amatikulu

Not sure why they are not appearing now. They are still in my photobucket album and I haven't changed the links.

The attached pictures are of a periscope which came in a box of parts when I bought a ferret ex Canadian Army. I have no idea what it is for but I know it is not for a Ferret. It is in good condition and I'd like to find a good home for it.

This is a picture of Trevor's engine as it was found:

Do you have pictures of the cracked block?

Welcome

A "mag cut-off" is a metal plate used to isolate the ten round magazine, making the rifle a single shot only rifle. Volley sights are simply long range sights fitted to the side of the lee Enfield. They were meant to be used to deliver long range group fire to harass incoming enemy.

Nice rifle, looks like both the action and barrel are 1918 dated. It looks like the "PW" and "2.20" were stamped at the same time but the "1. Leic" and "74" were stamped at a different time. Thinking about these stamps, it occurred to me that it was unlikely that Weedon was doing refurbishments in 1920 so soon after the war as the UK would have ben awash in SMLE's post WW1. Based on the stampings ad scrape marks on the disc, I looks to me like it might not be original to the rifle. Before 1918, the British Army was not giving away free intelligence so unit disk markings had been discontinued and you often find rifles with either a wooden plug or a blank disc in those stocks inletted for the disk. On the possibilities of what does the PW stand for, the only regiment in the British Army I can think of would be the Prince of Wales Own - West Yorkshire Regiment. Perhaps they used PW as an abbreviation.

As a follow up to this thread, I put the hub back together and added oil to the bevel box and hub. After a few weeks, I had to remove the engine so dragged the hull outside and amazingly the hub freed up and rolled easily. Based on the amount of oil I had to add to fill these up, I conclude that after ten years of standing, all the oil had drained out and the lock up was simply a "dry freeze"

Thanks I'll follow up on that link.

I am in the process of restoring a Daimler Ferret Mark 1 and have found that my ignition switch is locked. From reading around on the internet I understand the key is a Wilmot Breeden Key. From the attached picture you can see it has "9" at one point and "18" at the opposite end. Does any one have a spare key, or any information on where I can find the correct key so that I can unlock the ignition?

In the pictures the " brass coloured layer" looks like zinc chromate paint to me.

This information came from an item for sale on ebay specifically listed for the Daimler Ferret. I cannot verify it is correct but thought it probably correct. 7/16 - 20 UNF brake bleed nipples. 1.447" long.

This evening I have tried my best to pull the sun gear without further stripping of the hub, but to no avail. I've tried one welding rod and two welding rods but the hook simply bends straight when force is applied. I tried using some thin allen keys as they are made of a harder steel but I still can't move the gear. I've downloaded several manuals from the internet, can somebody suggest what would be appropriate to read before I take the next steps to strip the whole epicyclic gears etc?

Well, no progress to report today. I tried a bent welding rod, but was unable to pull the sun gear. I only had one rod available so am now going to get a second one and see if I can get it to move when pulling from two rather than one position.

I managed to remove the bearing retainer, and was pleased to find that I didn't need a puller, all I had to do was insert two of the removed bolts from the retainer into the additional two holes on the face and and they pulled it free with ease. Here's the retainer plate with the bolts inserted in the removal spots And this is what it looks like with it removed: Another shot from a slightly different angle Now the question is does anyone have any tips on the smartest way to remove the sun gear?

Ok, thanks to you all for the input. Mike, I did not test to see if both wheels on the left side rotated when they were connected, I only tested them individually once I had disconnected the prop shaft. The other three wheels rotate freely. Tim, I just got home from work, so will grab a bite to eat and then head out to the garage and see if I can do as you have suggested and find out if the hub is able to rotate after stripping out the sun gear. Depending on progress, I'll post the outcome.

Hi, this is my first post other than my introductory one, so I hope I'm asking my question in the right place. Last July, I bought a Mark 1 Ferret that had been in dry storage for 31 years simply being used for the odd publicity photograph. It served with the Canadian Forces in West Germany and my restoration is to return it that time period. I have spent the last eight months slowly stripping the vehicle and searching for replacement parts. This has been fun, but now I've hit the first roadblock that gets in the way of my plans. The front left wheel is locked up and I need to move the ferret out of my garage to remove the engine and gearbox. I originally placed the ferret in my garage using a rather large forklift (telehandler) so did not detect the non moving wheel. I made the assumption that the brake shoes were binding after I found that the other three wheels rotated. First, I disconnected the prop shaft to that wheel and jacked up the wheel and applied turning pressure to the wheel. It would rock but not rotate. Next, I removed the wheel and the brake hub, it came off easily. The wheel would still not rotate. Now, scratching my head I decided I needed to look inside the bevel box, so removed the outer hub Allen head screws and took a look. This is what I found: The bevel box was dry, but other than one nut showed no sign of corrosion. I could find no obvious damage from the outside or shiny metal particles. However the little oil that remained was pretty gunky My question is, could my locked up wheel simply be caused by a lack of lubrication and all I need is to put it back together with some oil? Or is the locked up hub a problem that requires further stripping to find and if so, what should be my next steps? Thanks in anticipation

Tony B, the oldest Lee Enfield is around 1896, I haven't found any of the Lee Metford rifles yet the oldest rifle I own is a Snider Mark III, from 1861. Rattlesnakebob, I'll put Chickamauga on my list as I have not been there.

Tony B, the US rifle you are thinking of that infringed the Mauser patents was the Springfield 1903. Royalties were paid in installments for a total amount of $200,000 which was paid in full by 1909.

Here are some of my: Training rifles Sniper/Target rifles Some No.4's Some No.1's Some Long Lee Enfields Some Carbines In anwer to rattlesnakebob's question, the USA has had a long history of importing military surplus from around the world, but it has pretty much dried up since the early 2000's. So if you go to a gunshow the chances are that you will find a few lee enfield's for sale, but they will often be the more common variants. The dilligence comes when you find rare variants or hard to find accessories. Here you have to network and do your research. That is why I have joined this web site. I'm hoping to improve my knowledge, make some good contacts and share my love of collecting with like minded people.

I apologise if the pictures come across as showing off, that was not my intention. In the USA, I have been collecting for over a decade and have been focussing on collecting one of each variant of the Lee Enfield from each of the manufacturers. I chose the Lee Enfield as I was born in the UK, and here in the USA, British rifles are relatively inexpensive as more american collectors seek out american made rifles. I do have a good colection of the trainers but am missing a few of the earlier ones, and the later No.9. I also collect items like the Swift Training Rifles and Armourer skeleton rifles.

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Goran, I live three hours due south of Orlando on the southern shores of Lake Okeechobee Here is some old pictures of my collection

Hello from South Florida. I have joined the forum for several reasons, all of which are important to me. My Grandfather served the duration of WW2 in the 27th Lancers, a reconnaissance unit of the RAC and I have been researching the type of vehicles he would have used during his service. I also have a great interest in the Ferret Scout Car and am considering purchasing one as I am an avid collector of both Triumph motorcycles and Lee Enfield rifles and why not add a military vehicle or two ! My username Amatikulu, is taken from a place in Zululand South Africa where I lived for many years before eventually settling in the USA Thanks Neil