Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 48
  1. #11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mhb View Post
    Did the Aussies actually use creosote in their oil mix?


    mhb - Mike
    From what I've been told over the years, yes. But only a couple drops in a one ounce mix.

    Quote Originally Posted by musketjon View Post
    JB,
    Which is the "King Screw" on a No I Mk III*?
    Thanks
    Jon
    What we have now nicknamed the 'king screw' is the main triggerguard screw. It must be tight on the screw bushing while allowing for sight compression of the TG against the wood.


    If AGP said their rifles could do 1.5" MOA it could be true. From the shop at least. Once it leaves and owners and nature take a toll...who's to say what might happen after that?
    I know of a 1955 No4 MkII that would do 1" @ 100 off the bags with ammo it liked. Also a '41 Lithgow with a 1960 barrel that did 1.5" using the same ammo. Winchester white box ball/ WCC 81.
    2016 Chicago Cubs. MLB Champions!


    **Never quite as old as the other old farts**

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    kansas
    Posts
    2,216

    Default

    if memory serves king crew was an Aussie term that worked its way off the big island.

    mhb if you want to traditionally bed it I would read all of Peter Laidler's writings on milsurps.com. If you are going modern then disregard that advice. The No. 1 has been much more of a challenge for me personally than the No 4. using traditional methods. However, a lot of it probably has to do as much as the rifle you get to start with as anything. I like Aussie No 1,s and that is what I have the most of in that category. However, I wish they were all queens maple (Missouri Walnut would be a dream) as Coachwood is a PIA. Good Luck

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    S.E. Arizona
    Posts
    420

    Default JB and p246:

    Thanks for the feedback, guys.
    I'm assuming the stock on the #1 is coachwood - it is pretty light in color and fairly open in grain.
    I'm looking at this one as a learning project, to see what I can accomplish with it in terms of accuracy - I may try several approaches, but will probably start with the traditional mods.
    If you've read 'The Emmagees', by H.W. McBride, he commented on the trouble he and his gunners took to acquire accurate and reliable ammunition; and that they preferred the American contract-made stuff, when they could get it.

    mhb - Mike
    Sancho! My armor!

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    S.E. Arizona
    Posts
    420

    Default About the wood:

    It looks to me that there are 2 different woods used on the stock set of this Lithgow. They all appear to be marked 'SLAZ 42' (Slazenger 1942), and the handguards and foreend are distinctly darker in color than the buttstock, which is rather pale. The handguards and foreend might be described as a light walnut color. All of the stock parts are obviously new and not previously used.
    What I will likely do is lightly stain the buttstock to as close a match as I can get with the handguards and foreend and then oil them - I think they would come out looking better-matched, and not too pale, overall.

    mhb - MIke
    Sancho! My armor!

  5. Default

    Enfield stocks were placed in heated tanks of "raw linseed oil", todays BLO contains chemical drying agents and if it was put in a heated tank it would turn into the consistency of Jello.

    The raw linseed oil soaks deeply into the wood and hydrates the wood and prevents wood shrinkage. During the yearly tear down inspections the stock was again soaked in a tank of raw linseed oil over night.

    As a side note the M1 and M14 rifles also had raw linseed oil applied to the stock, NO military rifles ever had BLO applied to them when in service.

    You can also soak your fore stock in a wall paper wetting tray using raw linseed oil mixed 50-50 with turpentine and let soak overnight.

    If you have a doubts about raw linseed oil you can go to Milsurps.com and ask Peter Laidler the senior British armourer in the UK.
    Last edited by bigedp51; 02-11-2017 at 08:38.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    kansas
    Posts
    2,216

    Default

    Raw Linseed Oil is indeed original along with creosote. It's also a pain in the rear compared to BLO so hence why I use BLO. None of my Lee Enfield stocks will ever be new again. Hell one of my shooter coachwood stocks cracked along the left side last week and I've shot it a lot....then after a 50 round session....seriously a crack. In the middle of fixing that now. You can spend days reading Peters stuff. At the end of all that you have to decide how your going to work on your rifle, mostly one off jobs. No big work centers with heated dip tanks, just you and your skill set. That is unless you want to pay someone else to do it.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    kansas
    Posts
    2,216

