No4Mk1(T) cheek rest?

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goldidig

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Guys, My son was just going through some boxes of wood that I bought last year that was part of a collection of guns and parts I bought. It was part of a collector and gun smith's estate. There was quite a bunch of nice original #4mk1 Lee Enfield wood in that batch of stuff, but somehow I missed this. Look what he found! It looks to me like it's an original sniper cheek rest. It has cartouches on the underneath with what appears to be an oval with F and a C broad arrow in it and maybe a strange looking H inside a circle? Now I must check all the wood to see if I have any of the rest of it. I cannot believe anyone would bubba a genuine sniper rifle. Brings a tear to my eye! Can anyone comment on authenticity and proper markings on this? I don't have any reference to markings under the cheek rest in any of my books. THIS HAS A NEW OWNER GUYS so please don't email me looking to buy it.
Al
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I've never seen markings on a cheek piece as they are all fitted. Yours has definitely been on a rifle and has a few battle scars. Marking could mean just about anything. Candaian sniper cheekpieces were all walnut (at least the ones I have seen). British used mainly stained beech however I have seen ash and oak. Shape does not quite look correct however may have been altered. I compared this to a couple in C Law's book...so make of it what you like.
 
Well, I just went looking on the WWW at a lot of pictures of no4mk1T's. I didn't see 2 guns with cheek rests perfectly alike. Slightly different shapes to the cheek rests and hand groove cuts and some were mounted farther ahead or back. There was also many different wood colours and grains. I figured they were made by machine but I bet they were all made by hand and then custom fitted to each individual stock. The inside of this one is definitely hand carved to fit the stock as I can see the gouge chisel marks. It wasn't sanded at all underneath, just shaped with a gouge chisel. Someone was very good! I also stuck it on my unfired 1943 Longbranch and the wood colour and grain matches very nice and the fit was near perfect.
 
cheekrests

Yup. You've got the right idea. I can't explain why, but individual preference on setup seems to have been quite tolerated. If they were all handmade, there would be a very wide variation observed, and no one in the No.4T community has commented on that. Where they seem to differ is in the shape of the finger clearance grooves. The underside is no doubt rough shaped, and awaiting final fitting.

goldidig said:
Well, I just went looking on the WWW at a lot of pictures of no4mk1T's. I didn't see 2 guns with cheek rests perfectly alike. Slightly different shapes to the cheek rests and hand groove cuts and some were mounted farther ahead or back. There was also many different wood colours and grains. I figured they were made by machine but I bet they were all made by hand and then custom fitted to each individual stock. The inside of this one is definitely hand carved to fit the stock as I can see the gouge chisel marks. It wasn't sanded at all underneath, just shaped with a gouge chisel. Someone was very good! I also stuck it on my unfired 1943 Longbranch and the wood colour and grain matches very nice and the fit was near perfect.
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goldidig said:
Well, I just went looking on the WWW at a lot of pictures of no4mk1T's. I didn't see 2 guns with cheek rests perfectly alike.
Click to expand...
The indivudal snipers that the rifles were issued to, were allowed to modify the cheekpiece to suit themselves. It was the only part of the rifle they could modify without getting hollered at.

The initial fitting was done by an armourer but final adjustments could be done by the sniper.
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You guys never cease to amaze me with the wealth of info you provide! Thanks for the posts fellows! That sure explains the seemingly "no two" looks exactly identical.
Al
 
Mudpuppy..interesting article you posted...it's for the Austrailian No1 MK3* Sniper....it describes the Workbase replacement procedure that was performed by the Aussie armouer.

In the Canadian or British Army, unauthorized modification by enlisted personel like "snipers" is not permissible. I've had this dicussion with Peter Lailder many times. I have a personal connection with a retire Canadian officer would did sniper training. The answer was the same. You did not modify the weapon.

Having said all that, this cheek piece may have started out as a military item....it most likely was taken out of Q-stores and then found it's way to the public or purchased from a Surplus store like International in Montreal, PQ. They sold a boat load of stuff in their hay day. If it had been takened from a No4T there would be no markings on it as these were all hand fitted to the rifle where at Long Branch or in a Base Workshop by an Armouer (unlikely). If unfitted and these appears to be the case, the rear has been drastically reshaped....there lots of reference pictures of the correct shape on Milsurps.com and other sites, C Law, Skennerton, etc.

IMO it's been reshaped....maybe for a scoped hunting rifle. The markings are intriguing.
 
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