Saturday, March 31, 2012

Sporterizing the Lee Enfield - Porch Project Pt. V



You know what it's like in the mission field, drive several hundred miles to say Mass and teach a Confirmation class full of inquiring minds. "Tell me, class. Just what is a Sacrament? And why do we have them?" They did well and we'll have more Confirmations at this one Mission than we've had in a decade. Result.

nearly there
Still, class over and it's time to fall back to the LSP Compound to get on with serious Gospel imperatives, namely sorting out one of the Lees -- on the porch.

porch vise
First things first, apply another coat of finish to the butt and notice that almost all of the grain is full. This is not a job for the impatient. Just sayin'. Woodwork done, stand it up somewhere to cure.


But that's not all, not by any means. The barrel of the Lee demands polishing. Get down to it, starting with 150 grit and moving up to 400. Use a block, sand along the barrel, then across the barrel, as if you were buffing shoes.

stamper
Give the receiver another going over with 600 grit and notice the cacophany of stampings. I especially like the Crown and BSA & Co marks. 1917 puts me in a somber mood; who knows what hells this rifle and its rifleman went through. 

Imperium
Ma LSP says, "Maybe it shot some bulletheads." She doesn't waste words. A Texan. Several hours later the job was done. Barrel sanded to 400; in the next installment I'll bring it up to 600 to match the receiver.

elbow grease
Maybe it's time to turn to the bolt... Have a blessed Palm Sunday.

All glory, laud and honour.

LSP


2 comments:

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

' cacophony of stampings'

Nice
SBW

LSP said...

Just getting on with the job, Bushwacker. But seriously, what a lot of history in these rifles.

I like that.

LSP