Warped Enfield forend wood?

[broomhandle]

Hi Guys,

I have a #2A1 Enfield it shoots well, but to the right. I have discovered that the forend wood is warped to the right. :shock:
Because of this, it is pressing on the barrel & pushing the thin barrel over.
To shoot it on target, the sight has to be WAY over to the side - it looks stupid that way.

What is the best way to straighten out the wood with out breaking a nice stock?

I never worked with a two part Enfield stock with all the many steel & wood parts on it, So I'm moving slow with it.:veryconfu

The stock is very thin at the tip under the nose cap, i'm not sure it is a good idea to remove wood for that area.

Best to all, broom

[docone31]

The best way I have found to unwarp the wood, is to use Easy Off.
Strip it, and refinish it. If it is real bad, strip it and put it together to let it dry.
Most times though, I have found it is a piece of wood in the forearm that is doing the pressing. Do a three point competition bedding job.
And, yes. They are tack drivers. I put a reciever sight on mine. The SMLE one fits on the reciever. SMLE wood also fits on it.

[lead-1]

Isn't it aggrivating, mine is twisted so bad that if your not careful you can line the left sight protector up as the front sight. That is actually why I got a good deal on it when I bought it, the guy I bought it from couldn't hit a milk jug at 25 yards because he kept lining up the wrong front sight post.

[calaloo]

I would be tempted to steam it. I have never had to do this on a gun stock but I have bent wood using steam. I use one of the galvanized fuel cans that has a large fill cap in the middle of the top and a pour spout that has a large cap with a small cap on the large one. They can be bought at a hardware store. The squat 2 1/2 gallon size is perfect.Take the small cap off the large one and soft solder a piece of copper tubing in the hole Fit a two to three foot length of hose to the copper tubing. Make the "steam box" out of heavy plastic sheet taped with duct tape with the hose from the steam generator inserted into the bag. For a stock I would make the bag about Eight to ten inches in diameter an a few inches longer tha the wood. Set the generator on a Coleman stove or such. When the bag inflates punch a couple holes to vent steam. After maybe thirty minutes you should be able to tie the forearm in a knot. Secure the forearm to the barrel with large rubber bands or surgical rubber tubing. After it cools it should be straight.

[Multigunner]

Hi Guys,

I have a #2A1 Enfield it shoots well, but to the right. I have discovered that the forend wood is warped to the right. :shock:
Because of this, it is pressing on the barrel & pushing the thin barrel over.
To shoot it on target, the sight has to be WAY over to the side - it looks stupid that way.

What is the best way to straighten out the wood with out breaking a nice stock?

I never worked with a two part Enfield stock with all the many steel & wood parts on it, So I'm moving slow with it.:veryconfu

The stock is very thin at the tip under the nose cap, i'm not sure it is a good idea to remove wood for that area.

Best to all, broom

Steaming and such is only a temporary fix, it most likely warped due to the wood not being properly seasoned before milling.

I replaced the fore end of my 1915 Enfield Lock because it had been in a warped Indian manufacture fore end.
I used an Efield manufacture unissued walnut fore end, pricey as that option turned out to be, but used Indian fore ends are available far cheaper from the same source, "Springfield Sporters Inc".

One thing you should check first though.
A Lithgow No.1 I had appeared to have a warped fore end, but it turned out that the trigger guard was warped at the magazine well. When I would screw it down tight the fore end would shift to touch the barrel, when loosened it came back to the proper orientation. After straightening out the bent legs of the magwell it fit okay.

[broomhandle]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the info. I will check to see if the metal is pushing things over.

I have had luck with a warped long Kentucky rifle stock in the past.
Wet it down real well & set it in a jig, it dried up straight.(About a week) I just got lucky, but that type of stock is really thin.

The Enifield stock goes from thin to fairly thick quickly.
Some one on another board, mentioned shiming the back of the stock where the wood forestock meets the steel reciver. As the screws are drawn up the stock must flex some -hopefully to a better straighter set up. That might work too.

I will look it over AGAIN & have a few(SMARTER) pals look it over too!
Thanks for the fixs. I'm in no rush.

Best,
broomhandle

[docone31]

Read this first!
http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ti18.htm
Might just be whats needed.