Finding a Scope mount to match the tapped receiver?

deerslayer303 · October 4, 2014, 09:09 PM

Hey Guys,
My No.5 Mk1 (jungle carbine) has been drilled and tapped in the past for a scope mount. Well the threads look good, so I thought maybe I would try to find the mount that is compatible with the tapped holes in the receiver. If so I'll scope it and maybe hunt with it a little. Could any of you maybe recognize this mount by the holes in the pic? I know it may be a long shot but I gotta try.
[IMG]

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James K · October 4, 2014, 09:56 PM

I guess I'll show my ignorance, but I don't recall any scope mount base that would fit those screw holes; I usually used a side mount on those rifles.

I would check out the depth of those holes in the receiver ring; they look pretty deep and if too deep would go into the chamber.

Sorry not to be more help.

Jim

CowTowner · October 6, 2014, 06:21 AM

There was a trend at some point to use a piece of angle iron as the starting point for mounting a scope on the Enfield rifles.
This may be one of those. And everyone was done a little bit different.
Good luck.

T. O'Heir · October 6, 2014, 12:28 PM

The ATI 'no gunsmithing' base matches that. Not a great base though. http://www.thecountryshed.com/enfield_scope_mounts.htm
Check the headspace and slug the barrel before you do anything. Not all No. 5 rifles are real No. 5's either. Lots of 'em are bubba'd No. 4's.

James K · October 6, 2014, 01:33 PM

The "no gunsmithing" mounts don't require drilled and tapped holes, which is why they are called "no gunsmithing." However, the OP can mount one of those and either put plug screws in the holes or just ignore them.

Whatever the good or bad features of the Lee-Enfield actions, they share one factor common to military rifles of that era and later. The rifle designer(s) gave no thought at all to mounting a scope for sniper use. The first US rifle which incorporated a scope mount was the M14, vintage 1957.

Jim

Jimro · October 6, 2014, 02:41 PM

The only likely candidates I can see are Parker or SAI based on my very limited knowledge of enfield mounts other than S&K.

Jimro

eastbank · October 6, 2014, 02:45 PM

weaver made one that looked like that,useing three holes. eastbank.

deerslayer303 · October 7, 2014, 07:14 PM

Thats the sad part, this is a REAL ROF No5 Mk1 made in 1947. I wish it didn't have the tapped holes but hey that seems to be ALL the kitchen gunsmithing done to this old girl. Someone did add the 300/600 flip sight to the rear. So I may just buy an original No.5 Micrometer sight to go back on it and leave it be. I have my fully sportered No.4 to put the venison on the table.

deerslayer303 · October 16, 2014, 09:23 PM

Alright guys, I'm not going to mount a scope on this old girl. Where can I get some plug screws to go in these holes. And does anyone have any idea what the thread pitch may be. And what do you think about installing the plug screws and maybe filing them down to the curvature of the receiver and maybe cold blue it? I want to try to right this wrong if I can.

tangolima · October 17, 2014, 08:21 AM

Are those through holes in the front. Any chance they go through the chamber? If they do, the rifle is wasted.

- TL

deerslayer303 · October 17, 2014, 04:05 PM

No the holes do not go all the way through into the chamber. They are not very deep at all.

tahunua001 · October 18, 2014, 11:36 AM

midway usa sells them but you need to know the size and thread pitch of the holes to order the plugs for them.

hartcreek · October 18, 2014, 05:09 PM

I have bought allen headed set screws in approximately that size as a hardware store. You will need to know the thread pitch.

I was working at a college and the maintence department has installed exterior doors with non exterior door hinges. Instead of replacing the hinges I just drilled and tapped the inside of the hinges and installed setscrews so the hinge pins could not be pulled from the outside.

Even if ther holes came through into the chamber the rifle would not be ruined. If you check your history you will find that early military full automatic bring backs were made unusable by drilling a hole in the barrel so that if the weapon was fired if would blowback into the face........this was sloved by many a GI by a simple taped in plug.

tangolima · October 18, 2014, 05:35 PM

If the plug fails, it becomes a projectile. It is a no no. Not worth it.

-TL

Chuck Dye · October 18, 2014, 06:27 PM

Brownell's has blank, undrilled scope bases. Turning them into a clean, working, installation requires machine shop level measuring and drilling gear.

Brownell's also has filler screws.

Old Stony · October 18, 2014, 07:03 PM

Generally you will find the holes to be either 6x48 or 8x40. Any gun shop should have some laying around left over from mounting scopes. No need to go to the trouble of ordering some.

kilimanjaro · October 18, 2014, 08:57 PM

Most gunsmiths will have lots of proper screws around to fit the holes. I would personally have the depth of those taps checked by a gunsmith, to see exactly how many thousandths of receiver metal remain around the chamber.

The No. 5 is not exactly a good candidate for a scope, it's a carbine and is not going to give you results much better than your open sights in brushy hunting terrain.

Put some good screws in there, a little Loctite, and try your cold blue, should get good results.

deerslayer303 · October 19, 2014, 09:04 AM

Thanks guys. That's exactly what I'm going to do.

October 4, 2014, 09:09 PM	#1
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,653	Finding a Scope mount to match the tapped receiver? Hey Guys, My No.5 Mk1 (jungle carbine) has been drilled and tapped in the past for a scope mount. Well the threads look good, so I thought maybe I would try to find the mount that is compatible with the tapped holes in the receiver. If so I'll scope it and maybe hunt with it a little. Could any of you maybe recognize this mount by the holes in the pic? I know it may be a long shot but I gotta try. [IMG][/IMG] __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson

October 6, 2014, 06:21 AM	#3
CowTowner Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: Cowtown of course! Posts: 1,747	There was a trend at some point to use a piece of angle iron as the starting point for mounting a scope on the Enfield rifles. This may be one of those. And everyone was done a little bit different. Good luck. __________________ NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, Home Firearms Safety, Pistol and Rifle Instructor *“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life......”* President John F. Kennedy

October 6, 2014, 12:28 PM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	The ATI 'no gunsmithing' base matches that. Not a great base though. http://www.thecountryshed.com/enfield_scope_mounts.htm Check the headspace and slug the barrel before you do anything. Not all No. 5 rifles are real No. 5's either. Lots of 'em are bubba'd No. 4's. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

October 6, 2014, 02:41 PM	#6
Jimro Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 7,097	The only likely candidates I can see are Parker or SAI based on my very limited knowledge of enfield mounts other than S&K. Jimro __________________ Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one.

October 7, 2014, 07:14 PM	#8
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,653	Thats the sad part, this is a REAL ROF No5 Mk1 made in 1947. I wish it didn't have the tapped holes but hey that seems to be ALL the kitchen gunsmithing done to this old girl. Someone did add the 300/600 flip sight to the rear. So I may just buy an original No.5 Micrometer sight to go back on it and leave it be. I have my fully sportered No.4 to put the venison on the table. __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson

October 4, 2014, 09:56 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I guess I'll show my ignorance, but I don't recall any scope mount base that would fit those screw holes; I usually used a side mount on those rifles. I would check out the depth of those holes in the receiver ring; they look pretty deep and if too deep would go into the chamber. Sorry not to be more help. Jim

October 6, 2014, 01:33 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The "no gunsmithing" mounts don't require drilled and tapped holes, which is why they are called "no gunsmithing." However, the OP can mount one of those and either put plug screws in the holes or just ignore them. Whatever the good or bad features of the Lee-Enfield actions, they share one factor common to military rifles of that era and later. The rifle designer(s) gave no thought at all to mounting a scope for sniper use. The first US rifle which incorporated a scope mount was the M14, vintage 1957. Jim

October 6, 2014, 02:45 PM	#7
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	weaver made one that looked like that,useing three holes. eastbank.

October 16, 2014, 09:23 PM	#9
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,653	Alright guys, I'm not going to mount a scope on this old girl. Where can I get some plug screws to go in these holes. And does anyone have any idea what the thread pitch may be. And what do you think about installing the plug screws and maybe filing them down to the curvature of the receiver and maybe cold blue it? I want to try to right this wrong if I can. __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson

October 17, 2014, 08:21 AM	#10
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,824	Are those through holes in the front. Any chance they go through the chamber? If they do, the rifle is wasted. - TL

October 17, 2014, 04:05 PM	#11
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,653	No the holes do not go all the way through into the chamber. They are not very deep at all. __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson

October 18, 2014, 11:36 AM	#12
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	midway usa sells them but you need to know the size and thread pitch of the holes to order the plugs for them. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

October 18, 2014, 05:09 PM	#13
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	I have bought allen headed set screws in approximately that size as a hardware store. You will need to know the thread pitch. I was working at a college and the maintence department has installed exterior doors with non exterior door hinges. Instead of replacing the hinges I just drilled and tapped the inside of the hinges and installed setscrews so the hinge pins could not be pulled from the outside. Even if ther holes came through into the chamber the rifle would not be ruined. If you check your history you will find that early military full automatic bring backs were made unusable by drilling a hole in the barrel so that if the weapon was fired if would blowback into the face........this was sloved by many a GI by a simple taped in plug.

October 18, 2014, 05:35 PM	#14
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,824	If the plug fails, it becomes a projectile. It is a no no. Not worth it. -TL

October 18, 2014, 06:27 PM	#15
Chuck Dye Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2002 Location: Oregon-The wet side. Posts: 949	Brownell's has blank, undrilled scope bases. Turning them into a clean, working, installation requires machine shop level measuring and drilling gear. Brownell's also has filler screws. __________________ Gee, I'd love to see your data!

October 18, 2014, 07:03 PM	#16
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	Generally you will find the holes to be either 6x48 or 8x40. Any gun shop should have some laying around left over from mounting scopes. No need to go to the trouble of ordering some.

October 18, 2014, 08:57 PM	#17
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	Most gunsmiths will have lots of proper screws around to fit the holes. I would personally have the depth of those taps checked by a gunsmith, to see exactly how many thousandths of receiver metal remain around the chamber. The No. 5 is not exactly a good candidate for a scope, it's a carbine and is not going to give you results much better than your open sights in brushy hunting terrain. Put some good screws in there, a little Loctite, and try your cold blue, should get good results.

October 19, 2014, 09:04 AM	#18
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,653	Thanks guys. That's exactly what I'm going to do. __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson