mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-The long thread by toolness1 about his trials in repairing and then replacing a SMLE forestock had me thinking about how the Canadians and British tried to improve upon the original furniture.
-In-between the wars the British had a go at using Bakelite for stocks. According to Ian Skennerton 20 prototypes were made and testing in 1934. But they were an immediate failure due to warping and fracturing (see first photo).
-The British also tried a white, translucent plastic but it never got beyond being fitted. The lone example, from the late Bob Faris collection, was reported to have warped also.
-Laminated wood was tested by the British and Canadians but never adopted. The Canadians built a series of experimental rifles and carbines designated with an XP serial number prefix. Again, built for trials but never adopted.
-Finally the Canadians built and tested a lightweight No4 with a one-piece stock. Ian over at Forgotten Weapons has a nice video of this rare rifle.
Photos from milsurps.com, probably the best forum for Enfield knowledge.
-In-between the wars the British had a go at using Bakelite for stocks. According to Ian Skennerton 20 prototypes were made and testing in 1934. But they were an immediate failure due to warping and fracturing (see first photo).
-The British also tried a white, translucent plastic but it never got beyond being fitted. The lone example, from the late Bob Faris collection, was reported to have warped also.
-Laminated wood was tested by the British and Canadians but never adopted. The Canadians built a series of experimental rifles and carbines designated with an XP serial number prefix. Again, built for trials but never adopted.
-Finally the Canadians built and tested a lightweight No4 with a one-piece stock. Ian over at Forgotten Weapons has a nice video of this rare rifle.
Photos from milsurps.com, probably the best forum for Enfield knowledge.