More guns--Pattern 14 again

I've had this old Pattern 14 for a long time and it's been written about here before.

The Pattern 14 Enfield

I restocked it once, but with an old drill-purpose stock which had been cut through to allow for the demilitarization of the rifle it had originally been on. I didn't like those holes and I didn't care for how the finish come out, but it still looked decent enough and it shot really well out to 200 yards so I kept it. I wanted to get a better stock for it but they'd gotten scarce over the years.

Then Sarco advertised some. The price More than I'd paid for the rifle itself. But I wanted the rifle correct and it was still cheap at today's Pattern 14 prices. So I ordered one.

The fist one they sent me was ridiculous. Soon as I pulled it out of the long, thin back full or styrofoam chips--a pet peeve of mine--I saw that all the metal still on it was corroded badly and the stick had a full-thickness crack running up one side at the mag well. It was useless and beyond repair. But sarco's pretty good on fixing stuff like this (they should be, as often as they do this) and they sent me a replacement stock that was rough but which cleaned up well enough with tung oil once I got all of the cosmoline grease out of it. I spent a week rubbing it down and adding thin coats and it finished up looking pretty good. I purposely left the dings and scrapes in it because the rest of the rifle metal has it's character wear already so it looks appropriate, wood and metal alike, just like any other old rifle that's been maintained but not refinished.

As for it's markings:

ERA, means it was make at the Remington-run shop at the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Eddystone, PA.

Other side: "Not English Make" stamp on the left--a requirement for firearms imported into Britain back then-- and British government property markings. This one definitely went "over there" to help fight the Hun.

All that's left to do now is get it a proper sling, try to find it some correct long-range volley sights, and take it out to shoot it, possibly as soon as this coming week-end.