am I.

Then, the usual monthly dose of SMLE:
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Now my stock of No1Mk3 parts is getting thin, because Springfield Sporters isn't shipping out of the US anymore. I wonder if Sarco Inc is easier to do business with these days. Numrich has some parts but I find it difficult to get a complete matching kit together. Or, I hope Marstar will get lots of SMLE No1Mk3 parts with the No4 parts they have been promising for 2010!

Lou
 
what is the cost of a matching set of wood and metal parts to retrofit a enfield no1mk111 be, ball park figure dose anyone know.Seems like it would cost more to retrofit it than you could actually sell it for but i guess if the gun has cetimental value cost is not a real issue
 
gordonlbyrne said:
what is the cost of a matching set of wood and metal parts to retrofit a enfield no1mk111 be, ball park figure dose anyone know.Seems like it would cost more to retrofit it than you could actually sell it for but i guess if the gun has cetimental value cost is not a real issue
Click to expand...

These days it's getting harder to get stuff shipped from the US. Many folks down south have stopped selling things to canucks. So it is not as easy as before (and somewhat more expensive). So, don't think you'll make profit doing a refurb...

I mostly do it to keep busy,

Lou
 
I had this in a thread but thought I would add it to this sticky. A SMLE sporter brought back to life...

Before: a 1919 Enfield (got for free) no bolt
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After:
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All parts and bits minus a sling and .303 stripper clips and mag (not pictured) were found on CGN in the EE. Still need a Bayonet for this.
 
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before

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and after

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1916 Enfield no1 mkIII* in unused proper british wood with ww1 hardware

and a 1942 Lithgow no1 mkIII with cutoff plate, lithgow coachwood stock and POF wood forward and 1940's hardware

both shoot very well and after a new bolthead on the enfield, both are headspaced very well too :)

I've got a k43 thats 99% done, i'll snap some photos once its back from the shop

I've got another lithgow to pick up this week, a 1924 mkIII so i'll be back buying parts
 
I'm still trying to restore this Long Lee-Enfield and for the past year have had no luck in getting the upper and lower barrel bands needed. Anyone who can help point me in the right direction would be among my favourite people in the world.

I've tried Numerich Co., Dixie gun works, ebay occasionally has them but they always go up when I dont have the cash or I get outbid. Story of my life, it requires a middle barrel band and a upper band that fixes a P.1888 bayonet.

Image of the rifle
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Parts needed.
Upper Band


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Lower band


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
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Here is a 36 Ishapore I am working on.....I'll put on the before pics now and edit with the after pics later when done.

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Got it from another CGNer. May reblue it but my first project will be the wood. I am waiting for 2 pieces of wood to show up in the mail and will have to strip and match color. Will also have to use a template I made for the mag cutoff.

Well an update....just got a package from numrich, opened it and had 6/7ths of the parts I needed.....The forestock I ordered wasn't there but in is place was a beautiful Remington stock of some kind, really nice but not for a SMLE....:(

Well sent it back today and they will send back the proper one.....hurry up and wait....:mad:
 
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Another No1Mk3*... SSA made

Hi folks,

This one, I had to take the wood from a mismatched, put-together-from-spare-bits, shot-out-barreled SMLE, and refinish it. The wood had been heavily sanded, but hey I have to work with what I have... I cleaned, stripped the wood and oiled it with BLO. I wish I could have replaced the front handguard, but no matching spare here for now. Bedding was done minimally, I may do a more thorough job if it shoots all over the place.

The metal came from a sporterized SMLE, also sad looking, which had been spray painted. Poorly. But the barrel isn't shot out. So I stripped the metal, cold reblued it. . I wonder if it'll shoot half decently, I hope I can make it to the range soon!

Lou

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