Thread: Fitting stock onto SMLE

I'd try sinking the barrel and receiver into either stock and see which looks the straightest or most centred. If there is a big difference, that will help you decide which. A nice quandry to have by the way. Or which one matches your shoulder stock the best?

In the Boer War, troops found their MLE's shoulder stocks screws would work themselves loose, but troops were not issued with a sufficiently long screwdriver to tighten them, that's why we have that rear cutout+insert. Prevents the shoulder stock bolt from unscrewing - notice how two sides of that bolt's tip are flattened. So we always remove the front stock BEFORE trying to unscrew the shoulder stock, or some damage might occur. I'd sacrifice the insert from the sporter and transplant it to your BSA stock.