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mhb View Post
    It looks to me that there are 2 different woods used on the stock set of this Lithgow. They all appear to be marked 'SLAZ 42' (Slazenger 1942), and the handguards and foreend are distinctly darker in color than the buttstock, which is rather pale. The handguards and foreend might be described as a light walnut color. All of the stock parts are obviously new and not previously used.
    What I will likely do is lightly stain the buttstock to as close a match as I can get with the handguards and foreend and then oil them - I think they would come out looking better-matched, and not too pale, overall.

    mhb - MIke
    Mike
    I've done exactly that stained to match. For instance the Lithgow that cracked on me is a 42 rearsenaled in 45 and got a new barrel and Forewood in 45. The buttstock and handguards are darker and beat up some do to dirt, use and a$$. Once I get the Forewood fixed I'll stain it to match the others before oiling it. What I need most is time, which I always run out of. I'll probably have to use oak for my Dutchman as I have no sacrificial coachwood.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    S.E. Arizona
    Posts
    420

    Default Thanks, again...

    for the input. I did stain the buttstock, and came-out with a fairly good match in color (not perfect, but the other pieces aren't perfectly matched, either.
    Still, I've finished oiling the stock (several coats of BLO, well rubbed-in, but not polished. It doesn't look bad, at all.
    I've re-assembled the rifle, with attention to the bedding (WHO is responsible for this mechanical botch-up?), and hope to shoot it this week, weather permitting.
    Although the parts are all actually NOS or re-finished, I discovered that both the bolt lugs and their seats in the receiver are somewhat 'experienced', and had to be lapped-in for reasonable bearing on both, which left the headspace a bit longer than before, but still in the serviceable range. (The bolt head is not numbered, but marked with a letter 'M', if that is significant. Is there a source of new Aussie bolt heads?
    Will report results...

    mhb - Mike
    Sancho! My armor!

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    kansas
    Posts
    2,216

    Default

    The number bolts were just done on the No 4 rifles. Is your head space at .074 or greater. If not it's still in spec. If your are using American Brass the rims are thinner, you might try Privi Brass which generally has a thicker rim. You can also use an O ring in front of your new ammo to fire form it to your chamber as long as its in spec. The O ring method is heavily discussed on the inter web and can be found explained very well on several forums. I think it has even been explained here recently.

    Your Lithgow bolt if it needs one will have to be honed and fitted. Just the cost of good stones makes it hard to justify fitting one bolt, but that's your call. It is not a job for the faint of heart. Sarco has boxes of bolt heads. You might have to call them to see if they have any OEM old new stock. You'll be looking for one that slightly longer than you need, which might be found on a used one also. You can also fit it tighter if you want to use thinner rimmed American brass but were in geek status now. However based on your post I'm not sure you are there.
    Last edited by p246; 02-12-2017 at 05:43.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    S.E. Arizona
    Posts
    420

    Default P246:

    If the #1 bolt heads were not numbered, were they actually available in a range of lengths (they must have been), and how were they distinguished without having to measure each one?
    As I mentioned earlier, I did have to lap-in the bolt lugs with their seats in the receiver - the headspace is still within the permissible range (I do have headspace gauges), but I'd like to reduce it to the minimum, if possible, and replacing the bolt head with a longer one (if available) is the solution, I think, but need to know how to be sure of getting one of the required dimension.
    I do have a large assortment of stones, but stoning the bolt lugs alone would not have solved the problem, in this case, as the receiver seats showed some setback, also: lapping them in corrected the wear problems on both bolt and receiver surfaces and provided good contact on both sides of the bolt, which is what the stoning procedure is intended to achieve when fitting-up a new bolt and receiver.
    Depending on how the rifle shoots, it may not actually be necessary to do anything about the headspace issue, though the vagaries of bedding the barrel, foreend, handguards, etc. for best/acceptable accuracy may yet drive me around the bend...

    mhb - MIke
    Sancho! My armor!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •