Thread: A Lee Speed stock

Some time last year I received a call from a guy who had seen some of my rifles and asked if I would do a Lee Speed for him. Reluctantly I agreed as initially it was only the forestock but in feb he said that the rifle he had been after had sold to someone else but had a tang safety LS being finished up with sights so he would send the stock blank directly to me from its source. I have had it sitting under the fire until the barreled action turns up as the wet weather (high humidity) makes it necessary to protect it from any take-up until I have all the components in hand to make a start. There are a couple of buffalo horn tips on the way for fore end tip and grip cap. Haven't heard what he wants for a butt plate as yet and may even suggest buffalo horn for that as well but that will be his decision.

Had a call from Heath today to say he will be dropping the LS barrelled action in tomorrow so will have to fit this one in between more knives. Nice with the tang safety and I expect that the some here will be able to decipher all the markings on this BSA commercial action with the sold out of service marking on the Nock's form.
This is going to be a very protracted project as I fit it round the knives and as summer come on getting back out on the bike again. Bike is down at the moment getting the tins painted.

The barrel is a later ex NZ Army replacement with the original sights refitted. I have seen a couple of Lee Speeds that were impressed for Home Guard use in WW2 and they were completely shot out when the owners got them back after the war. One was so bad that an unfired projectile would drop right through the barrel.

Originally Posted by gundoc

The barrel is a later ex NZ Army replacement with the original sights refitted. I have seen a couple of Lee Speeds that were impressed for Home Guard use in WW2 and they were completely shot out when the owners got them back after the war. One was so bad that an unfired projectile would drop right through the barrel.

I had known about some of the private Lee Enfields being requisitioned for military service and I am sure that Heath will be happy to get any information concerning the markings.

Just as well you know how to sharpen a tool!

I am interested in that tang safety,I have a Lee Speed but its in Sweden untill I get the export paperwork done.
Does the owner have a bolt for it? Mine has the safety on the back of it like a Lee Metford.

Waiting with interest. I've seen pics of your sticks online but sadly never had one in my hands.
Things of beauty that make a 303 into something quite special.
A lot of people wouldn't believe a humble old 303 could look that good

Originally Posted by norsk

I am interested in that tang safety,I have a Lee Speed but its in Sweden untill I get the export paperwork done.
Does the owner have a bolt for it? Mine has the safety on the back of it like a Lee Metford.

Yes he has the bolt. I dont need it to make the stock.

Is it done yet?
I have 4 Lee Speeds in various stages of restoration so keen to see this one come together.
Any chances of some close up pics of the tang safety and back of the action where the safety comes through to block the sear? It sits on a pin through the action I believe?
I have one missing those parts so need to make them so any pics you can take of that would help me no ends. Happy to have them emailed if you don't want yo cluter this thread. Cheers

Originally Posted by Wingman

Is it done yet?
I have 4 Lee Speeds in various stages of restoration so keen to see this one come together.
Any chances of some close up pics of the tang safety and back of the action where the safety comes through to block the sear? It sits on a pin through the action I believe?
I have one missing those parts so need to make them so any pics you can take of that would help me no ends. Happy to have them emailed if you don't want yo cluter this thread. Cheers

I havent started it yet. I have couple of knives to get finished then will take a break from them and concentrate on the stock. I will get pics and measurements for you on the tang safety as I go through the process. There is a small slot in the rear of the action socket for the safety tab to go through.

Was able to make a start on the stock this morning and decided that because the Lee Enfield action is so prevalent throughout New Zealand that there may well be others that need to make a replacement stock so thought to do a reasonably detailed thread on the making of this one.

Starting with the barrelled action and the pattern boards.


Flattening one face of the blanks and squaring the top edge on the forestock.


And running them through the planer to give me true and parallel faces


You can see from the pattern board that a fore end tip was always going to be needed but is not important at this stage as I leave the tip until the B/A has been fully inletted. Here I am getting the draw face angle for the rear of the fore stock after which the saw is set and the draw face cut in.


A centerline is marked down the top of the forestock


And my pattern board for the inlet is centered on the line and marked in.


Having a spare action makes it simpler here and for the smoking in to keep the actual B/A clean and unmarked as can sometimes happen at that stage. In normal stock jobs the action is usually in the white and the blueing is all done after the stock is done so no stress about marking a B/A that has a very nice aged patina that I want to preserve. It dosent show well in the pic but there is a fine pencil line marked in for the start of the inlet.


Before making a start the chisels and hand router all need to have their blade edges fine tuned for sharp and clean. These are the main tool for inletting at this stage.


Marking inside the lines (about a mm) with chisel and taking out the waste wood having to be careful as there is a swirl in the grain that runs down into the wood going forward and will chip out if chiselled the wrong way. The old Granny's tooth ( hand router) makes a fine job of making sure the action bed is flat and parallel with the top edge.


With the action flat down to 19mm it can be left like this for the time being.


The lines are marked on to the centerline on the underside for major removal of the mag well wood and makes it easier to finish the action inlet.


And that is where I will leave it for today.

Originally Posted by gundoc

The barrel is a later ex NZ Army replacement with the original sights refitted. I have seen a couple of Lee Speeds that were impressed for Home Guard use in WW2 and they were completely shot out when the owners got them back after the war. One was so bad that an unfired projectile would drop right through the barrel.

Shot out or corroded out? My Dad had to surrender his very nice pride and joy BSA 303. When it was finally returned to him the barrel was absolutely buggered.

My father surrendered his Lee Speed also. However they returned it to him as it was not a military issue rifle.

Likely was corrosive primers and poor cleaning that killed the afore mentioned barrels.


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First thing toady I drilled 3 10mm holes as a start for the trigger /mag spring assembly and a couple of 20mm and one 24mm holes for the start of the mag well.


Open up but with a lot left to remove at the appropriate time in the process.


Time for this indispensible pair of scrapers I made from old files


With the larger one I can start the major removal of excess wood down to close to thre marked in lines.


Another very handy part of the tool kit is the lantern and with the wick mechanism removed and a tin with a pair of tabs riveted to the top and filled with kerosene, I have the makings of a smoker to ease the inletting process.


With the action covered with a layer of smoke it makes for an easy to see mark for scrape removal of the wood that is holding up the inlet.

Awesome thread - thanks for the detailed photos and description