Brought my Ishapore hoe today. She's an L2A in an ATI sporter stock. I'm already thinking of restocking--either with a wood sporter stock or perhaps finding an Enfiled stock that will fit her and putting her back like she was.
The plan is to hook her up with a LER scope and use her as a poor man's scout rifle. Got her for $280.
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AIRBORNE! All the Way! Recondo: Only the strong survive!
RedneckCatholic: Sir, Pictures, with your range reports
Everybody asks for pictures! I don't even own a camera! If I have to spend part of the gun budget on a camera, somebody owes me a beer! A craft brewed beer!
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AIRBORNE! All the Way! Recondo: Only the strong survive!
If what you are looking for is a Cooper Scout Rifle built on the Lee Enfield action, I'd retain the ATI stock at least for now, and simply mount the LER scope on Memsaab.
Take a look at the Boyds line of stocks and see if they have something that would suit your purpose. Remember, part of the problem with any scout rifle is to keep the overall weight of the rifle under 6.8 pounds (3 kgs). That puts the No. 1 Mark III-type, suitable-for-clubbing-a-squad-of-Germans-without-breaking full length Enfield wood stock, out of the running. An SMLE, which includes the 7.62 Mark 2a variant, weighs in at almost 9 pounds (4 kgs). Just to get the weight down to the Colonel's specification, an issue Ishapore has to lose 25% of its weight. That's a big nut to make.
As you don't want to cut the barrel, and you do have to add a scope mount, and scope and (ideally) a bipod, I submit the only place where you can realistically lose that kilogram is in the stock.
So, RNC, I'm afraid you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you use Memsaab as a platform for a Cooper Scout Rifle in an aftermarket stock; or you bring her back to original Indian Army specifications, preferably with a Wilkinson bayonet. If it were me, I'd want to bring her back to issue specifications.
But that's me. I do admit that the idea of a Cooper Scout Rifle based on the SMLE platform has a great deal of merit, and I'd like to see one. I just am not willing to use my own for the purpose; it took me too long to find a good one.
Everybody asks for pictures! I don't even own a camera! If I have to spend part of the gun budget on a camera, somebody owes me a beer! A craft brewed beer!
Sorry you're gettin a Corona. Got five in the fridge right now LOL.
If what you are looking for is a Cooper Scout Rifle built on the Lee Enfield action, I'd retain the ATI stock at least for now, and simply mount the LER scope on Memsaab.
Take a look at the Boyds line of stocks and see if they have something that would suit your purpose. Remember, part of the problem with any scout rifle is to keep the overall weight of the rifle under 6.8 pounds (3 kgs). That puts the No. 1 Mark III-type, suitable-for-clubbing-a-squad-of-Germans-without-breaking full length Enfield wood stock, out of the running. An SMLE, which includes the 7.62 Mark 2a variant, weighs in at almost 9 pounds (4 kgs). Just to get the weight down to the Colonel's specification, an issue Ishapore has to lose 25% of its weight. That's a big nut to make.
As you don't want to cut the barrel, and you do have to add a scope mount, and scope and (ideally) a bipod, I submit the only place where you can realistically lose that kilogram is in the stock.
So, RNC, I'm afraid you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you use Memsaab as a platform for a Cooper Scout Rifle in an aftermarket stock; or you bring her back to original Indian Army specifications, preferably with a Wilkinson bayonet. If it were me, I'd want to bring her back to issue specifications.
But that's me. I do admit that the idea of a Cooper Scout Rifle based on the SMLE platform has a great deal of merit, and I'd like to see one. I just am not willing to use my own for the purpose; it took me too long to find a good one.
COL Cooper was a perfectionist! I don't think I can get exactly what he specified out of Memsaab! But I do think I can get a good, affordable alternative! On restocking--that will depend on two things--does she group well with the ATI stock (I've read some pretty negative things about them, and on visula inspection, I'm not sure about the one I got!) and perceived recoil. She shoulders well as is, I have to admit.
A scope is on the agenda simply due to affect of middle age on male eyes--I find at ranges beyong 50 meters 1" bulls are now invisible.
But the plan is to get something similar--sand I stress similar--to Coopers' scout rifle. I don't mind a heavier firearm--the light wieght has always seemed a bit of a fetish to me.
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AIRBORNE! All the Way! Recondo: Only the strong survive!
3Likes
Pictures 
with your range reports
