Trying to re-stock my Enfield...

[pb_blade]

Hey, I'm trying to put a full wood stock on my Lee Enfield (has a plastic stock on it right now). the markings on the receiver say No4. MkII. 8/53 I got a full wood stock and all the metal fittings off ebay. It was probably one that had never been on a gun cause right off bat it wouldn't fit. the stock part had to be ground down for it to fit in flush with the receiver and the long piece with the magazine-well had to be ground abit on the right side since my receiver has a rectangular projection out of the right side.

Here's where more fun starts, the handguard ring fits nicely on the receiver/barrel... but when i try to slip the rear handguard into it, it doesn't fit by quite abit... so i'd assume more grinding of the wood?

When i put the middle band on, it seems as though the wood is slightly too fat and i can't put the screw at the bottom of the band back on.

and when i try to put the front band on, it seems like again... the wood+metal caps are too fat and i can't even get the band on.

could someone help me out?

 

[Corpus]

You can't really put a wooden stock on an Enfield that the stock lugs were not cut for. You must find a new, unissued wooden stock (neigh impossible) and shave the wooden lugs to a precision, custom fit. If you are trying to put another rifles wooden stock on your rifle then it's never going to work the way you probably want it to. It will make the rifle inaccurate. Find a new stock, or put the polymer one back on. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[Tehoke01]

Get your woodwork tools sharpened and find some nice Teak, Maple, Walnut or Hickory...

...Use that micrometer on your synthetic stock and start copying. LOL.

 

[Corpus]

Then again, if he's not interested in a high level of accuracy, then his original idea will work. If he is just using the rifle as a plinker then he'll be ok, but this is not going to be a good hunting or target rifle.

________________________________________________________________

You said you had to "grind down" the lugs a bit. It should have been more like circumcising a nat. When you put on the bottom stock, did you do it evenly, or did you seat the front or rear first and then lower the rest down? That's a big "no-no!" It has to go down as one unit evenly. Then after it is hand snug, you give it a couple of ,ever so gentle, taps with a leather mallet. This is why I'm thinking this was probably not a "new" stock. I'm guessing it slipped on some places, and was too snug in others, but just didn't fit overall. If the wooden receiver lugs are cut properly, and the whole thing is lowered in evenly, then slowly pushed into place, then you should not have had these problems.

As far as the barrel band, some of them were heavy gauge steel and some were pliable. If your is of the heavy variety, and you have removed the front post sight, then just give it a few medium, even, taps with a rubber mallet, and it will slide on. Then crank it down with the screw. If the barrel seat needs to be sanded out, it shouldn't be very much at all, and even then only the first 3 inches or so.

 

[pb_blade]

oops i forgot to mention, the wood stock is supposed to be for the no4 enfield. Just having some problems with fit it seems. So I take it that it's normal to have to shave it quite abit to get it to fit? the wooden parts i've got for it seem to be new unissued

 

[Corpus]

NO, it's normal, with a new stock, to have to custom fit the wood. It's normal to have to shave tiny bits. If you are shaving more than a few hairs worth, then you're shaving WAY too much.