SMLE no1mk3 parts sources?
- Thread starter cheasemonkey
- Start date
Do you want a new looking stock or something that has been trod upon? Those drill rifles have seen hard use.
If you buy one to restore a sporter, there will be parts left over. Would they be saleable? You would be using the desirable parts for the rebuild.
If you buy one to restore a sporter, there will be parts left over. Would they be saleable? You would be using the desirable parts for the rebuild.
New reproduction woods is sold by Prestigious woods. They sometimes have some of the metal parts also. Marstar has has a few parts.
Forget about the dealers. You will need to look around in the parts section and it will take some time. Typically the dealers are charging much more than the sellers here (that path however will cost you more time). I've built quite a few of those rifles that way. Good luck!
Not sure about the old, used wood, but for a new set (even the NOS) word "some" is just a bit of understatement when it comes to fitting.
I hear you OP.
Funny how the No. 1 MK 3 rifles get no respect, no? A No. 4 is better as far as interest...but the poor No. 1's just get no respect compared to Mauser or M/N offerings of the same era.
Original forearms and front hand guards are hard to find. In about 10 years I have found two. One that had a few scars and an unissued that looks new. As far as finding all the metal pieces they are available. Most of my parts I have found locally. I clean them up and put them in my boxes until I have enough matching parts to put a rifle together I have seven #1’ sporters and almost all of the parts. Forearms are mostly what is needed along with a couple nose pieces and it’s screws.
#4 original wood is much easier to find. I have a few complete sets ready to be put together as soon as I find the action or action with a barrel. #4 parts are much easier to find than #1’s. I am not in a hurry to rebuild, I slowly find the matching parts. My OL Long Branch took almost five years to find the correct parts.
Buying for a store is more expensive but sometimes they are the only place to find the last parts you need.
#4 original wood is much easier to find. I have a few complete sets ready to be put together as soon as I find the action or action with a barrel. #4 parts are much easier to find than #1’s. I am not in a hurry to rebuild, I slowly find the matching parts. My OL Long Branch took almost five years to find the correct parts.
Buying for a store is more expensive but sometimes they are the only place to find the last parts you need.
I'm in the early stages of the second option. 2 years ago I bought a repro stock from Marstar (and all the metal bits off EE here). Now I just received yesterday a sporter and a DP rifle from Wolverine as a project for this Winter. The repro wood stock is about the same price as the entire DP rifle with wood and metal, but the DP obviously shows some hard use. So, I guess it depends on how you want the project to look at the end, new or used?
EDIT: I see you are in Alberta, if you happen to be in the SW of AB and find yourself in the SE of BC I could show you the two project rifles I have
EDIT: I see you are in Alberta, if you happen to be in the SW of AB and find yourself in the SE of BC I could show you the two project rifles I have
These wood sets are very nice (some are spectacular), but you'll need to drive the brass rod through the forend yourself (quite a precise task if you ask me) and attach all the metal bits to the upper, front handguard too....which is a very thin piece of wood, so it's easy to mess up. That's even before you'll start fitting everything to a particular action in accordance with the proper procedure (make sure to do some serious reading about that). It's however quite satisficing process in the end.
I don't know why such preference exists to be honest, but many British soldiers preferred No1 rifle actually. Either way, both are very interesting platforms to play with.
The stocks from the UK are easier to fit. Not nearly as much excess wood.
What they really liked about No1 was balance (I can actually agree with that) which was very different with No4 rifle. They also thought that the peep sights were "loose" and not precise enough for a longer distance shot (that's questionable IMHO, but I can see why the open sights were considered more "precise" - similar story was told by Sergeant York who was trained on 1903 rifle and was issued a 1917 model rifle upon his landing in France). I also heard that the exposed muzzle on No4 rifle wasn't "protected as well" as on the older model. There were also complaints (that's quite interesting) that the new No4 bayonets were just ineffective in comparison to the long blade of No1 (having no experience of bayoneting folks I have no clue if it was legit or not).
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So, I tried emailing epps about parts kits and got no reply, and after looking at their dealer forum, I'm not going to support them anyways.
I think I'll just grab an intact drill rifle and strip it myself and if the wood is ok I'll try and use it and if it's terrible I'll just take the parts I need and trash the barrel and receiver and get a new stock.
How difficult is it to remove the barrel from the receiver? I'll have to get the tools, I've got a new old stock barrel but am worried about taking the old one off that's been on there for over a hundred years.
By the time all is said and done it will be an expensive project but this old girl (1916) deserves it, she has not been treated the way a veteran of the great war should have been.
I think I'll just grab an intact drill rifle and strip it myself and if the wood is ok I'll try and use it and if it's terrible I'll just take the parts I need and trash the barrel and receiver and get a new stock.
How difficult is it to remove the barrel from the receiver? I'll have to get the tools, I've got a new old stock barrel but am worried about taking the old one off that's been on there for over a hundred years.
By the time all is said and done it will be an expensive project but this old girl (1916) deserves it, she has not been treated the way a veteran of the great war should have been.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I know someone who contacted Marstar by phone and asked for a hand selected No.1 rifle. This was within the last year, and yes, the company has a tremendous amount of inventory not on the website. Yeah, he paid a couple bucks for the guy's time, but he got a much better rifle than the top one on the stack. His time to salvage a part here and there was saved.
