Greetings and Salutations!
So I took a LOT of y’alls advice regarding the Enfield Stocks. Took a few hours and a bunch of ‘things’ happened in the meantime. I ended up in the E.R. as that pinched nerve in my neck went into ‘crippling pain’ and I couldn’t move.
Like literally.
It’s part of the damage from my original injury that ended my DotMil career. Cervical 5-6-7 took a 10k vertical axial load dump when the main barrel of the tank got dropped on me. The brachial nerves took a squish, and I’ve had all the treatment I can pretty much for over 25+ years. Occasionally things get bad, but yesterday was the worst on an order of “hasn’t been this ouchie since the original injury”
They squared me away at the VA however. Bunch of shots/meds and I’m operational again. Higher than normal, but operational. I can at least turn my head, and chew again (plus side) as well as lift my arms above my waist and can type, which was not an option after 2pm yesterday. I got home and crashed, and then well, I’ve got a slew of new appointments to check just what went wrong, as this was far beyond the ‘normal’ flare up or slippage of discage I’ve had in the past. I’ll keep you up to date as we go.
As far as the rifle stocks? Well… this’s the ‘after’ of a LOT of steam, and a couple go-rounds in the dishwasher:
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The rear stock is a WORLD of different is color now, with the original being this:
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The dents are, for the most part out (the minor ones) but as you can see, it still looks like the poor thing was chained to the bumper of a pickup, and dragged down a gravel road. Now I -could- as one of you suggested, sand the ever-lovin’ shit out of it and try that. Thing is, is just how much sanding is it going to take to get that looking better?
Too much IMO.
And as far as ‘the personality of the weapon’?
This thing at this point isn’t so much a restoration as it is a ‘rescue’ as I don’t think many would be willing to go this far on such a trashed out set of stocks. Granted they’re the original and theoretically ‘serviceable’ but man, they’re ‘beat-on ugly-ugly’.
When do I call it and do a full on replacement?
Tough call.
Let me know your thoughts, as I have given it “Ye Olde College Try” and well, sometimes you have to just say “It’s dead Jim!” The last attempt I’m going to do now I think is re-staining with some dark stain, and a matte finish with some poly to seal it, and if it comes out ok, well then great. If not? Well it’s not like these are hard to find right?
Next on the list:
The Springfield Trapdoor.
ReadiFreddi the OtherGran, had given it to me to see what I could do with it. So I had put a stupidly low bid offer on eBay for the Lock Assembly that I never expected the guy to accept. He wanted like $200 for it alone. Including S&H I got it for a little over $150 and it’s in exceptionally good condition with as advertised 90% or better of the original brownish finish, with full functionality.
It fits beautifully in it as well:
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The ‘US Springfield’ stamp with Eagle is quite prominent still, and it needs a lil scrubbing I think just to clean it up -very lightly- and it’ll be fine. It fit, as stated before, perfectly no wiggle room, and it only took very light thumb pressure to put it in place. The hammer also meets up right where it should on the trapdoor.
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Maaaaaaaan
It IS like having a Crack/Heroin/Meth Addiction.
I can’t wait for the next pieces parts to show up to clean up and affix to the greater part of the rifle and give me my next ‘fix’. I think the next part coming in is the butt plate w/door and screws. That looks like it’s going to need a lot of scrubbing, as the pics show a lot of rust. I’ll further evaluate as needed. Then the only remaining parts are the trigger assembly (trigger and guard) w/screws, the Lock Screw Set, primary main screw, and the top rear primary sight w/screws.
That rear sight is a ‘wait and watch’ however.
The least expensive one out there starts at like $130 and goes up from there (for a serviceable one… rusty junk is available, but I want one that’s out of the box ready to play if you will). The other reason is there are SO many different models that this thing could and did have…
Add on that every single screw seems to NOT come with the part it’s intended to, but the majority of sellers are selling the screws as sets, but for what I consider extortionist prices… $30 for the Lock Screws… $15 a throw plus shipping. Unfortunately, these are the only players that are at least NOT gouging the hell out of people…
Older rarer collectible gun parts are MUY EXPENSIVO!
Hence why I compare this hobby to a crack addiction.
Thing of it is? If I get the Springfield up and running? The rounds to it are like $5 a throw. Only Buffalo Bore sells them…
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$86.00 per box, plus S&H.
This’s going to be a ‘one off’ test, and if I find that it’s cool to shoot, maybe another box, and then I’ll do the reloading on it, as they have on the website the reduced loads that it needs to be properly done. Hell, have a ‘Pancho Villa’ Leather Boolit Cross Chest holder done by the guy I go to for leather holsters and ‘stuff’ on Etsy LOL
I mean let’s face it… adding a fucking Moose Killing Rifle that shoots a 500 grain cannonball does have it’s sexy appeal.
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Sure… a bit on the slow side, but would YOU want to be getting clobbered by one of those things ? While wearing a vest? With Level III plates? I envision a guy getting hit by one of these in the chest the same as someone dropping a bowling ball on a PB&J sammich.
All the squishy goodness squirts out the edges.
Because fuck you, fuck your plates, and fuck the guy behind you and HIS plates as well. Plus how cool is it to be The Guy Who Uses a 134/141 year old Rifle as a Home Defense Rifle? I’m really looking forward to getting BOTH rifles up and running in a short period of time.
So More Later
Big Country
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