What should I Do?

[Ruggles]

I just put a Enfield No 5 carbine (1946 Shirley) in layaway ( along with a sweet Mauser!). The No 5 is in pretty good mechanical condition with no pitting at all. There is a very small piece of the flash guard missing, looks like it chipped off. The furniture is tight and steady but very beat up in appearance, the rubber butt plate is over half gone thru wear. I paid $279 for it, might be a little high but they seem to be getting harder to find all the time.

My original plan was to take this rifle and replace all the furniture with brand new pieces:

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=527250&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

And also sending the metal (rifle & magazine) to be refinished (as close to the original color as possible):

http://www.bearcoat.com/prodserv.htm

(If anyone has a better place to refinish please let me know)

My thinking is that this would make a very nice little rifle, a very durable rifle for many many years to come. But I am having second thoughts about altering this rifle, i.e. I feel "guilty" about ruining the rich history of this firearm.

What should I do, work this "project" or leave this rifle as is. Money is not the issue, I just do not want to create some kind of Frankenstein looking rifle out of this fine piece of history.

Any suggestion are welcome.

[Bushbacker]

Give it a full disassembly and a good cleaning first and see what it looks like then.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/no5/boltdisassembly/index.asp

http://www.surplusrifle.com/no5/rifledisassembly/index.asp

Peruse this forum for the furniture - the C&R Rifle Stock Cleaning and Preservation Forum. They preach the right techniques, no dishwasher or oven cleaner nonsense.

http://p102.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm34

See my exchange with the moderator "Cabinetman" on this thread (Newbie Questions on an 03A3 stock ). He knows his stuff. I am "alamo" on that forum.

http://p102.ezboard.com/Newbie-Questions-on-an-03A3-stock/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm34.showMessage?topicID=2669.topic

You may find it will look much better once you've done all of the above. It's fun too.

[Bushbacker]

My last project was a No.4 Mk.1. It looks much improved after taking it down to every last part and cleaning it up. Stock looks great as well. It's a fun thing to do.

[Ruggles]

Great links, thanks. I have also just heard that the furniture I linked is not No 5 wood but No 4 wood cut to look like a No 5. I am going the way you are suggesting and doing it myself.

Thanks again.

[Bushbacker]

Call Tuesday to get your bolt disassembly tool. I printed all the instructions out and got out the bolt to disassemble and then got to the step where I found I needed the special tool. That put my project on hold for awhile:

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=281780&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

[Bushbacker]

And see if anyone you know has a VERY long screwdriver to take off the buttstock if you don't have one. Fortunately my neighbor had one. I would have hated to buy one to use just once.

[Ruggles]

Thansk for the info, that would upset me to have to stop in the middle to wait for a tool!:sad: