Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

If you are making it or modifying it, repairing it or restoring it, it goes in here.

Moderator: dromia

Message
Author
User avatar
Ovenpaa
Site Supporter Since 2015
Posts: 24680
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 8:27 pm
Location: Årbjerg, Morsø DK
Contact:

Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#1 Post by Ovenpaa »

Towards the end of last year I was staring at an absolutely original No32 Mk1 telescopic sight that was sitting on my desk. I was constantly moving it anywhere but back in the cupboard which meant I had to find a suitable project for it. The problem was what, so I mentioned it on the Full-Bore forum and GeeRam mentioned a No32 Mk1 had been fitted to a Pattern 14 rifle. A rifle I own and one which I really enjoy shooting.

So, I hunted down the post, contacted the person who had built it and was told that the source of the drawing was secret and that the bracket build he had commissioned had been a nightmare to do and probably best avoided.

Game on.

Use the people you know I thought, so I spoke to Paul Whitelam of Northern Shooting Show fame and he waved a magic wand (OK, he spoke to the Leeds Armoury people) and a drawing was supplied, I think it was a fiver and I still owe him for it!

With the drawing to hand first job was to draw it in CAD, it is always easier to work with a 3D model and it soon became apparent that what I had modelled and what had been built previously were really quite different. So I started again and paid extra attention to the job in case anything has been over looked and yup, what I was looking at was spot on to drawing, even down to a couple of small errors on radius paths, but way different to the example that had been built recently. My goal was to build something that was totally 100% accurate.
I could certainly build a fair amount of the project, however it was also apparent that I would need a 5 axis machine, something I do not possess, so I was going to need a grown up on board, certainly if I was going to build a handful of the things.

As luck has it, Robert Chombart of CG fame and I worked with another company when we were building rifle actions a few years ago and they have some fairly hefty CNC kit, so we sat down and talked, in fact we talked a lot and a plan agreed. Time to do some more research, I reckon I put well over 50 hours (I stopped counting last December) into 3D modelling, researching material specification and modern equivalents and this was before the emails, conversations, drawing mark ups and annotations. The master folder alone is over 240 MB and the pile of drawings in the folder is a couple of inches thick. Eventually the project was ready to be kicked off and set tool to material.
The original drawing calls for malleable cast iron and that is certainly an idea for the future however right now my plan was to build a dimensionally perfect replication of the drawing with modern and robust materials which we have done.

Final job now is to tumble the parts and black them. Yes them, we have built half a dozen.

Interestingly, the drawing called for 4BA coned head screws or D.D.(E)2441/5 Screw, Holder and that drawing just happens to be for the 4(T) bracket (Another fiver I owe Paul!) Which makes me wonder why they chose to design a bracket for the Rifle, No3 Mk1 (P14) when the H&H modified No4 Mk(T) was already in place. My personal view is the P14 is an inherently accurate rifle and the one I have would easily out shoot the 4(T) I used to own. The downside was always spares for the P14, plus the ‘limited’ magazine capacity and a whole host of other things. What I do like about this bracket is it is robust, it used 5/16” thumb screws instead of the 1/4” used on the 4(T) and it also dovetails into the rear left wing that protects the rear sight so it has a very solid recoil system, unlike the 4(T)

Anyway, here it is, call it a bit of a world premier. A bracket to hold a No32 Mk1 rifle telescope to a No3 Mk1 rifle, this was originally designed and built in 1940, this is not a fantasy build, this is just a late build.

More to follow, in fact I could probably write a book on it!


Assembled.jpg
End view.jpg
/d

Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...

Shed Journal
User avatar
Alpha1
Site Supporter Since 2020
Posts: 8553
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:27 pm
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#2 Post by Alpha1 »

Brilliant. The P14 is one of my all time favourite rifles.
Well done.
User avatar
Alpha1
Site Supporter Since 2020
Posts: 8553
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:27 pm
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#3 Post by Alpha1 »

After re reading your post I see you have the scope. I look forward to seeing pictures of the finished rifle.
User avatar
Lancs Lad
Past Supporter
Posts: 218
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:27 am
Home club or Range: Diggle / Altcar and anywhere else that will have me.
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#4 Post by Lancs Lad »

A super piece of work :good:

:flag13: LL
User avatar
20series
Site Supporter Since 2019
Posts: 4838
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 10:42 am
Home club or Range: Oundle R&PC
Location: Chelveston, Northants
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#5 Post by 20series »

Looking forward to seeing the finished article,

Alan
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools!!
Douglas Adams, 1952-2001 RIP
User avatar
Mauserbill
Posts: 1026
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2017 4:49 pm
Home club or Range: Range
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#6 Post by Mauserbill »

Hello
Winchester 1916 P14 with Accumounts reproduction WW1 mount and a Pecar 4X scope
Attachments
P1080895.JPG
User avatar
Alpha1
Site Supporter Since 2020
Posts: 8553
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:27 pm
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#7 Post by Alpha1 »

Nice looking rifle. :good:
User avatar
Ovenpaa
Site Supporter Since 2015
Posts: 24680
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 8:27 pm
Location: Årbjerg, Morsø DK
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#8 Post by Ovenpaa »

With a No32 Mk1 for scale. This bracket is a bit different to the WW1 version as it is designed for the later No32 telescope and is a of a very quick release type so the 'scope and bracket can be easily stored when not in use. I have a tin here for the 4(T) No32 bracket and this would fit although the fixings are in different places and different threads as this is 5/16" as opposed to the 4(T) 1/4"
20210412_123502.jpg
/d

Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...

Shed Journal
User avatar
Pippin89
Posts: 1009
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 11:54 am
Home club or Range: Chichester Rifle and Pistol Club
Location: West Sussex, UK
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#9 Post by Pippin89 »

Very nicely done. What material did you use out of interest? I would hazard a guess that the cast iron was chosen for availability more than function at those times so no doubt yours is more fit for purpose than an original.
User avatar
Ovenpaa
Site Supporter Since 2015
Posts: 24680
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 8:27 pm
Location: Årbjerg, Morsø DK
Contact:

Re: Fitting a No32 Mk1 to a Pattern 14 rifle

#10 Post by Ovenpaa »

The body is a medium carbon steel as are the coned screws which are hardened.
/d

Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...

Shed Journal
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests