I don’t have access to a lathe right now, so I am hoping that somebody can help me.
I am currently working on a couple of Lee Enfield carbine projects (turn of the century carbines, not the later No.5s), one of which is a Royal Irish Constabulary carbine and the thing is sloooowly coming together. I am taking pictures as I go and will do a write up when I have her done. I am on the home stretch right now, got nearly all the parts assembled. I resolved a sighting issue and got her shooting pretty good. Now I need to do cosmetics and a couple of small things to finish.
This project carbine in particular was built on a 1900 Enfield made LEC Mk.I* action.
The first series of RIC carbines were originally conversions of the cavalry carbine. The Cav carbine never mounted a bayonet, so the major mod was remodelling the forearm to accept a Rigby nosecap with bayonet bar. To do this, additional wood was spliced to the tip of the forearm to create a swell to be inletted for the nosecap. The carbine barrel being much slimmer than its rifle brother, had the barrel diameter increased to fit the muzzle ring of the P1888 bayonet. This was done by having a bushing fitted to the muzzle.
I started out with just a barrelled action that I scrounged up for parts. But after much deliberation I decided that this one was in much too good a condition to break up for parts, so it became yet another restoration.
The longest part of any project is finding the correct replacement parts. There are still rifle parts kicking around and they will fit, but not correct on a carbine, there are some differences. This makes parts hunting even more of a challenge.
The forearm is unique to the RIC. The buttplate is a brass version of the iron Mk.I Metford unit, it doesn’t have the long tang for regimental markings as on the rifle, and the butt is inletted accordingly. The bolt has a handle bent closer to the body than that of the rifle and has a flat on the knob face. The magazine is also special in that it’s a six rounder and the trigger guard is notched out to accept it’s mag loop. The rear sight base has slider ramps that are much lower than the longer barreled rifle, the leaf is graduated to 2000 yds and the leaf cap is lower. The Rigby nosecap is the same pattern as the rifle (but with modified sight cutout), however, the bolt dustcover is exactly the same (Yay!).
So this refurb so far has been relatively easy. Basically find parts and assemble, nothing really buggered up needing repair other than the front sight. I’m at the stage where all I need to do is some work on cosmetics and fabricate a couple of non critical parts. I still need a front handguard. I am modifying one from a SMLE and done properly, once clipped into place it will be impossible to tell, and I need a muzzle bushing.
This is the bush I need to make up.
(not my picture, not my carbine)
This is my muzzle sans bushing.
Here is a question; How was this bushing attached to the barrel?
I have sketched up a fabrication drawing of the bushing on the back of a cigarette packet and have determined that the wall thickness where it slips over the barrel is quite thin, about 40 thou. I am thinking that it was installed and held in position with solder or perhaps it was made undersize and heat shrunk into place.
Once I get the bush installed, I will then be able to continue with the refurb. I am actually going to refinish the metalwork on this one, something which I try to avoid with antiques, but this one is a bit rugged and needs help. The metal has been painted with I don’t know what kinda paint. It ain’t Suncorite that’s for sure. Paint stripper, brake fluid or thinners won’t touch it. I will need to blast it with walnut shells to get the stuff off, it is almost like iron scale, its stuck like sh*t to a blanket!
Wphew, just reread my post. So this is a real ‘long way round the ouses’ to ask; Is there anybody with one of those handy dandy hobby lathes able to help me out and zip up a mild steel bush for me?
I am currently working on a couple of Lee Enfield carbine projects (turn of the century carbines, not the later No.5s), one of which is a Royal Irish Constabulary carbine and the thing is sloooowly coming together. I am taking pictures as I go and will do a write up when I have her done. I am on the home stretch right now, got nearly all the parts assembled. I resolved a sighting issue and got her shooting pretty good. Now I need to do cosmetics and a couple of small things to finish.
This project carbine in particular was built on a 1900 Enfield made LEC Mk.I* action.
The first series of RIC carbines were originally conversions of the cavalry carbine. The Cav carbine never mounted a bayonet, so the major mod was remodelling the forearm to accept a Rigby nosecap with bayonet bar. To do this, additional wood was spliced to the tip of the forearm to create a swell to be inletted for the nosecap. The carbine barrel being much slimmer than its rifle brother, had the barrel diameter increased to fit the muzzle ring of the P1888 bayonet. This was done by having a bushing fitted to the muzzle.
I started out with just a barrelled action that I scrounged up for parts. But after much deliberation I decided that this one was in much too good a condition to break up for parts, so it became yet another restoration.
The longest part of any project is finding the correct replacement parts. There are still rifle parts kicking around and they will fit, but not correct on a carbine, there are some differences. This makes parts hunting even more of a challenge.
The forearm is unique to the RIC. The buttplate is a brass version of the iron Mk.I Metford unit, it doesn’t have the long tang for regimental markings as on the rifle, and the butt is inletted accordingly. The bolt has a handle bent closer to the body than that of the rifle and has a flat on the knob face. The magazine is also special in that it’s a six rounder and the trigger guard is notched out to accept it’s mag loop. The rear sight base has slider ramps that are much lower than the longer barreled rifle, the leaf is graduated to 2000 yds and the leaf cap is lower. The Rigby nosecap is the same pattern as the rifle (but with modified sight cutout), however, the bolt dustcover is exactly the same (Yay!).
So this refurb so far has been relatively easy. Basically find parts and assemble, nothing really buggered up needing repair other than the front sight. I’m at the stage where all I need to do is some work on cosmetics and fabricate a couple of non critical parts. I still need a front handguard. I am modifying one from a SMLE and done properly, once clipped into place it will be impossible to tell, and I need a muzzle bushing.
This is the bush I need to make up.
Here is a question; How was this bushing attached to the barrel?
I have sketched up a fabrication drawing of the bushing on the back of a cigarette packet and have determined that the wall thickness where it slips over the barrel is quite thin, about 40 thou. I am thinking that it was installed and held in position with solder or perhaps it was made undersize and heat shrunk into place.
Once I get the bush installed, I will then be able to continue with the refurb. I am actually going to refinish the metalwork on this one, something which I try to avoid with antiques, but this one is a bit rugged and needs help. The metal has been painted with I don’t know what kinda paint. It ain’t Suncorite that’s for sure. Paint stripper, brake fluid or thinners won’t touch it. I will need to blast it with walnut shells to get the stuff off, it is almost like iron scale, its stuck like sh*t to a blanket!
Wphew, just reread my post. So this is a real ‘long way round the ouses’ to ask; Is there anybody with one of those handy dandy hobby lathes able to help me out and zip up a mild steel bush for me?
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