inthehizzy
CGN frequent flyer
A little backstory: My grandfather served as a Military Policeman in WWII, through France, Belgium, The Netherlands and in to Germany. Upon returning home, became an OPP officer servicing in Brockville, then Smiths Falls, before transferring to the Renfrew Police Dept. where he died on the job.
My father, getting older, has been trickling family mementos to me and my brother throughout these past few years. The first was my grandads WWII service medals and decorations, the ribbons tattered and the medals tarnished. Unknowingly, to the old man, my brother and I had them professionally restored, mounted in shadowbox, museum glass, mahogany, the whole shebang. We gave them back the next Father's Day over a few cold pints and pops burst in to tears. He idolized his father. They now hang on the living room wall, proudly.
A couple years back, the next items handed away were grandads police badge, dress uniform brass collar tabs, shoulder flashes, ID, etc. His every day carry, as it were. Again, I had them polished up, set in shadowbox, dark blue felt back round with gold dress trim, etc. The fellow who does these professionally liked so much how this project turned out that he asked permission to have it photographed for his porfolio. I agreed wholeheartedly. Again, now on the living room wall, no more dusty basement drawers. This stuff should be out on display, loud and proud, but that's only my opinion.
So, here we are now, with Grandpa's Springfield M1 & Lee Enfield No.4 Mk. 1. I wish I had more back story on them, like where he got them and how they ended up here, but other than that the serials #'s put them as Oct. '43 and Nov. '42 manufacture, respectively, unless I am in error. Serials numbers, at least the once I've found on the receiver, stocks, etc. match. The barrel of the M1, however, has a Danish barrel. DAR with a crown. They've always been boxed and in the rafters as long as I can remember. We did put some rounds through down range on the farm many years back, so they are shooters, perfectly functional and from what I recall, decently accurate at 100 yards with surplus Greek ammo.
Sent them to Nick at Vulcan Gun Refinishing after some research and much correspondence. I had complete faith in his attention to detail and expertise and I am left with nothing but satisfaction. As for the M1, I love the redness of the walnut and the metal has been finished in Magnese Phosphate, a beautiful even, unblemished dark gray, save for the light grey gas tube. The metal was only lightly pitted so as far as Nick says, he didn't have to invest in any filing or metal work. A few scratches of brass/copper/etc in the throat of the barrel/magwell confirms Nick put some FMJ ammunition downrange to test functionality before returning the rifle to me and he said it shot great.
The Lee Enfield was a little more involved, or so I was told, but again, everything remained as it was. The stock was boiled and refinished with tung oil and the metal refinished in an industrial Black Oxide, blemish free and evenly consistent. I love the small, buffed brass components and details of the LE. Maybe the more knowledgeable can inform me, but were LE magazines stamped metal and then the gaps brazed in place? I say this because the magazine came back with the same consistent black oxide finish, but the "seams" show as bright brass where the oxide obviously didn't take. This isn't a criticism, I rather like the contrast, I'm just trying to learn more.
I've loaded up some 150gr Hornady FMJBT over Varget to put the M1 through it's paces and some 180gr cast lead, gas checked and lubed flat nose .303 (.313 slugged to my barrel) bullets/cartridges (courtesy of Rick Pearson at R&R Bullets), again over Varget.
Can't wait to get Dad out to the range this Father's Day.
My father, getting older, has been trickling family mementos to me and my brother throughout these past few years. The first was my grandads WWII service medals and decorations, the ribbons tattered and the medals tarnished. Unknowingly, to the old man, my brother and I had them professionally restored, mounted in shadowbox, museum glass, mahogany, the whole shebang. We gave them back the next Father's Day over a few cold pints and pops burst in to tears. He idolized his father. They now hang on the living room wall, proudly.
A couple years back, the next items handed away were grandads police badge, dress uniform brass collar tabs, shoulder flashes, ID, etc. His every day carry, as it were. Again, I had them polished up, set in shadowbox, dark blue felt back round with gold dress trim, etc. The fellow who does these professionally liked so much how this project turned out that he asked permission to have it photographed for his porfolio. I agreed wholeheartedly. Again, now on the living room wall, no more dusty basement drawers. This stuff should be out on display, loud and proud, but that's only my opinion.
So, here we are now, with Grandpa's Springfield M1 & Lee Enfield No.4 Mk. 1. I wish I had more back story on them, like where he got them and how they ended up here, but other than that the serials #'s put them as Oct. '43 and Nov. '42 manufacture, respectively, unless I am in error. Serials numbers, at least the once I've found on the receiver, stocks, etc. match. The barrel of the M1, however, has a Danish barrel. DAR with a crown. They've always been boxed and in the rafters as long as I can remember. We did put some rounds through down range on the farm many years back, so they are shooters, perfectly functional and from what I recall, decently accurate at 100 yards with surplus Greek ammo.
Sent them to Nick at Vulcan Gun Refinishing after some research and much correspondence. I had complete faith in his attention to detail and expertise and I am left with nothing but satisfaction. As for the M1, I love the redness of the walnut and the metal has been finished in Magnese Phosphate, a beautiful even, unblemished dark gray, save for the light grey gas tube. The metal was only lightly pitted so as far as Nick says, he didn't have to invest in any filing or metal work. A few scratches of brass/copper/etc in the throat of the barrel/magwell confirms Nick put some FMJ ammunition downrange to test functionality before returning the rifle to me and he said it shot great.
The Lee Enfield was a little more involved, or so I was told, but again, everything remained as it was. The stock was boiled and refinished with tung oil and the metal refinished in an industrial Black Oxide, blemish free and evenly consistent. I love the small, buffed brass components and details of the LE. Maybe the more knowledgeable can inform me, but were LE magazines stamped metal and then the gaps brazed in place? I say this because the magazine came back with the same consistent black oxide finish, but the "seams" show as bright brass where the oxide obviously didn't take. This isn't a criticism, I rather like the contrast, I'm just trying to learn more.
I've loaded up some 150gr Hornady FMJBT over Varget to put the M1 through it's paces and some 180gr cast lead, gas checked and lubed flat nose .303 (.313 slugged to my barrel) bullets/cartridges (courtesy of Rick Pearson at R&R Bullets), again over Varget.
Can't wait to get Dad out to the range this Father's Day.
