Enfield no1 mk3
- Thread starter jessedm
- Start date
You re going to need more than just the wood, friend, starting with a nosecap, stud and spring.... and that is assuming that you still have the Inner Band (most do).
There are dozens of threads on exactly this problem; I suggest you look through some of those.
Most of the wood which was bought from the Greek Army by a Canadian company was sent to the US, where it sells for a third of what it costs here. Try Sarco's online catalogue.
Zip over to milsurps dot com and download a copy of "Rifle - 1942". It is mostly about your rifle, has some data on the then-very-new Number 4 as well.
Gun shows are good source of small parts, as is the EE here.
When you get the parts together, come on back and somebody will guide you through the process of FITTING these parts correctly so that your rifle will shoot accurately.
Likely your rifle will shoot its best with a 180-grain bullet t bout 2250 ft/sec. This is about 10% UNDER military spec, but there are reasons for this.
I own several of these rifles, feed them a 180 Sierra flatbase Pro-Hunter bullet ahead of 38 grains of 4895 powder, seated to 3.05" OAL.
The rifles like it: 2 of them are honest 1 MOA shooters with this load.
Hope this helps.
There are dozens of threads on exactly this problem; I suggest you look through some of those.
Most of the wood which was bought from the Greek Army by a Canadian company was sent to the US, where it sells for a third of what it costs here. Try Sarco's online catalogue.
Zip over to milsurps dot com and download a copy of "Rifle - 1942". It is mostly about your rifle, has some data on the then-very-new Number 4 as well.
Gun shows are good source of small parts, as is the EE here.
When you get the parts together, come on back and somebody will guide you through the process of FITTING these parts correctly so that your rifle will shoot accurately.
Likely your rifle will shoot its best with a 180-grain bullet t bout 2250 ft/sec. This is about 10% UNDER military spec, but there are reasons for this.
I own several of these rifles, feed them a 180 Sierra flatbase Pro-Hunter bullet ahead of 38 grains of 4895 powder, seated to 3.05" OAL.
The rifles like it: 2 of them are honest 1 MOA shooters with this load.
Hope this helps.
A very good question indeed, many of us are in the same boat. I keep thinking that someone out there has a replicating pantograph, or whatever they're called these days, and could turn out replicas from an existing forend. Or even make them from synthetic- that's how desperate some of us are to get the rifle back to something like original condition. In other words, don't be in a hurry, because this is likely going to take some time. I'm slowly getting the bits and pieces together, maybe one day I'll have a "bitser" SMLE of my very own.
ps- forgot to ask: is the barrel uncut, ie still 24.5" from receiver to muzzle? Because if it's less than that, it's not worth trying to restore.
A very good question indeed, many of us are in the same boat. I keep thinking that someone out there has a replicating pantograph, or whatever they're called these days, and could turn out replicas from an existing forend. Or even make them from synthetic- that's how desperate some of us are to get the rifle back to something like original condition. In other words, don't be in a hurry, because this is likely going to take some time. I'm slowly getting the bits and pieces together, maybe one day I'll have a "bitser" SMLE of my very own.
ps- forgot to ask: is the barrel uncut, ie still 24.5" from receiver to muzzle? Because if it's less than that, it's not worth trying to restore.
i would love a nice coloured laminate stock set if some business would just sell me one already
I have a line on the nose cap and rear sight guard, I'm pretty sure the wood will be the biggest problem, unless it is next to impossible to get the wood I might have to turn it into parts to sell off and fund the purchase of one that is already complete. I just don't know what is the more realistic course.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
You can get a scrappy wood set and do the repairs yourself. That's what I did with my last one. It's pretty easy to do the repairs the way they would have been done in service and it can be very rewarding to save a piece of wood that holds so much history. I put an add on the we looking for No1 MkIII wood on the we and was offered two complete but damaged sets for 1/5th the price of a new old stock set from eBay. Took a weekend to make the repairs with basic hand tools and now I have the fugliest (a true beauty) SMLE around.
If doing the work to a cheap set scares you then I would just save up and buy a good original example.
If doing the work to a cheap set scares you then I would just save up and buy a good original example.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Might I suggest going to www.skennerton.com and picking up a copy of the
Small Arms Identification Series booklet on the
.303 Rifle, No.1, S.M.L.E Marks III and III* (S.A.I.S. No1)
It's relativly inexpensive and has several exploded parts diagrams plus a potted history. The best part is its from Canada. and also covers accessories.
If you find a parts source, and miss ordering one lousy screw, you are still going to have to pay shipping on that screw.
Small Arms Identification Series booklet on the
.303 Rifle, No.1, S.M.L.E Marks III and III* (S.A.I.S. No1)
It's relativly inexpensive and has several exploded parts diagrams plus a potted history. The best part is its from Canada. and also covers accessories.
If you find a parts source, and miss ordering one lousy screw, you are still going to have to pay shipping on that screw.
