SMLE Damned Crack
- Thread starter albertacowboy
- Start date
The "Damned Crack" was a description used by Bill (Bisley) Brown to describe one of the great problems of the SMLE forestock. Brown knew what he was talking about as he was a six time member of the Canadian Bisley team and three times Captain of the Team. SMELLIE frequently shot with him, and he passed a lot of his knowledge along to SMELLIE.
There is a weak area at the rear end of the forestock in the trigger / sear area. The wood is thin there, where it is inletted to take the trigger and sear. Later modifications were to inlet a small metal piece to help keep the crack from spreading and happening. As mentioned, it could easily be caused by someone attempting to take the butt stock off the rifle without taking the forestock off first. Turning the butt stock bolt generally spread the wood at the back end of the forestock, forcing it apart under pressure, and cracking the rear end of the forestock in this thin area.
A SMLE with this crack in it generally gave vertical stringing.
There is a weak area at the rear end of the forestock in the trigger / sear area. The wood is thin there, where it is inletted to take the trigger and sear. Later modifications were to inlet a small metal piece to help keep the crack from spreading and happening. As mentioned, it could easily be caused by someone attempting to take the butt stock off the rifle without taking the forestock off first. Turning the butt stock bolt generally spread the wood at the back end of the forestock, forcing it apart under pressure, and cracking the rear end of the forestock in this thin area.
A SMLE with this crack in it generally gave vertical stringing.
On an Smle the forestock is removed first always. Or you get the dreaded "damn crack"
There's a metal plate in the back of the forestock that engages the squared off end of the bolt that holds the butt on. It's supposed to keep the bolt from working loose near as I can figure. The problem is when somebody doesn't realize how the thing is put together and reefs on the bolt with all their might. Then you get the damned crack... Tinman, I have now come across a couple of SMLE's where the stock bolt doesn't protrude into the fore stock and don't have the squared end on them either. Not sure how this came about, whether there was some change in production or if it was done when they were ingloriously sporterized back in the 50's, 60's or 70's as the case may be. I've heard talk that some or all of the Ishapore guns were done in this manner, though the two I found were Lithgows built in the 'teens. At any rate, these ones can be safely taken apart butt first though they're definitely the odd man out as far as SMLE's are concerned.
On the 1915 BSA I restored, the sporterized forestock did not have the metal plate in it. I think that that plate might also have been meant as to keep the "damned crack" from developing because of recoil. But as has been pointed out, people torquing on the butstock bolt without removing the forestock could also cause the crack.
Anyway, on mine, the plate would not go in because the squared off end of the bolt was cockeyed, and I could not budge it. But the butstock was on dead tight, and I was loth to mess with it. I wanted to round the end of the bolt, but could not reach it well enough with a file. So instead I rounded out the square slot in the plate so that it would go over the cockeyed bolt end. If the butstock ever works loose, I will be able to tighten it without removing the forestock. But I think I still would remove it. Superstitious I guess.
Anyway, on mine, the plate would not go in because the squared off end of the bolt was cockeyed, and I could not budge it. But the butstock was on dead tight, and I was loth to mess with it. I wanted to round the end of the bolt, but could not reach it well enough with a file. So instead I rounded out the square slot in the plate so that it would go over the cockeyed bolt end. If the butstock ever works loose, I will be able to tighten it without removing the forestock. But I think I still would remove it. Superstitious I guess.
You have it exactly 180 degrees. The metal insert has a square notch in it. This was a modification to help with the problem of the crack happening. When the metal insert was adopted, the stock bolt was given a squared end. This end was supposed to be aligned so that the forestock could be assembled with the squared end of the bolt going into the metal notch. Something like an alignment pin. The forestock was supposed to be put on last, and removed before the butt stock was removed.
A LOT of force can be applied to the stock bolt and the squared end can and will spread the metal insert and force the stock apart when it is turned.
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